Sandro Sessarego
I am a Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Texas at Austin and a member of the Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice. I work primarily in the fields of Afro-Hispanic linguistics, language variation, and the African Diaspora in Latin America. The linguistic study of the Afro-Latino Vernaculars of the Americas (ALVAs) —the languages that developed in Latin America from the contact of African languages, Spanish and Portuguese in colonial times— and the sociohistorical analysis of their evolution have formed the main themes of my research program for the past fifteen years or so. In particular, my investigation combines linguistic, sociohistorical, legal and anthropological insights to cast light on the nature and origins of these contact varieties. My current interests also lie in the areas of legal history, human rights and language policy. My research aims at examining the status of unofficial languages to understand how language policy may have a social impact on ethnic and racial minorities, with a focus on speakers of Afro-Latino Vernaculars, Afro-American Vernacular English, creoles, indigenous languages, immigrants’ varieties and other unofficial languages.
PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT
2024- Professor, Dept. of Spanish and Portuguese, University of Texas at Austin
2017-2024 Associate Professor, Dept. of Spanish and Portuguese, University of Texas at Austin
2014-2017 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Spanish and Portuguese, University of Texas at Austin
2011-2014 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Spanish and Portuguese, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Spring 2011 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Modern Languages, University of Akron
AFFILIATIONS
2021- Dept. of African and African Diaspora Studies, University of Texas at Austin
2021- Warfield Center for African and African American Studies, University of Texas at Austin
2021- International Center for Research and Innovation, Universidad de El Alto
2021- Caribbean Center for Linguistic Research, Universidad de Puerto Rico
2018- Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
2017- Center for European Studies, University of Texas at Austin
2017- Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice, University of Texas at Austin
2016- Latin American Forum on Anthropology of Law, CIESAS-Mexico
2014- Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies, University of Texas at Austin
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics, Ohio State University
LL.M. (maestría) n Spanish Law, Universidad Internacional de la Rioja
J.D. (grado) in Spanish Law, Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia
J.D. (laurea magistrale) Italian Law, Università degli Studi di Roma
M.S. in International Business, Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Bretagne
M.A. in Hispanic Linguistics, Ohio State University
M.S. in International Communication, Università degli Studi di Genova
B.A. in English, Spanish and Business, Università degli Studi di Genova
GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS (SINCE 2011)
External funding
2023-2025 Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers (Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies): “The Afro-Hispanic Language Atlas”
2022-2024 NSF Dynamic Language Infrastructure – NEH Documenting Endangered Languages Program (Award Number 2212058): “Documenting a severely endangered language variety” [$139,801]
2021-2022 Fulbright Senior Scholar Fellowship (Universidad de Murcia): “Variation and Change across the Afro-Hispanic Dialects of the Americas” (declined)
2020-2021 Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies Individual Fellowship: “Afro-Veracruz Spanish”
Summer 2019 LabEx Fellowship (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique & Université Sorbonne Nouvelle): “The Afro-Hispanic Languages of the Americas and Their Contribution to Creole Studies”
2017-2018 Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies Fieldwork Grant: “Documenting the Afro-Hispanic Languages of the Americas” [Euros 10,000]
2017-2018 Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies Core Fellowship: “Afro-Mexican Spanish”
2016-2017 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Junior Fellowship: “Chocó Spanish: Casting Light on its Grammar and History”
Internal Funding
University of Texas at Austin
2024-2025 Mellon Summer Research Grant, Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies: “Afro-Veracruz Spanish” [$4,000]
2024-2025 Community Outreach and Engagement Seed Grant, Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies, “Minority Languages and Linguistic Human Rights in Latin America” [$10,000]
2023-2024 Supplemental Research Fellowship, College of Liberal Arts: “Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers”
2022-2023 Texas Global Faculty Research Seed Grants, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost: “Documenting the Afro-Hispanic Varieties of Mexico” [$10,000]
2021-2023 VPR Research Grant, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost: “Afro-Veracruz Spanish” [$10,000]
2020-2021 Supplemental Research Fellowship, College of Liberal Arts: “Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies Individual Fellowship”
2019-2020 Provost's Authors Fellowship Travel Grant: “Fieldwork in Mexico” [$3,500]
2017-2018 Supplemental Research Fellowship, College of Liberal Arts: “Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies Core Fellowship”
2016-2017 Supplemental Research Fellowship, College of Liberal Arts: “Marie Skłodowska-Curie Junior Fellowship”
2015-2018 Humanities Research Award, College of Liberal Arts: “Afro-Latin American Languages” [$15,000]
Fall 2015 College Research Fellowship, College of Liberal Arts: “Afro-Colombian Language and History”
Summer 2015 Summer Research Assignment, College of Liberal Arts: “Language Documentation in the Colombian Chocó”
2014-2015 Research Grant, Office of the Vice President for Research: “Language Documentation in the Colombian Chocó” [$7,500]
University of Wisconsin-Madison
2013-2014 Nave Special Symposia Grant, Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program: “Workshop on Spanish Sociolinguistics” [$3,000]
2012-2013 Nave Publication Supplement, Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program: “Chota Valley Spanish” [$2,000]
2011-2012 Graduate School and Provost Subvention, College of Humanities: “Introducción al idioma afroboliviano” [$5,000]
AWARDS AND HONORS (SINCE 2011)
2023 International Latino Book Award as Best Reference Book
- Colomina-Almiñana, J. & S. Sessarego (eds.). (2021). Language Patterns in Spanish and Beyond: Structure, Context and Development. London: Routledge.
2023 International Latino Book Award as Best eBook
- Colomina-Almiñana, J. & S. Sessarego (eds.). (2021). Language Patterns in Spanish and Beyond: Structure, Context and Development. London: Routledge.
2020 Excellence in Linguistics Research Award, Linguistics Summer School Bolivia
2013 High Merit Research Award, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, UW
2012 High Merit Research Award, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, UW
CONTACT INFORMATION
Department of Spanish &Portuguese
University of Texas at Austin
Benedict Hall #2.116
150 W. 21st Street, Stop B3700
Austin, TX 78712
sandrosessaregoATaustin.utexas.edu
PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT
2024- Professor, Dept. of Spanish and Portuguese, University of Texas at Austin
2017-2024 Associate Professor, Dept. of Spanish and Portuguese, University of Texas at Austin
2014-2017 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Spanish and Portuguese, University of Texas at Austin
2011-2014 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Spanish and Portuguese, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Spring 2011 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Modern Languages, University of Akron
AFFILIATIONS
2021- Dept. of African and African Diaspora Studies, University of Texas at Austin
2021- Warfield Center for African and African American Studies, University of Texas at Austin
2021- International Center for Research and Innovation, Universidad de El Alto
2021- Caribbean Center for Linguistic Research, Universidad de Puerto Rico
2018- Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
2017- Center for European Studies, University of Texas at Austin
2017- Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice, University of Texas at Austin
2016- Latin American Forum on Anthropology of Law, CIESAS-Mexico
2014- Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies, University of Texas at Austin
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics, Ohio State University
LL.M. (maestría) n Spanish Law, Universidad Internacional de la Rioja
J.D. (grado) in Spanish Law, Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia
J.D. (laurea magistrale) Italian Law, Università degli Studi di Roma
M.S. in International Business, Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Bretagne
M.A. in Hispanic Linguistics, Ohio State University
M.S. in International Communication, Università degli Studi di Genova
B.A. in English, Spanish and Business, Università degli Studi di Genova
GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS (SINCE 2011)
External funding
2023-2025 Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers (Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies): “The Afro-Hispanic Language Atlas”
2022-2024 NSF Dynamic Language Infrastructure – NEH Documenting Endangered Languages Program (Award Number 2212058): “Documenting a severely endangered language variety” [$139,801]
2021-2022 Fulbright Senior Scholar Fellowship (Universidad de Murcia): “Variation and Change across the Afro-Hispanic Dialects of the Americas” (declined)
2020-2021 Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies Individual Fellowship: “Afro-Veracruz Spanish”
Summer 2019 LabEx Fellowship (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique & Université Sorbonne Nouvelle): “The Afro-Hispanic Languages of the Americas and Their Contribution to Creole Studies”
2017-2018 Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies Fieldwork Grant: “Documenting the Afro-Hispanic Languages of the Americas” [Euros 10,000]
2017-2018 Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies Core Fellowship: “Afro-Mexican Spanish”
2016-2017 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Junior Fellowship: “Chocó Spanish: Casting Light on its Grammar and History”
Internal Funding
University of Texas at Austin
2024-2025 Mellon Summer Research Grant, Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies: “Afro-Veracruz Spanish” [$4,000]
2024-2025 Community Outreach and Engagement Seed Grant, Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies, “Minority Languages and Linguistic Human Rights in Latin America” [$10,000]
2023-2024 Supplemental Research Fellowship, College of Liberal Arts: “Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers”
2022-2023 Texas Global Faculty Research Seed Grants, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost: “Documenting the Afro-Hispanic Varieties of Mexico” [$10,000]
2021-2023 VPR Research Grant, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost: “Afro-Veracruz Spanish” [$10,000]
2020-2021 Supplemental Research Fellowship, College of Liberal Arts: “Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies Individual Fellowship”
2019-2020 Provost's Authors Fellowship Travel Grant: “Fieldwork in Mexico” [$3,500]
2017-2018 Supplemental Research Fellowship, College of Liberal Arts: “Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies Core Fellowship”
2016-2017 Supplemental Research Fellowship, College of Liberal Arts: “Marie Skłodowska-Curie Junior Fellowship”
2015-2018 Humanities Research Award, College of Liberal Arts: “Afro-Latin American Languages” [$15,000]
Fall 2015 College Research Fellowship, College of Liberal Arts: “Afro-Colombian Language and History”
Summer 2015 Summer Research Assignment, College of Liberal Arts: “Language Documentation in the Colombian Chocó”
2014-2015 Research Grant, Office of the Vice President for Research: “Language Documentation in the Colombian Chocó” [$7,500]
University of Wisconsin-Madison
2013-2014 Nave Special Symposia Grant, Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program: “Workshop on Spanish Sociolinguistics” [$3,000]
2012-2013 Nave Publication Supplement, Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program: “Chota Valley Spanish” [$2,000]
2011-2012 Graduate School and Provost Subvention, College of Humanities: “Introducción al idioma afroboliviano” [$5,000]
AWARDS AND HONORS (SINCE 2011)
2023 International Latino Book Award as Best Reference Book
- Colomina-Almiñana, J. & S. Sessarego (eds.). (2021). Language Patterns in Spanish and Beyond: Structure, Context and Development. London: Routledge.
2023 International Latino Book Award as Best eBook
- Colomina-Almiñana, J. & S. Sessarego (eds.). (2021). Language Patterns in Spanish and Beyond: Structure, Context and Development. London: Routledge.
2020 Excellence in Linguistics Research Award, Linguistics Summer School Bolivia
2013 High Merit Research Award, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, UW
2012 High Merit Research Award, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, UW
CONTACT INFORMATION
Department of Spanish &Portuguese
University of Texas at Austin
Benedict Hall #2.116
150 W. 21st Street, Stop B3700
Austin, TX 78712
sandrosessaregoATaustin.utexas.edu