Melissa Pérez Peña

Program Entrance

2025

Advisor

Eleanor Ouimet and Joshua Mayer

Research Interests

My research interests explore the relationships between human communities and marine–coastal environments in the Caribbean, with a focus on the insular Caribbean. I am particularly interested in how community-based conservation efforts and coastal defense movements address the challenges of climate change and environmental justice. These initiatives not only protect vulnerable coastal ecosystems but also foster multispecies relations and new practices of care that extend beyond kinship.

About

I hold a B.A. in Literature from Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (Colombia), an M.A. in Literature from Universidad de Antioquia (Colombia), and an M.A. in Latina/o, Latin American, and Caribbean Studies from the University of Connecticut. In my previous studies, I examined how artists and communities in the Caribbean engage with the sea through narrative and metaphorical constructions, exploring how cultural expressions give shape to environmental imaginaries. These experiences have shaped my interdisciplinary approach,