Raquel Chiquillo

Raquel Chiquillo is a Professor of Spanish at the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences' Department of History, Humanities and Languages. Born in El Salvador and a U.S. citizen since 1998, she joined UHD in 2002 as a tenure-track assistant professor, earning tenure in 2008 and promotion to full professor in 2023. Her academic journey includes a Ph.D. in Spanish and Spanish American Literature from the University of Virginia.

Her research centers on 20th Century and Contemporary Hispanic Poetry with special emphasis on Central American Poetry, indigenous influences in Hispanic Literature, and transhumanism in Latin American Science Fiction/Fantasy. Her scholarly output includes peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters analyzing poets like Roque Dalton, Manlio Argueta, and Sara Mesa, with recurring themes of cultural memory, political struggle, and identity formation.

Chiquillo's 15 most recent publications reveal consistent focus on Central American literary traditions, particularly Salvadoran poetry, examining intersections of violence, indigenous spirituality, and postmodern experimentation. Her work frequently engages with Nahua cultural elements and explores anthropomorphic transformations as social critique.

• 20 Year Award, University of Houston-Downtown (2022)

As an educator, she mentors students like Mariana de la Garza in directed studies while securing significant grants including a $69,000 Library of Congress award for her Afro-Latino Heritage Story Map Project. Her service includes faculty senate representation, study abroad leadership for trips to Oaxaca and Costa Rica, and active participation in UHD's Center for Public Deliberation. She maintains extensive professional development in digital pedagogy, holding multiple Online Learning Consortium certifications.