2018

Stephanie Mercado-Irizarry (MA '18) iis a graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts in Latino and Latin American Studies. She received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras in 2014. Her current research includes the study of precarious work and the displacement of communities through neoliberal policies, how it leads to the expulsion of the population, and new forms of colonialism in Puerto Rico. Stephanie analyzes the crisis of the last decade through an interdisciplinary lens, analyzing how this social and political crisis is narrated and discussed through literature.

Cynthia Melendez (MA '18) is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in UConn's Spanish Department. She was awarded the 2018 Wood/Raith Living Trust Summer Fellowship on gender identity to continue her research on the theatrical work of LGBTIQ activists using testimonio within Peru. This work will act as a foundation for her doctoral studies.

Andrea Miranda (MA '18) is a graduate student who received her bachelor's degree in History from the Universidad de Cartagena, Colombia. In 2012 and 2013 she won The Young Research Scholarship granted by the Colombian National Science System (COLCIENCIAS). In 2015 she received her postgraduate studies in Higher Education and in 2016 she received her Masters degree in Cultural Heritage at the Universidad de Panamá. Her research interests include race, politics, Caribbean studies and the history of education.

Shanelle Morris (MA '18) is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts in Latino and Latin American Studies. She is also pursuing the Human Rights and Nonprofit Management graduate certificate. She received her B.A. in International Studies from Trinity College in 2016. Her research interests include colonialism, imperialism, race, culture and the African Diaspora in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Ashley Ortiz-Chico (MA '18) is a graduate student who received her bachelor’s in Political Science with a specialty in International Relations and Political Theory and a minor in Latin American and Puerto Rican Literature from la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Río Piedras. Research interests include Latin American and Caribbean Politics and economic development. Currently she is studying the relationship between Puerto Rico and the US and the PROMESA bill.

Lauren Perez-Bonilla (MA '18) is a graduate student who obtained her bachelor’s degree at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences with a minor in International Relations. Her area of study includes both quantitative and qualitative research methods and techniques, which comes with a fair handling of computer programs such as SPSS and GIS (including Model Builder). Currently, she is interested in the sex work industry in the Dominican Republic, body politics, masculinities in the Caribbean and its correlation with mental health issues.

Katherine Pérez-Quiñones (MA '18) is a graduate student who received her B.A. at the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras. While majoring in Political Science, she also received a certificate in Women and Gender Studies. Her research considers higher education, inequalities and dissent from the frameworks and theories of democracy. Her other interests such as memory studies and the uses and abuses of history, always manage to infiltrate her scholarly activity.

Cindy Portillo (MA '18) is a graduate student who received her B.A. at the University of Richmond. Cindy’s research interests include unaccompanied child migration from Central America to the United States and violence and poverty in the Northern Triangle region. Currently, she is focused on the effect of educational policies and school environment on Latino English language learners.

2017

Ilan Unger (MA '17) He received his B.S. in Business Management and B.A. in Spanish/Portuguese from UNC-Asheville. His research interest is on the 2001 economic crises of Argentina and its effects on trade (imports and exports). It focuses on the agribusiness sector before and after the devaluation and hyperinflation of the Argentine national currency(ARS).

 

Katheryn Maldonado (MA '17) Experienced General Coordinator and Office Manager with a demonstrated history in legal services.

Felix Padilla-Carbonell (MA '17) is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts in Latino and Latin American Studies. He received a B.A. in Political Science and a Juris Doctor in Law from UPR-Rio Piedras. His long-term goal is to enter the national conversation on the welfare of Latina/os, in an advisory role.

2016

Pauline Batista (MA ’16) returned to UConn in Fall 2017 to being work on her PhD. In the Neag School of Education’s Learning, Leadership and Educational Policy program. Pauline was a torch bearer for the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero Brazil.

Ilan Sanchez Moreno (MA ’16) works in the World Languages department at The College Preparatory School in Oakland CA where he teaches Literature and Spanish.

Melvin J. Medina (MA '16) serves as Director of Strategic Initiatives for the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut (ACLU-CT). His primary responsibility is to lead the organization’s efforts to create and maintain community engagement through education, member attainment, and general outreach.

2015

Charlie Fuentes (MA ’15) is a Spanish teacher and head boys’ soccer coach at Choate Rosemary Hall.

Tyra Lewis (MA ’15) is an executive assistant with Clark University’s Center for Gender, Race, and Area Studies.

Matthew Perse (MA ’15) was named head middle school track coach at Fort Worth Country Day School. He entered his third year of teaching in Texas in August 2017.

2014

Carla Silva-Muhammad (MA ’14) is the Graduate Program Coordinator at the University of Texas-Austin’s Theresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies.

Yesha Doshi (MA ’14) is a staff accountant with Ascena Retail Group, Inc.

Andrea Chunga-Celis (MA ’14) is a Grants Coordinator for Adelante Mujeres, a nonprofit organization working to educate and empower low-income Latina women and families in the state of Oregon.

2013

Maria Berger (MA ’13) works as an adjunct faculty member teaching Hispanic Culture and Communication in UConn's College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. She also works as a freelance Spanish translator and tutor. She has traveled to China, Panama, Chile, and South Africa and enjoys every culture and their unique traditions.

Jenniann Colon (MA ’13) is engaged in free lance project management, human resources, communications and PR in San Antonio TX. She served as Executive Director of Ballet San Antonio and prior to that was Director of Communications for Academica SouthWest.

Jennifer A. Cook (MA ’13, Ph.D. Anthropology ’17) began a two-year Postdoctoral Fellowship in August 2017 at the Tower Center for Political Studies at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX focused on immigration policy and public policy impacting Latinos. She teaches for the Anthropology Department and works closely with a Dallas-based NGO, the Latino Center for Leadership Development, which is working to create a “pipeline of leaders” equipped to address the rapid growth of the Latino population in the United States.

2012

Ruth Hernandez (MA ’12) is completing her Ph.D. in Sociology at UConn. Her dissertation research looks at the ways art and theatre are used as a means to establish transnational ties. In addition to her academic work, she is an activist involved in various community projects that aid temporary and permanent Latina/o migrants in Connecticut.

2011

Andrea Vega Mackler (MA '11) is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in UConn's Spanish Department. Her areas of interest are the connections between translation and culture, and the influence of translation on Argentinean literature.

2010

William Otto Katt (MA ’10) currently works on Capitol Hill in government relations handling the areas of higher education, tax, and immigration. He has previously worked as a teacher, administration and program manager, including serving as a Teach For America Corps member in Charlotte, NC.

Ronnie Shepard (MA ’10 and Ph.D. in Anthropology ’16) currently holds positions as an adjunct professor and instructor at both UConn and Goodwin College. He is a social scientist experienced in teaching and conducting qualitative research and community outreach at the local and international levels.

2009

2008

Maria Cristina Durango Chavez (MA ’08) is a Chief Operating Officer at Aurea Bucio, a Mexican fashion designer.

2007

Yazmín A. García Trejo (MA '07) is a survey statistician and researcher at the US Census Bureau, Center for Survey Measurement. She works directly with the language and cross cultural group and studies the link between Census participation and Census knowledge among hard-to-count populations. Her latest publications include: 2017. "Use and practice of mobile web surveys among monolingual Spanish speakers." Survey Practice Co-authored with Alisú Schoua-Glusberg. Available at: http://www.surveypractice.org/index.php/SurveyPractice/article/view/410/html_93  2017."The Performance of Vignettes in Focus Groups and Cognitive Interviews in a Cross-Cultural Context." Survey Practice Co-authored with Mikelyn Meyers and Lucia Lykke.Available at: http://www.surveypractice.org/index.php/SurveyPractice/article/view/413/html_96 2017. "Census Knowledge and Census Participation Among Hispanics." Research Matters (Blog from the U.S. Census). https://www.census.gov/newsroom/blogs/research-matters/2017/01/census_knowledgeand.html