Name:

Dr. Jessica Carey-Webb

Title:

Assistant Professor

Department:

Spanish and Portuguese

Describe your research in about 200 words.

I specialize in Amazonian cultural studies and my book project examines the historical development of the Amazon during the rubber boom with an ecocritical and transnational lens. I am interested in using humanities training as a form of activism and advocacy.

What’s the most interesting thing you have learned from a student?

I taught for a year in a small Amazonian town where my students told me about myths of the surrounding areas. One myth involved a tree that would come to life at night and try to capture people who walked alone on the beach. This made me think about storytelling and the interaction between nature and culture in an entirely different light. It also taught me to always walk with a buddy after dark.