James Matt Villanueva 

Matt (he/him/his) serves as a curriculum and community engagement consultant for TBL. He graduated from Villanova University in 2024 with a Master of Arts in English. His thesis, “A Work in Progress: Recovering the Filipino Literary Voice of Survival,” which passed with distinction, examined selected Filipino novelists’ recovery of their history through postcolonial studies, cultural studies, the Filipino cuisine, and the languages and dialects deployed in the literature. At Villanova, he worked as a graduate tutor at the Writing Center and as a graduate research assistant for TBL, for which he helped to edit stories, film videos, create conference panels, and facilitate undergraduate researchers’ work. Matt graduated from St. Bonaventure University in 2022 with a double major in English and Adolescent Education with minors in Classic Cultures and Latin. At St. Bonaventure he was a member of the Division I Cross Country and Track teams; editor in chief for The Laurel, St. Bonaventure’s literary magazine; and an editor for the school paper, The Bona Venture.