The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences is pleased to welcome Visiting Distinguished International Scholar Maria Aparecida Andrade Salgueiro to the World Cultures and Literatures (WCL) program for the Spring 2020 semester. A native of Brazil, Salgueiro holds the rank of a full professor at the State University of Rio de Janeiro and brings over 30 years of experience in scholarship and pedagogy to her role in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages. Salgueiro’s research interests include intercultural exchange, Afro-Brazilian literature, gender studies, and contemporary Brazilian film.
“I’m very happy to be able to share my work with faculty, staff, and students at the University of Houston,” Salgueiro said. “I believe my research interests will resonate throughout such a large and diverse student body.”
Salgueiro’s experience as a researcher, lecturer, and academic advisor underpins her understanding of the transformative role education plays in students’ lives. She began her teaching career at a young age, volunteering to help illiterate adults learn to read and write. After earning her Ph.D. from Fluminense Federal University, Salgueiro became a professor of comparative literature and researched African American and Afro-Brazilian literature alongside graduate students. The diverse group of scholars under Salgueiro’s tutelage have gone on to shape the conversation on race in Brazil; a country Salgueiro says “has had enormous difficulty debating racial issues.”
“I support the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and the WCL program’s efforts to shape scholars with an understanding of historical and global contexts, who think across cultures and disciplines, and who consider multiple perspectives in pursuing innovative solutions to society’s problems. The WCL M.A. contributes to the University of Houston’s mission of preparing students for an increasingly diverse and interdependent world.”
During her time as a visiting scholar, Salgueiro will focus on black Brazilian female writers as well as race, class, and gender in Brazilian film.