Dr. Sarah R. Valente
Visiting Assistant Professor
Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies
School of Arts & Humanities
The University of Texas at Dallas
About
I am a visiting assistant professor at the School of Arts & Humanities at The University of Texas at Dallas, where I teach courses in literature and history on topics related to the Holocaust and Human Rights. Through my teaching, I aim to contribute to the Ackerman Center's mission of Teaching the Past, Changing the Future. To date, I have taught 173 students and counting.
Prior to teaching, I was a Belofsky Fellow at the University's Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies from 2013-2018. I completed my PhD in History of Ideas under the supervision of Dr. Zsuzsanna Ozsváth, founder and director of the Holocaust Studies program at UT Dallas.
My research seeks to bring the subject of Jewish history and literature in Latin America into greater academic discourse in the U.S. I'm interested in exploring post-Holocaust Jewish memory and legacy, human rights and genocide under military dictatorships in the 20th century.
Aside from the joy I find in teaching and researching, I am most happy when I spend time with my family. I especially enjoy making music and playing the cello together with my sisters Rubia (violin), Junia (viola), and brother-in-law Fred (violin) when we are all together in the same city.
Education
ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
2013 - 2019
Doctor of Philosophy in Humanities - History of Ideas
UT Dallas
Doctoral Dissertation:
Holocaust Aftermath and Memory in Brazil
Doctoral Committee: Zsuzsanna Ozsváth (chair), Nils Roemer, David Patterson, Rainer Schulte
Belofsky Fellow at Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies (2013-2018)
2011 - 2013
Master of Arts in Humanities
Studies in Literature
UT Dallas
Master's Theses:
New Christians, Ancient Jews: Brazil's Jewish Past and Present
Emergence of Holocaust Memoirs in 21st Century Brazilian Literature
Certificate in Holocaust Studies, Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies
2007 - 2011
Bachelor of Arts
in Literary Studies
UT Dallas
Focused on European Literature from 18th century to the present; and Translation Studies, especially Arts & Craft of Translation and Literary Translation Theory.