B.A., La Sabana University; M.A., Duke University; Ph.D., Simon Bolivar Andean University

Bio:

Dr. Javier Pabón received a B.A. in Communications from Universidad de La Sabana. Most of his undergraduate work was in audiovisual production and criticism, the relations between the media and the social movements, and the understanding of communicative and cultural practices. He has been part of several audiovisual projects that span from experimental video and documentary to feature-length commercial films.

He holds a Master’s degree with a certificate in Latin American Studies from Duke University. His teaching and research have focused on Latin American Cultural Studies; Diasporic Thought; Oral Tradition; Contemporary narratives and sensibilities; De-colonial theory; De-colonial aesthetics; Latinx, Latin American, and Spanish Film and Literature.

He graduated with distinction with a Ph.D. in Latin American Cultural Studies from the Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar. His dissertation “Afro-Andean Literature and Oral Tradition: Ancestral Representations, Symbolism, and Media,” explores different forms of representation of the Afro-descendant communities in the Pacific coast of Ecuador, including poetry, oral tradition, and media presence.

Dr. Pabon is a tennis enthusiast. He grew up playing in the South American clay. He trained and coached at Academia Internacional de Quito, where he was able to hit with several future professional tennis players and attended numerous clinics, including a couple with legendary coach Nick Bollettieri. As a junior, Javier played in the state, national, and regional tournaments in South America. Later he was part of his college men’s tennis team. He is a volunteer assistant coach for the women’s tennis team at Methodist University.