UF Latin American Studies Alumni Board
The UF Latin American Studies Alumni Board is made up of alumni who have focused on Latin America during their studies at UF. Its members include those who completed the undergraduate certificate or minor in Latin American Studies, the MALAS degree or graduate certificate, as well as others completing Masters theses or Ph.D. dissertations on Latin America.
The mission of the UF Latin American Studies Alumni Board is:
To cultivate stronger relationships between Latinamericanist alumni and the Center, enhance the quantity and quality of the Center’s program offerings, build the prestige of the Center both nationally and internationally, and assist in acquiring the resources needed to accomplish those goals.
Summary of Activities:
The inaugural meeting of the UF Latin American Studies Alumni Board was held in October 2005. It was attended by eight MALAS alumni, primarily from the Gainesville area. At this meeting, the group agreed to broaden board membership to include all UF graduates with a degree related to Latin America. The second Alumni Board meeting was held in conjunction with the Center’s 75th Anniversary celebration in February 2006 and the third meeting was held in August 2007. As of January 2008there were 45 LAS Alumni Board members.
The Alumni Board has assisted the Center in reconnecting with UF Latinamericanist graduates and over the past year we have contacted over 1800 alumni via mail. If you have not yet been contacted by the Center, or if your address has changed, please fill out the Alumni Update Form. You may also indicate there if you would like to join the LAS Alumni Board or receive the Center’s newsletter, The Latinamericanist in print or e-mail form.
The LAS Alumni Graduate Student Travel Fund
The LAS Alumni Board created this fund in response to the lack of travel funding for graduate students to present papers at professional meetings or to complete internships. The first award of $500 was made in fall 2007 for a student to present at the Latin American Studies Association’s International Congress. To make a donation to this fund or to the Center’s unrestricted fund, which supports so many of the Center’s special activities, visit Contributing to the Center.
Dr. Terry McCoy’s Retirement Celebration
Dr. McCoy, Professor Emeritus of Latin American Studies and Political Science and a former director of the Center (1985-96), retired in Spring 2007 after 32 years at UF. He continues to direct the Center’s Latin American Business Environment (LABE) program, which he founded. His retirement party will be held in conjunction with the 10th anniversary conference of the LABE program and the Center’s third Career Workshop, on November 7-8, 2008. We hope that many of his former students will return to Gainesville for this celebration and also participate in the Career Workshop. See McCoy’s Retirement Celebration for further details.
Internships
Recognizing the importance of internships to students’ professional training and future careers, the Alumni Board is developing a network of interested alums to create new opportunities for UF students. Previously, the LABE program had two corporate-sponsored paid internships, through Prudential Real Estate Investors in Brazil (the result of a $75,000 grant) and through Motorola. If you currently hold a position with an organization that focuses on Latin American issues and that can sponsor student interns (paid or unpaid), whether in the US or Latin America, the Center is very interested in learning about these opportunities. Please contact the Center’s Associate Director for Outreach and LABE, Mary Risner, at mrisner@latam.ufl.edu.
Center’s 80th Anniversary and 60th Annual Conference
In 2011, the Center plans to hold a gala conference to celebrate the contributions of UF alumni and faculty to the field of Latin American Studies. Sessions will consist of both academic and non-academic panels, including a plenary that assesses the development of the field and UF’s role in this process. Please let us know if you are interested in serving on the conference planning committee.
Alumni Receptions
The Center hosts a reception for UF alumni and friends at the Latin American Studies Association International Congresses. The next LASA Congress is scheduled for June 2009 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Also, the Center, in collaboration with the Center for Governmental Responsibility of the UF Levin College of Law, sponsors a bi-annual conference in Latin America on Law and Policy in the Americas. A reception for UF alumni was held in conjunction with the 2006 conference in Lima, Peru. A second reception is planned in conjunction with the May 26-27, 2008 conference in Rio de Janeiro. Go to the Law and Policy in the Americas website for details.
Alumni News and Notes
Please send your news for inclusion in Center’s newsletter and on our website by completing the Alumni Update Form.
Finally, the Center is dependent on alumni support to maintain and enhance its exceptional, multidisciplinary programming for the next generation of Latinamericanists. During UF’s annual appeal, please consider earmarking your tax-deductible contribution to the Center for Latin American Studies.