05/27/2026
Parabéns to the Class of 2026!
On Sunday, May 24th, the Department of Portuguese & Brazilian Studies celebrated the graduation of undergraduate concentrator Henry Robbins, as well as Maria Frigotto's transitional A.M., and the Ph.D. completions of Kevin William Ennis, Joyce Silva Fernandes, and Torin Kees Spangler.
Henry Robbins graduated magna cm laude with a double concentration in Portuguese & Brazilian Studies and History. He was also awarded the prestigious Karina P. Lago Memorial Prize, which is given annually to an outstanding concentrator in Portuguese and Brazilian Studies.
Maria Frigotto received her transitional master's degree, writing a thesis under the supervision of Patrícia Martinho Ferreira entitled "As We Break: Afro-Indigenous Routes of Blackness in the Brazilian Theatrical Adaptation of The Dark Side of Skin."
Kevin William Ennis completed his Ph.D., defending a dissertation under the supervision of Leila Lehnen entitled "Narrative Streams of Extractivism in Amazonia."
Joyce Silva Fernandes completed her Ph.D., defending a dissertation under the supervision of Patrícia Martinho Ferreira entitled "African Women’s Short Fiction in Portuguese."
Torin Kees Spangler completed his Ph.D., defending a dissertation under the co-supervision of Leonor Simas-Almeida and Luiz Valente entitled "Steamboats and Kiandas: The Nineteenth-Century Kwanza Riverscape in Modern Angolan Literature."
