Professor Dr. Eduardo Ledesma profile photo

Professor Dr. Eduardo Ledesma

Professor

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Biography

Eduardo Ledesma, born in Barcelona, Spain, in 1972, moved to Chicago in 1984. After a decade as a practicing Structural Engineer, Ledesma transitioned into academia, focusing on literature, film, and new media. He has a PhD in Romance Languages and Literatures from Harvard University (2012), an MA in Hispanic Literature from the University of Illinois-Chicago (2006), an MS in Structural Engineering from Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (1999), and a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1995). His research interests encompass 20th and 21st Century Latin American and Iberian literature, culture, and the Southern Cone. He has produced substantial scholarly work, including books and articles on avant-garde documentary film, digital humanities, and critical AI studies, showing a particular focus on themes such as cultural disability and technology studies. He has been awarded numerous fellowships and honors, including the National Endowment for Humanities Fellowship and the UIUC Conrad Humanities Scholar Award. Ledesma's academic contributions also include teaching seminars that delve into contemporary Latin American literature and cinema, demonstrating his dedication to educating future scholars in these fields.

Research Interests

20th Century Latin American Literature 21st Century Latin American Literature Iberian Literature Culture Southern Cone Literature Film New Media Modernism Avant-Garde Digital Humanities Critical AI Studies Documentary Experimental Cinema Cultural Disability Technology Studies Blindness Visual Impairment Culture

Experience

Professor

— Present

University of Illinois • Urbana, IL

Conducting research, teaching various seminars, and mentoring students in the field of Spanish and Portuguese literature.

Awards

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Conrad Humanities Scholar

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Campus Distinguished Promotion Award

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Helen Corley Petit Scholar

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LEAP Scholar Award

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IPRH Prize Research Humanities

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IPRH Prize Research Humanities (Honorable Mention)

Courses

SPAN 528 Seminar 20 C. Spanish Lit. (All Almodóvar: Melodrama, Mothers, Memory Movidas Films (Most) Fabulous Spanish Auteur) SPAN 535 Seminar Spanish-American Lit. (Cabinet Curiosities: Spectacular Cinema Guillermo del Toro) SPAN 468 - Impure Genres: Latin American Fantasy, Sci-Fi Horror Literature Film (1900-2016) SPAN 468 Megalópolis: Latin American Urban Culture Literature, Film, Media SPAN 535 Seminar Spanish-American Lit. (From Futurism Facebook: Technology Latin American Cultural Production) SPAN 572 Theory Literary Criticism (including Latin American Iberian Cultural Studies) SPAN 535 Seminar Spanish-American Lit. (The Latin American Iberian Documentary Film) SPAN 316 Latin American Literatures II: Latin American Short Story (Science, Technology Occult) SPAN 326 Fiction Film Latin America (Contemporary Narratives Globalization) SPAN 326 Cultural Studies in Americas II: Contemporary Luso-Hispanic Film SPAN 254 Introduction Cultural Analysis SPAN 248 Latinx Cinema: Braceros, Narcos Latin Lovers

Requirements for University of Illinois

Master Program

Requirements

GPA Requirement
Required:3
IELTS
Listening
Required:7
Reading
Required:7
Writing
Required:7
Speaking
Required:7
Overall
Required:7.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:17
Reading
Required:19
Writing
Required:21
Speaking
Required:20
Total
Required:103
GRE General

Prerequisites

Mathematical background Linear Algebra Calculus

Application Checklist

  • Online application
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation
  • Academic Statement of Purpose
  • Resume/CV

Specialization Notes

GRE is optional for admission to all graduate programs in Statistics. Full status admission requires higher language scores than limited status.