Nathalie Bragadir holds a B.A. in Spanish and International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania, a M.A. in Romance Languages from Boston University and a Ph.D. in Hispanic Language and Literature from New York University.  She taught Spanish and Latin American literature and culture courses in the Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures at the University of Southern California for seven years before becoming a lecturer at UCSB.  Her research interests include Caribbean, Atlantic, Hispaniola and Border Studies.