Meet Caleb A. Mertz-Vega

Tell us a bit about your background

I was born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. In my early professional days I was a regional trainer for Red Robin and later a manager for them. The next step was working for Emeril Lagasse's first east coast fine dining steakhouse, Emeril's Chop House, as a floor manager. In 2012, I moved to San Diego and began my intellectual journey all over again. It was here I attended San Diego City College to earn my associate's degree in English and Spanish. Once I graduated from City College, I went on to double major at UC Berkeley in English and Spanish again. I am finally here at UC San Diego working toward my PhD in comparative literature where I will be able to use both majors from before.

What are you studying/researching?

I am currently studying LGBTQ+ inter-American literature with an emphasis on the northern Andean region, including Perú, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. I am mostly interested in postcolonial and decolonial thought in combination with Queer/Cuir theory and Affect. I am excited to be working with my all-star committee chaired by Amy Sara Carroll, co-chair - Carol Arcos Herrera, and members Meg Wesling and Benjamin Cowan.

Describe your involvement in the UC San Diego community.

Working as a TA has really been a highlight of my participation on campus. It is through many of the students that I learn about some of the interesting concerts, music festivals, etc. Apart from that, my cohort makes it a point to get together every quarter even though some of them live off campus. I live at Coast and one of my favorite things to do is walk to any one of the many look-outs around and watch the amazing sunsets we are blessed with.

Why did you choose UC San Diego?

I chose UC San Diego because I already lived here prior to my application and knew that I loved the area and the weather! Additionally I was really impressed with the professors that I hoped to work with and their research, while still seeing an niche that I could fulfill if ever needed. I think what really won me over though were the emails from said professors which gave me the feeling that my research was valued here.