Ryan Prendergast

Ryan Prendergast is an Associate Professor of Spanish and Chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures at the University of Rochester's School of Arts & Sciences. He holds a PhD from Emory University and specializes in early modern Spanish literature with a focus on representations of identity, difference, and cultural critique.

His research examines how marginalized forms like entremés theater and literary works by figures like Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz challenged Spain's religious and cultural norms. He has published extensively on inquisitorial control, gender dynamics, and transatlantic literary connections.

Teaching focuses include Don Quixote, early modern theater, and colonial Latin American literature, with courses like Stages of Resistance and 1492 and Beyond. His work bridges literary analysis with historical and sociological perspectives.