John Riofrio, who goes by “Rio,” is Assistant Professor of Latino and Hispanic Studies in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. Rio received his PhD in English from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, with a specialization in Latino and Latin American Studies. Rio’s research interests include contemporary Latino Cultural Production, Immigration and Human Rights, Meritocracy and the American Dream. His first book, Continental Shifts: Migration, Representation and Search for Justice in Latino America is in production with UT Press and is slated for release in fall 2015. Continental Shifts proposes a Hemispheric approach to the study of Latino cultural production- including literature, film, political campaign rhetoric and user-generated YouTube videos, in order to consider the ways in which cultural influences travel and shape pre- and post- migratory identities. Rio was an active participant in the debates and discussion surrounding the new COLL curriculum, and is deeply honored to have been selected as one of the inaugural cohort of CLA fellows.
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