معرفی
S.B. West (they/them) is an Associate Professor of Instruction in Gender & Sexuality Studies at Northwestern University, where they also serve as Director of Undergraduate Studies. They are affiliate faculty in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese and specialize in Latin American literatures and cultures with a focus on decolonial and trans feminist frameworks.
Dr. West holds a PhD in Spanish from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2017) and completed their undergraduate and master's studies at Ohio University (2007). Their academic work critically examines traditional approaches to Latin American literary canons through abolitionist, decolonial, and trans feminist lenses.
West's research interests include gender studies, Indigenous literatures and social movements, trans theory, abolitionism, and immigration narratives in Spanish from the US Midwest. Their work challenges colonial, cisheteronormative underpinnings of gender, class, and race relations while centering marginalized texts and perspectives. Their publications explore the intersection of Maya narratives, Caste War historiography, and contemporary political resistance movements across hemispheres.
Dr. West is actively engaged with Chicago's Spanish-language literary scene, frequently collaborating with El BeiSMan as a speaker at their book fairs and with UNAM Chicago on art exhibits focused on Yucatán peninsula politics and life. Their teaching philosophy emphasizes student-centered spaces of intellectual exchange that attend to commonly marginalized texts through decolonial frameworks.
- Associate Professor of Instruction, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Northwestern University (2023-present)
- Director of Undergraduate Studies, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Northwestern University
- Affiliate Faculty, Department of Spanish & Portuguese, Northwestern University
West's scholarly output demonstrates consistent engagement with Indigenous perspectives, particularly Maaya T'aan narratives, while challenging dominant historical interpretations of the Caste War. Their work bridges literary analysis, political theory, and decolonial practice to create new frameworks for understanding power, resistance, and autonomy in the Americas.
