Profile

Jon Dell Jaramillo is a survivor, scholar, artist, and passionate educator. His life story is one of incredible resilience and an unwavering commitment to exploring the human experience through a queer, bilingual, mestizo Latino lens.

Overcoming a life-altering AIDS diagnosis in 1992, Jon embraced the preciousness of time. He discovered a creative power within himself, finding expression through writing, film, and translation. As a non-traditional student, his academic journey led him to a BA at 50 and a PhD in Romance Languages and Literatures at 61.

His research is groundbreaking, intersecting queer studies, Latin American narratives, and contagion theory to examine how bodies and identities act within power structures. As the author of the Queering Translation Manifesto, his work extends to masterful translation, bridging linguistic and cultural divides.

His award-winning dissertation, "Viral Bodies: AIDS and Other Contagions in Latin American Life Narratives," offers a critical lens on representation, silence, and the complexities of queer experience within transnational contexts. Jon's work challenges historical narratives and envisions new futures for marginalized communities.

As an educator, Jon Dell Jaramillo is dedicated to empowering students, fostering critical thinking, and actively supporting the UO's queer community. He embodies the fight for global LGBTQIA liberation and believes in the human rights of all.