Ricardo Padrón

Ricardo Padrón is a Professor of Spanish at the University of Virginia, affiliated with the Department of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. He has taught at UVA since 1997 and held visiting positions at the University of Pennsylvania, George Washington University, Universidade de São Paulo, and the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales. His office is located in New Cabell Hall 423 with Wednesday office hours from 1:00-3:00 pm.

Academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures, Harvard University
• M.A. in Romance Languages and Literatures, Harvard University
• A.M. in Divinity, University of Chicago
• B.A. in Political and Social Thought, University of Virginia

Padrón's research centers on early modern Hispanic literature and culture, specializing in empire, spatial theory, and cartographic practices. His work interrogates how Spain conceptualized the Far East as part of the transpacific West, challenging narratives of American 'discovery.' Additional interests include early modern poetry, historiography, material culture, and mapping of imaginary worlds, with regional focus on 16th-17th century Americas, Asia, and the Spanish Empire.

Recent publications reveal a cohesive trajectory in transpacific studies, merging cartographic history with material culture and critical race theory. Key patterns include analysis of rhetorical strategies in early modern geography, transoceanic artifact circulation, and the role of race in imperial spatial representation. His work consistently bridges literary analysis, historical geography, and postcolonial theory to reconstruct forgotten transpacific networks.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Honorable Mention for the Modern Language Association's Katherine Signer Kovacs Prize (2020) for The Indies of the Setting Sun
• 2024 PROSE Award in 'Art Exhibitions' for co-edited volume Seeing Race Before Race

As Director of Graduate Studies in Spanish, Padrón oversees UVA's graduate program while mentoring emerging scholars. His research has received sustained funding from U.Va’s Center for Global Inquiry and Innovation, Arts & Sciences division, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. He serves as the Renaissance Society of America's representative to the American Council of Learned Societies and co-founded the Society for Early Transpacific Studies.

Padrón founded and leads The Society for Early Transpacific Studies as a primary scholarly network, while his research benefits from institutional support through U.Va’s Center for Global Inquiry and Innovation. His collaborative projects frequently involve international teams across Asia, the Americas, and Europe.