Ofelia Schutte is currently emeritus professor of Philosophy of the University of South Florida (USF), and before this she taught Philosophy for more than 20 years in the University of Florida in Gainesville. It was there, approximately a year after finishing his doctoral studies in Yale with a specialisation in Nietsche and table-Kantian German philosophy, when she expanded and developed her interests on research for including Latin American philosophy and feminist theory.

Already in her thesis and first book, ‘Beyond Nihilism: Nietzsche without Masks’, she started a feminist reading of Nietzsche’s work. Her second book ‘Cultural identity and Social Liberation in Latin American Thought’ drew attention to the history of social progress thinking and activist movements related in great part with 20th century Latin America History. Her research and leadership in professional organisations (Fullbright contracts and Bunting, Hipatia associated publisher for more than one decade, Chairperson of the Committee for Hispanos/Latinos people within the American Philosophical Association-APA…) have been the key for her wide recognition as Latin feminist philosopher in the United State. At the service of this objective she was co-publisher of Blackwell Companion published recently about Latin American philosophy. She was born in Cuba, she has also participated in numerous conferences on Women’s studies and she hopes to see published in the island one of her works about women Cuban writers for the first time in 2014.

The Ophelia’s commitment with the pluralism of philosophy, including the philosophy in continental tradition, and the defence that she has made on feminist and Latin topics in her profession has been unbeatable. She has contributed in the collection published by Linda Alcoff “Singing in the Ferio”. “There have been many obstacles to overcome on the road…”she says, “but this just makes us feel more motivated and determined to achieve equality and real inclusion in philosophy, as well as in other matters of life”. Papers from a symposium about her work on Latin America and about feminist philosophy in Latin America appeared in the autumn edition of 2012 of the APA Newsletter on Hispanic/Latin topics.