Juan is researching Alcala de Henares, Spain and Mexico City, Mexico in a transatlantic study of colonial cities. With a grant from the Sigma Delta Pi Honors Society, he will be conducting fieldwork in Spain. While pursuing his PhD, Juan has also completed graduate certificates at UK in Gender and Women's Studies, Latin American Studies, Social Theory and Historic Preservation. 

 

"There are so many things to do here at UK, and I think UK is really focused on student success," Juan said. "I love that I've been able to teach higher-level courses within my department, collaborate with others and earn graduate certificates ... I feel that I have a lot of room for extracurricular activities and to develop myself."

 

After graduation, Juan hopes to work in academia and continue to teach. "I love teaching,” he said. “I love connecting with my students and teaching about my culture." Juan received the A&S Teaching Assistant Teaching Award in 2019 as well as the 2019 Cross-Cultural Understanding Award from UK's International Center.

 

He holds a master's in Hispanic Studies from Auburn University, a master's in Teaching English through Literature and another in Business Administration, both from the Universidad de Alcala, Spain.