Dr. Juan Carlos Mercado is the Dean of the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education (CCNY CWE) and Director of the Study Abroad and International Programs at The City College of New York. A senior academic leader with over a decade of experience as Dean, he has played a central role in advancing interdisciplinary education and global engagement at the College. Previously, Dr. Mercado served as Chair of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures and Acting Provost of CCNY. He also teaches in the PhD Program in Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Literatures and Languages at the CUNY Graduate Center.
Dr. Mercado’s academic work focuses on 19th-century Spanish American literature, the history of ideas, and early Spanish exploration in what is now the United States. He has authored numerous books, articles, and reviews, with his most recent publication being España y Norteamérica en el corredor transatlántico (Universidad de Alcalá, 2023). He is currently working on an annotated edition of La Argentina by Ruy Díaz de Guzmán (1602).
As Dean, Dr. Mercado launched the M.A. in the Study of the Americas and spearheaded public programs such as the Distinguished Professors Lecture Series, Book Talk Lectures, and The Halls at Bowling Green—an art exhibition space for students and the downtown community. He also led the Center’s Strategic Planning Initiative and served on the CCNY Steering Committee for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Dr. Mercado is the Founder and Chair of The Americas Film Festival of New York (TAFFNY), organized in collaboration with the Smithsonian and the Cervantes Institute. He co-founded Human Rights: A Yearlong Forum at CCNY and the International Conference on Historical Links between Spain and the U.S. with the University of Alcalá. His recent initiatives include a training program for union members through an agreement with DC37.
As Director of Study Abroad, Dr. Mercado has expanded programs across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe. He was instrumental in bringing the Global E3 engineering exchange program to CCNY and has worked closely with NOAA-CREST to strengthen international partnerships.