Brady Hughes is the senior academic advisor for the Department of Spanish & Portuguese. With over six years of professional experience in higher education, his responsibilities have included academic & study abroad advising, marketing & communications (social media strategy, content creation, website maintenance), event planning, and coordinating an alumni mentoring program.

Brady is currently pursuing a PhD in Musicology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he also earned a Master’s in Musicology (with a final research paper titled “From Broadway to Málaga: Antonio Banderas and the Teatro del Soho CaixaBank”) and a BA in Spanish and Global Studies with a certificate in Global Security. His research interests include musical theater, cultural hybridity, and popular music. He studies collaborative piano with Prof. Michael Tilley and frequently performs throughout Illinois in recitals, churches, and theaters.

As an undergraduate research assistant, Brady studied youth activism and issues relating to race and diversity in higher education under Prof. Soo Ah Kwon. He spent a semester abroad in Granada, Spain, and also participated in a faculty-led program in the Bahamas that focused on sustainability. In his free time, Brady enjoys cooking, baking, traveling, and reading.

As an advisor, Brady is committed to working with students from diverse backgrounds and empowering them to succeed. Students with inquiries regarding the Spanish major, minor, study abroad, or other matters can contact him via email to schedule an appointment.