Twenty-two scholars in 17 departments will join the Faculty of Arts and Sciences during the 2022-23 academic year. Here, new faculty members in the arts and humanities describe their interests in academia and beyond—from Afro-Latin American studies, Francophone literature, and intellectual history to fantasy baseball and foraging.
Jorge Mauricio Herrera Acuña
Mellon Faculty Fellow in Spanish and Portuguese
Scholarly Interests
I specialize in the contemporary literature and cultures of the African Diaspora, particularly Brazil and Cuba. My research interests include the poetics and aesthetics of Afro-diasporic artists and intellectuals, race relations, capoeira, and digital humanities. My current book project explores how previously understudied Afro-Latin American artists and writers shaped the aesthetic creations, anti-racist politics, and the rise of a Black Internationalism between 1950 and 1970.
Favorite Pastime
Cooking and playing pandeiro (tambourine)
Tatiana Filimonova
Assistant Professor of Russian
Scholarly Interests
I write about contemporary Russian literature, much of which has been shaped by Russia's colonial history. The identity of Russia's people and their aspirations are the subject of many novels and have inspired powerful intellectual trends, including imperialist movements like neo-Eurasianism, and even the current war in Ukraine. I examine how these trends play out in literature, and how a geopolitical frame of mind affects Russia's collective identity. I am also interested in regional identities, migration narratives, and the history and writing of Siberia's Indigenous peoples.
Favorite Pastime
I enjoy foraging, nature, newly-discovered Vermont Public Classical, and volleyball. (I'm eager to join a volleyball group if there is one!)