UF Center for Latin American Studies
April 9, 2018 — Patricia Alba
University of Florida (UF) faculty members traveled to Ecuador in an effort to develop new collaborative opportunities between UF and the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ). The trip was funded by the UF International Center and the UF Center for Latin American Studies. Trip organizers were Dr. Augusto Oyuela-Caycedo, UF Anthropology, and Dr. Philip Williams, Director of the Center for Latin American Studies.
UF Faculty met with Dr. Diego Quiroga, vice president of Research at USFQ and Co-Director of the Galapagos Academic Institute for the Arts and Sciences (GAIAS) located in the island of San Cristobal, Galapagos. Dr. Quiroga visited UF last fall, where he met with UF faculty who expressed interest in increasing collaborative research with USFQ.
Currently, UF and USFQ collaborate in various programs. During this trip, UF faculty delivered guest lectures, toured the USFQ campus and San Cristobal Island, as well as met with faculty and admin to discuss study abroad and research opportunities. UF in Galapagos, a study abroad program led by Dr. Eric Hellgren, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, is set to start this fall semester. Both universities are also working to develop a field school that will focus on areas such as anthropology, the social sciences, and the impact of tourism on the environment.
For more information, contact: Patricia Alba, patricia@latam.ufl.edu.
