Preferred Name: Javier
Graduation Term (Class of 20XX): Not sure yet! Aiming for Spring or Summer 2026
Major(s)/Degree(s): PhD in Translation Studies [Jessica, if you need them all: MA in Intercultural Communication, MA in British and North American literature and translation; BA in Translation and Interpreting]
Concentration(s): Translation History, Literary Translation, Queer Translation Studies
Topics to consider: My dissertation examines the role(s) translation played in the U.S. circulation of queer Latin American literature during a historical moment shaped by both the Cold War’s growing geopolitical interest in Latin America and the emergence of gay liberation movements in the West.
Background – why you chose the language your chose, previous exposure:
I have always been fascinated by the ways in which translation allows us to think about culture, society, and identity from a transnational lens. Within this area, I particularly enjoy getting to know all the actors that make the transnational journey of literature possible, because I think it underscores how human and collaborative translation—and our knowledge of the world altogether—is. This is something I’ve come to understand through my academic journey, through teaching, and through the personal growth that comes from living in many places that have, in their own ways, all become home to me. And that feeling of home has always come from the people around me with whom, in many cases, I need to literally translate myself.
My first encounters with translation happened in my hometown, Madrid. I grew up in a monolingual family, but my parents love foreign movies and books and they always encouraged my brother and I to learn languages. I vividly remember taking the bus to the Public Language School for my German classes after high school, surrounded by people speaking all sorts of languages. It was somehow seductive and humble; to sit among so many people having conversations I couldn’t understand. On those crowded bus journeys, I could feel how language is something intimate and grounding, something we carry with us and reach for, even in public spaces where everything is written in the official language. I think that's the first moment I really started to think about studying what translation is and does to us.
Career Goals/Research Interests: I would love to continue teaching and researching translation at an academic institution. Over the past few years, I’ve also had the chance to translate literary books into Spanish, which has been fun, humbling, and incredibly enriching. I hope to keep growing as a translator and to continue building trust with editors and proofreaders so that many more books can follow in the future.
Fun Facts: The first thing that comes to mind—probably because I was just talking about it with my students—is that I once hitchhiked with some friends from Vienna to Ljubljana. It turned out to be one of the most beautiful travel experiences I’ve ever had. In my free time, I love learning about (and preparing!) cocktails for friends and family and going to the movies and to indie rock concerts. And when the dissertation and sunlight in Ohio or Madrid allow it, I’ve been learning how to embroider photographs. My favorite places in the world are, for some reason I cannot even explain, outdoors swimming pools. Reality competition shows are my guilty pleasure—which is funny, because I hate competition in real life!