UMass Dartmouth Hires New Portuguese Studies and Culture Director

Dr. Paula Celeste Gomes Noversa has been named director of the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture at UMass Dartmouth. The center, established in 1975, is a multidisciplinary international education and outreach organization dedicated to the study of the language, literature, and cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world.

“She brings a wealth of knowledge on the past experiences of the Portuguese community while maintaining a focus on the future of how UMass Dartmouth can strengthen its relationship with the Portuguese speaking world for the betterment of our students, faculty, region, and society at large," said UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Robert E. Johnson.

The Center links UMass Dartmouth with other institutions involved in Portuguese studies. The University collaborates with higher education institutions in Portugal to create unique learning and teaching experiences. The Center also houses Tagus Press, a leader in publishing Portuguese literature, history, and culture for an English-speaking audience. Tagus Press's groundbreaking translations and journals address both Portuguese lives abroad and in the United States.

"As Director of the Center, I hope to build upon my predecessor's successes," Noversa said. "I have several initiatives meant to broaden the scope and reach of Tagus Press, strengthen the Center's connection with the community, support student training to become Portuguese language teachers, and create a new home for the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture on campus."

Noversa is currently the Faculty Director of the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese American Archives and a lecturer in the History program.

In 1960, Noversa, her parents, and seven siblings immigrated to Fall River from Sequeira, a small village outside of Braga, Portugal. She graduated from Durfee High School before earning a dual degree in History and Portuguese Literature at UMass Dartmouth.

Noversa earned her doctorate at the University of New Hampshire at Durham where she was the Prince Henry the Navigator and Portuguese Discoveries Graduate Fellow. In that capacity, she was the Assistant Editor of the journal Portuguese Studies Review. She was a Camões Institute Fellow at the University of Lisbon as well as a Truman Scholar at the Truman Presidential Library in Independence Missouri.

Noversa’s term begins on July 1.