Victor Figueroa

Victor Figueroa is a Professor in the Department of Classical and Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures at Wayne State University. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he specializes in Caribbean Studies, Latin American Studies, Postcolonial Studies, and Environmental Criticism. His research focuses on the representation of the Haitian Revolution in Caribbean literature and the intersection of colonialism, identity, and resistance in Caribbean and Latin American texts.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, Harvard University (2000)
• M.A. in Comparative Literature, Harvard University (1996)
• B.A. in Comparative Literature, University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras (1992, magna cum laude)

Research Interests: Figueroa’s work delves into the complexities of Caribbean literary traditions, examining how authors from across the region engage with themes of colonialism, postcolonial identity, and environmental consciousness. His scholarship bridges Anglophone, Francophone, and Hispanophone Caribbean literatures, offering a pan-Caribbean perspective on the region’s shared histories and cultural productions.

Awards and Recognition:

• WSU Arts and Humanities Research Support Award (2017-2018)
• WSU Board of Governors Faculty Recognition Award (2016)
• Career Development Chair (2011-2012)
• Humanities Center Faculty Fellowship (2009)
• University Research Grants (2008, 2003)
• Humanities Center Research Grant (2006)
• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Distinction in Teaching Award (2005)

Publications: Figueroa is the author of two major scholarly books, Prophetic Visions of the Past: Pan-Caribbean Representations of the Haitian Revolution (2015) and Not at Home in One’s Home: Caribbean Self-Fashioning in the Poetry of Luis Palés Matos, Aimé Césaire, and Derek Walcott (2009), as well as three poetry collections. His peer-reviewed articles span a wide range of topics, from the Haitian Revolution in Caribbean literature to postcolonial readings of key Caribbean authors.