Rebeca L. Hey-Colón
Associate Professor, Literatures in English and Latina/o Studies
Academic focus:
Afro-Latinx studies, Latinx studies, Caribbean studies
Current research project:
My first book, “Channeling Knowledges: Water and Afro-Diasporic Spirits in Latinx and Caribbean Worlds” was published in 2023 by the University of Texas Press. I am now developing a new project centered on loss in Afro-Latinx, Latinx and Caribbean cultural production.
Previous positions:
- Assistant Professor, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, Temple University, 2018-2024
- Visiting Faculty Fellow, Suzy Newhouse Center for the Humanities, Wellesley College, 2022-2023
- Carlos E. Castañeda Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Mexican American Studies, University of Texas at Austin, 2017-2018
- Assistant Professor, Department of Spanish, Colby College, 2015-2018
- Lecturer, Committee on Degrees in History and Literature, Harvard University 2014-2015
Academic background:
- Ph.D., Romance languages and literatures, Harvard University, 2014
- M.A., Romance languages and literatures, Harvard University, 2006
- B.A., Comparative literature, Haverford College, 2005
Last book read:
“Patternmaster” by Octavia Butler
In your own time/when not working:
I enjoy visiting friends and family, taking walks and listening to podcasts and audiobooks.
Courses you’re most looking forward to teaching:
I’m excited to design new courses in Afro-Latinx, Latinx and Caribbean studies for both the Department of Literatures in English and the Latina/o Studies Program, a process I will begin in the fall with my class, Diasporas, Disasters, and Dissent, which offers students a comprehensive view of Puerto Rican studies that is inclusive of both island and mainland experiences.
What most excites you about Cornell:
Cornell’s commitment to sustaining and growing its Latina/o Studies program, the institution’s vibrant intellectual life and interdisciplinary communities, and never being too far from the sound of water.
