Alberto Ribas-Casasayas is Assistant Professor of Spanish, with an emphasis in contemporary Latin American literature. A native of Barcelona, he graduated in Humanities from Universitat Pompeu Fabra in 1999. He obtained his PhD in Comparative Literature at Harvard University in 2007. Prior to his arrival to Santa Clara University he held a position in Spanish in the California State University, San Marcos.
Prof. Ribas's academic interests focus on ghosts and haunting as recurring metaphors in contemporary Latin American narrative. He is also interested in contemporary Mexican literature and cultural and social issues in the U.S. – Mexico border region. He is currently finishing article-length studies on the work of Tijuana writer Heriberto Yépez and the Nicaraguan Sergio Ramírez. He is also co-editing a compilation of articles on ghosts and spectrality in literature and film of the Spanish-speaking world. He has published scholarship on Jorge Luis Borges, Carlos Fuentes, and contemporary Mexican cinema. Additionally, Prof. Ribas has been involved in educational projects, such as the writing of a Hispanic culture textbook for secondary school students with De Agostini (Italy) and the production of digital instructional materials for the textbook Plazas (Cengage, Inc.).
Prof. Ribas has taught courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels on a diverse array of subjects: contemporary Latin American narrative, Latin American thinkers, survey of Latin American literature, introduction to literary analysis, introduction to Latin American civilization, culture and society of the U.S. – Mexico border, theory and practice of translation, Spanish composition, Spanish for heritage learners, and intermediate to advanced Spanish.