Dr. Pedro Acuña
Dr. Pedro Acuña
Assistant ProfessorHistory, Humanities, and LanguagesBiography
With a Ph.D. in History from the University of California-Irvine, Dr. Pedro Acuña specializes in Latin American history, sports history, populism, and mass culture. He has published in prestigious academic journals such as the Journal of Latin American Studies, Latin American Research Review, International Journal of the History of Sport, and several pieces in Spanish, including his first book about Chilean sports magazines during the first half of the twentieth century. Before joining UHD, Dr. Acuña finished a three-year postdoctoral position at the University of Chile and is currently working on a book manuscript about Chilean interpretations of Peronist Argentina in the 1940s and 1950s.
Degrees Earned
Ph.D., in History, University of California-Irvine
M.A. in History, University of California-Irvine
B.A. in History, Diego Portales University (Chile)
Courses Taught
Latin American History
US History after 1877
History of Soccer
Experience Qualifications
Book and Book Chapter
Pedro Acuña, Deporte, masculinidades y cultura de masas. Historia de las revistas deportivas chilenas, 1899-1958. Ediciones Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Santiago, 2021.
Pedro Acuña, "Football and Sports Media in Chile, 1895-1962" in W. Beezley (ed.) The Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History, New York: Oxford University Press, 2017.
Peer-Reviewed Articles
Pedro Acuña, "Transnational Visual Parodies: Political Cartoons of Perón in the Chilean Satirical Magazine Topaze, 1943-1956" Latin American Research Review Vol. 59. Nº 4, 2024, 1-26.
Pedro Acuña, "Transnational Sports Soundscapes. Soccer Announcers and Radio in Argentina and Chile, 1920s-1960s" Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media Vol. 19, Issue 1, 2021, 79-99.
Pedro Acuña, "¡Formemos espartanos chilenos! Políticas y campañas deportivas durante la dictadura de Carlos Ibáñez, 1927-1931" Cuadernos de Historia Nº 52, 2020, 233-261.
Pedro Acuña, "Snapshots of Modernity: Reading Football Photographs of the1930 World Cup in Uruguay"The International Journal of the History of Sport Vol. 36, Issue 9-10, 2019, 832-853.
Pedro Acuña, "Playing Across the Andes: Sports Media and Populism in Argentina and Chile" Journal of Latin American Studies Vol. 51, Issue 4, 2019, 855-882.
More Information
Awards and Fellowships
FONDECYT (Chile), Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, 2020-2023.
Routledge International Award, Best Sports History Article, 2019.
A. Mellon Foundation, Mellon Humanities Faculty Fellowship, 2016.
UCI Miguel Velez Scholarship, Outstanding Latin American Students, 2016.
UCI Summer Dissertation Fellowship, 2015.
UC Regents Fellowship, UC Irvine, 2011.
Special Training and Certifications
U.S. Soccer Coach License, U.S. Soccer Federation, 2024
Canvas & Panopto Training, University of Houston-Downtown, 2023
Cyber Security Awareness Training, UC Irvine, 2018
Violenceand Sexual Harassment Prevention Training, UC Irvine, 2017