Anabella Martinez
Graduate Student in Religion and Culture
Anabella’s research interests lie at the intersection of religion, culture, and aesthetics as they relate to liberation, particularly within Chicanx and other minoritized contexts. Her research focuses on how material culture, beyond common sacred spaces and seemingly profane contexts, is sacred and a form of spiritual liberation. Prior to the GPRS, Anabella graduated summa cum laude with her B.S. in Child Learning and Development from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2022 as a proud first-generation college student. She then completed her MDiv at Baylor University in 2026. After completing her PhD, Anabella aims to become a university professor, conducting meaningful research while mentoring and advocating for Chicanas in higher education.
Course Advisor: Dr. Harold Recinos
Presentations:
“‘Debora Kuetzpal Vasquez’ Citlali: A Chicana Futurism that Reclaims the Past, Recreates the Present, and Reshapes the Future” American Academy of Religion, Program Unit: Latina/o Religion, Culture, and Society Unit, Denver, CO, November 21-24, 2026
“!Ya Basta! The Chicano Activism of Reverend Leo Nieto of Rio Grande Valley, Texas” Alliance for Texas History (ATxH), Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas May 27-29, 2026 “Becoming ‘Our’ Lady of Guadalupe: Creating Spiritual Consciousness for Chicanas through Artwork,” American Academy of Religion (AAR), Program Unit: Religions in the Latina/o Americas Unit, Boston, Massachusetts, November 22–25, 2025 “Using Chicano Power to Blowout: A Decolonial Analysis of the East L.A. Walkouts of 1968,” History Graduate Student Organization Conference (HGSO), Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, February 7–8, 2025 “The Lord Roars Huelga: Cesar Chavez as the Prophetic Voice of Farm Workers,” Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), Program Unit: Israelite Prophetic Literature, San Diego, California, November 22–26, 2024
Fellowships and Awards:
Mustang Fellowship, SMU, 2026—Present
En Conjunto Fellowship, Hispanic Theological Initiative, 2026—Present
William Charles Treadwell, Jr., Award of Excellence in Christian Education, Baylor, 2026