Dr. Carlos Manuel Rivera is a Puerto Rican Professor of Spanish at Bronx Community College with over 30 years of experience in higher education. Dr. Rivera specializes in Latin American theater, decolonial theory, and performance. He is an award‑winning researcher, receiving the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture Prize in 2013. In addition to his scholarly contributions, he is a poet, performer, and accomplished theater actor, playwright, and director with an extensive national and international trajectory."

Among his book publications are: Popular Theater: The New Poor Theater of America by Pedro Santaliz (GESTOS,2005) and Soplo mágicos disparates. (Magical Non Senses) (Orbis Press, 2003). In addition, he recorded a cd ASI MI NATION (2010). Recently he published books Bululú. Perfume y veneno (Editora Educación Emergente,2020) and De intenciones, intesidades (From Intentions, Intensities) (Arte Poética, 2023).