Brian Cope

Dr. Brian Cope (he/him) joined the faculty in 2005, following an appointment as Lecturer in the Department of Literature at the University of California, San Diego. His scholarship examines the social and philosophical dimensions of literary works and independent films from Spain and Latin America that interrogate the human condition and the modern world. He is currently completing a book on ancient Greek skepticism in the novels and critical outlook of Spanish author Miguel de Unamuno, while also beginning a new project on the legacy of Italian Neo-Realism in Hispanic cinema. His broader interests encompass Iberian and Latin American intellectual history, immigration studies, cultural studies, art, music, and regional social histories. These interests directly inform his course design and teaching at all levels of the curriculum. He has seven years of experience chairing the department. During his 2023–2026 term, he focused on enhancing student engagement and facilitating connection between students and faculty in structured activities ranging from karaoke to an intercollegiate senior research symposium that included students from Wooster, Ohio Wesleyan, Kenyon, DePauw, and Oberlin. He has also served on numerous faculty committees, including GEO and Pathways. Originally from the Central Coast of California with Mexican ancestry (Sonora), Dr. Cope cultivates his lifelong love for Spanish through travel, reading, family, and professional commitments.

• “When Music Resists: Nueva Canción Chilena and the Voice of Democracy,” by Evan Amend, spring 2026.
• “De la Transición a la España contemporánea: Una exploración de la representación transgénero en el cine,” by Raine Botello, spring 2026.
• “Effects of Glyphosate Treatment on C. Elegans Health: Implications for Migrant Communities with Elevated Pesticide Exposure,” by J. Payton Timken, spring 2025. [Project contains two chapters on Latinx novels focusing on the theme of pesticide exposure.]
• “Ciclo de la Historia Repetida: El Juego de Espera de los “Dreamers,” by Fernanda Bañuelos, spring 2024. (double major with Education)
• “Joder… Aquí vienen los delinquents. Una exploración de dos películas de Eloy de la Iglesia: Colegas y El pico,” by Hannah Grosman, spring 2023. (double major with Education)
• “Nativism, another word for racism? A study of how anti-immigrant sentiments create animus towards the Latinx Community,” by Elizabeth Suárez, spring 2021. (double major with Political Science)
• “Miguel de Cervantes, Platón, y Francisco de Goya: La conexión entre la fantasía y la realidad,” by Dezmond Morrow, spring 2021.
• “La libertad y sus acontecimientos: un enfoque en el existencialismo y el uso de la
  libertad dentro de artefactos culturales,” by Carlos Hernández, spring 2020. (double major with Education)
• “Moral Obligations: Towards a Just System of Immigration,” by Mayra López, spring 2019. (double major with Philosophy)
• “Fronteras entretejidas: texto, textil, y la formación de una narrativa mestiza en las obras de Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Gloria Anzaldúa, y Sandra Cisneros,” by Claire Billingsley, spring 2016.
• “De monstruo a modelo: Cómo el mito de La Llorona refleja los cambios en la Sociedad, la identidad, y la cultura en tres libros infantiles,” by Charlotte Tierney, spring 2016.
• “Cervantes y Velásquez: Dos artistas revolucionarios y cómo exploraron los mismos conceptos en sus técnicas diferentes,” by Cathryn Rudawsky, spring 2015.
• “Oaxaca vive, ¿la lucha sigue?: Una crónica de conflictividad social,” by Lauren Hines, spring2009. (double major with English)
• “España vista desde afuera: la evolución del turismo en España desde los finales del siglo XIX hasta el nuevo milenio,” by Rebecca Beyer, spring 2007.
• “El concepto de la salvación en las obras de Miguel de Unamuno,” by Emily Richardson, spring 2007.
• “El problema del libre albedrío en Niebla,” by Sean Hennessey, spring 2006.