Nery R Villanueva
Professor College of Arts & Sciences Humanities Providence
Biography and Expertise
Dr. Villanueva specializes in Spanish peninsular literature, film studies, Romance linguistics, and performance studies. He holds a Ph.D. (1998) and M.Phil. (1997) from Columbia University, an M.A. (1993) from Teachers College/Columbia University, and a B.A. (1992) from California State University, Northridge.
During the past 25 years, he has taught an extensive variety of courses in contemporary Spanish literature, Spanish and Latin American cinema, world cinema, film studies, and visual literacy, fields in which he has established himself as a recognized specialist.
Prior to joining Johnson & Wales University in 2015, he held teaching positions at several universities across the United States, including Brown University.
Beyond the classroom, Dr. Villanueva brings rare industry experience to his teaching. From 1989 to 1992, he worked as an entertainer at Universal Studios Hollywood, where he gained firsthand knowledge of the filmmaking process — an experience that continues to enrich his film courses today.
Dr. Villanueva is also an accomplished author whose book Grandes novelas españolas contemporáneas y su versión cinematográfica demonstrates his expertise in the study of adaptation and the dynamic interplay between literature and cinema. He remains actively involved in the international scholarly community, presenting his research and organizing panels at conferences across the globe. This ongoing exchange of ideas enhances both his research agenda and his teaching. Furthermore, Dr. Villanueva is proficient in five languages: English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and French.
At the heart of his teaching philosophy is a simple conviction: professors must model the same standards they set for their students — rigorous critical thinking, strong writing, thorough research, and a lifelong commitment to learning.
In sum, Dr. Villanueva’s career reflects a unique blend of academic achievement, international engagement, and professional experience in the film industry. This combination informs his teaching and research, providing students with both theoretical and practical perspectives. As he notes, “While working at Universal Studios, I gained comprehensive insight into the filmmaking process—experience I now bring to my film courses.”
Education
PhD
Columbia University
M.Phil
Columbia University
MA
Teachers College / Columbia University
BA
California State University, Northridge
Northeast Modern Languages Association
Film Society of New York
Portal del Hispanismo
Portal del Hispanismo
Northeast Modern Languages Association
Villanueva, N.
Caballeriza: novela in fieri
Especulo
Villanueva, N.
“La búsqueda de la autodeterminación y El silencio de Neto.”
Editorial Universitaria: Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala
Villanueva, N.
Grandes novelas españolas contemporáneas y su versión cinematográfica
Editorial Pliegos
La Llorona: Metáfora de la intrahistoria y memoria histórica guatemalteca
Panel Presentation
57th NeMLA Annual Convention (March 5–8, 2026)
Gannon University
Pittsburgh
PA
United States
La experiencia homoerótica en Madres paralelas
Panel Moderation
NeMLA 56th Annual Convention
LaSalle University
Philadelphia
PA
United States
“Madres paralelas: como ser madre soltera y no morir en el intento.”
Oral Presentation
55th NeMLA Annual Convention Northeast Modern Languages Association, March 7-10, 2024, Boston, MA.
Tufts University
Boston
MA
United States
Caballeriza: ¿ficción o autobiografía?”
Oral Presentation
54th NeMLA Annual Convention, Northeast Modern Language Asscociation
University of Buffalo, SUNY
Niagara Falls
NY
United States
El secreto de sus ojos y el deseo prohibido
Oral Presentation
54th NeMLA Annual Convention, Northeast Modern Languages Association
University of Buffalo, SUNY
Niagara Falls
NY
United States
Madres paralelas y la intención de ser una buena madre
Panel Presentation
I Congreso Internacional Género y Sexualidad en el Cine Español
Valencia
Spain
“Infidelidad al texto original? El caso de Soldados de Salamina”
Panel Presentation
53rd NeMLA Annual Convention, Northeast Modern Languages Association
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore
MD
Attended
IV International Conference Storytelling Revisited: Gender and Health
Universitat Central de Catalunya
VIC, Catalunya
Spain
La colmena y su censura
Oral Presentation
II Congreso Internacional, Literatura y Franquismo: Ortodoxias y Heterodoxias
Alcala de Henares
Spain
“Ardiente poesia: Il Postino”
Panel Presentation
52nd Virtual NeMLA Annual Convention
Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA)
“El cine argentino y las co-producciones”
Panel Presentation
51st NeMLA Annual Convention, Northeast Modern Languages Association
Boston University
Boston
MA
“ll Postino: cine y poesía”
Panel Presentation
50th NeMLA Annual Convention, Northeast Modern Language Association
Georgetown University
Washington
DC
“El cine latinoamericano en el marco de las co-producciones”
Panel Moderation
Congreso internacional “Cine, TV y cultura popular en los 90: España-Latinoamérica,” V Encuentro Académico Tecmerin
Universidad Carlos III
Madrid
Spain
“Aspectos técnicos y estéticos en el nuevo cine argentino”
Panel Presentation
IX Congreso Internacional de la Asociación Hispánica de Humanidades (AHH): «Aportaciones y retos de la tradición cultural hispánica en una sociedad global».
Universidad de Extremadura
Caceres, Extremadura
Spain
“Lo hermético en El Sur de Víctor Erice”
Panel Presentation
48th NeMLA Annual Convention, Northeast Modern Languages Association
Johns Hopkins Unversity
Baltimore
MD
“El Sur: El poder de la memoria”
Panel Presentation
47TH NeMLA Annual Convention, Northeast Modern Language Association
University of Connecticut
Hartford
CT