María Elena Carballo

María Elena Carballo serves as Assistant Professor in the Master's Programs at INCAE, bringing extensive experience from her role as Costa Rica's Minister of Culture and Youth (2006-2010). After earning her PhD and MA in Literary Studies from Brandeis University as a Fulbright-LASPAU scholar and Hirschfeld Fellow, and her BA in Spanish Philology from the University of Costa Rica, she has established herself in both academic and public service roles. Her contributions include serving as deputy director of Arts and Letters and director of the Colegio de Costa Rica, while her scholarly work "La Casa Paterna" won the 1993 national essay prize in Costa Rica. Her doctoral research focused on García Márquez's "The Autumn of the Patriarch" and the Spanish-American novel of dictatorship, reflecting her expertise in Latin American literature and cultural studies.