UF Center for Latin American Studies
Micanopy, Florida
B.A. Environmental Studies, History, & Spanish, high honors, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL
Conservation, global climate change, land use and land rights, indigenous history, gender and sexuality studies, de-colonial studies and understanding the intersection of human rights and environmental issues, i.e. environmental (in)justice.
Since high school, Murielle has been interested in and passionate about environmental issues, especially in curating local knowledge of the place where you are from and live. With many diverse interests and curiosity for the world, the interdisciplinary liberal arts curricula has been beneficial in finding the intersections of her interests and where to place her focus and talents.
At Eckerd College, it was a course on Native American history that drove interest for indigenous studies and the history of the oppressed. She went on to conduct research for her undergraduate thesis at the Presbyterian Historical Society, investigating the life and works of a missionary who developed North American boarding schools for native children in the 1800s. Her thesis focused on a small town in Alaska, and the connection between colonialism and native assimilation, as well as the desire to conquer the environment.
Having studied Spanish since elementary school, she went on to teach English in Spain after graduating in 2019, and expanded upon her knowledge of and fluency in the language. Her interest in Latin American countries and cultures was first sparked by high school courses and travel to the countries of Guatemala, Ecuador and Cuba. Entering MALAS, her wish is to use this diverse experience to continue traveling, writing, and advocating for person-centered conservation of cultures and places.
Contact
