Oswaldo Estrada (FFP ’11, ’16, ’21) receives Fulbright Scholar Award
August 12, 2024 | Ruby Wang
Romance studies professor Oswaldo Estrada (FFP ’11, ’16, ’21) is one of three Carolina faculty members to receive awards from the U.S. Department of State to teach or conduct research abroad during the 2024-25 academic year.
As a Fulbright Scholar in fall 2024, Estrada will do archival research in Spain, while joining an established research group at the Spanish National Research Council called “Literature, Image, and Cultural History.” Housed in the Institute of Language, Literature, and Anthropology, this research group addresses cultural and literary studies from a broad and interdisciplinary perspective, with a transnational and transatlantic focus.
Estrada’s work will focus on Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648-1695), a poet from colonial Mexico. Estrada is writing a book about her carols, religious poems, and her prologues and dedications to explore how the poet-nun of the Baroque era articulated a feminist discourse that attracts a wide range of readers today.
“My interdisciplinary reading reflects the true nature of the poet who contests calcified differences between male and female, when she argues, ‘I know only that my body,/ not to either state inclined,/ is neuter, abstract, guardian/ of only what my soul consigns,’” Estrada said, quoting the poet. “This is the Sor Juana that captivates male, female and transgender readers today throughout the world, including the LGBTQ+ community.”
Estrada plans to use his time in Spain to inform and expand his teaching at home.
“Upon my return to Chapel Hill,” Estrada said, “I would love to offer undergraduate and graduate courses on Sor Juana’s feminism, in English and Spanish, to serve our students interested in gender studies, feminism and queer studies.”
Estrada is a professor of Spanish and Latin American Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill. He has served as the director of the Faculty Fellowship Program at the Institute for the Arts and Humanities since 2021.
At Carolina, associate professor Suja Davis (School of Nursing) and professor Anthony Hackney (department of exercise and sport science) also received the honor. Carolina has a long history with the Fulbright Program. This year, UNC-Chapel Hill was honored as a Top Producing Institution for Fulbright U.S. Students for the 14th time for sending over 20 students and recent alumni abroad on Fulbright scholarships for graduate studies, research or teaching. In 2023, Pamela Lothspeich (FFP ’12, ’23) also received a Fulbright Scholar Award.
“Participation of Carolina faculty in Fulbright supports the global mindset of our campus and enhances the University’s global reputation,” Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Giselle Corbie (ALP ’15) said. “I am proud of these faculty who will maintain their international connections for years and bring global knowledge and perspectives to their research and teaching.”
The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program offers awards in 135 countries to college and university faculty and administrators who are U.S. citizens, as well as artists and professionals from various fields. Fulbright awards are also available to students and scholars visiting Carolina from other countries.
Faculty interested in pursuing Fulbright Scholar and Specialist awards should reach out to the Center for Faculty Excellence.
Carolina has a long history with the Fulbright Program. This year, UNC-Chapel Hill was honored as a Top Producing Institution for Fulbright U.S. Students for the 14th time for sending over 20 students and recent alumni abroad on Fulbright scholarships for graduate studies, research or teaching.
For professionals, these prestigious awards offer the opportunity to build their skills and make important connections abroad while enhancing their work at home.
This year’s Fulbright U.S. Scholar awardees will be honored, along with other UNC Fulbright alumni and visiting Fulbright Scholars, at the annual Fulbright Welcome Reception hosted by UNC Global Affairs in conjunction with International Education Week in November.
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