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.

He earned a BA in Spanish and Global Studies with a certificate in Global Security from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 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.

Brady is currently pursuing a Master’s in Musicology from UIUC, where his scholarly interests include collaborative piano, musical theatre, and popular music. He studies piano with Prof. Michael Tilley and frequently performs throughout the Central Illinois region in recitals, churches, and theaters. 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.