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PRLS concludes an exciting year filled with intellectual gatherings and assorted scholarly undertakings. Our faculty and staff have heightened our profile and augmented our capacity for research, scholarship, and teaching. We have as well influenced the intellectual ecology of the University of Connecticut by making Latin@ studies a key node for interdisciplinary research.
I share with you some of the year's highlights. Firstly, the InterUniversity Program for Latino Research (IUPLR) has accepted PRLS into full membership. This national network of Latin@ research centers will improve our potential to attract external funding and increase our access to national research initiatives. Some of IUPLR's multi-site projects relate to cultural agency, health disparities, mental health, and obesity.
PRLS also hired three new faculty members with the unwavering support from the Vice-Provost for Multicultural and International Affairs, Dr. Ronald Taylor, and the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dr. Ross Mackinnon. Professors Venator Santiago, Rebollo Gil and Casamayor Cisneros will enhance our interdisciplinary offering and boost our scholarly profile in political science, sociology, and modern and classical languages. Read on to learn more about these remarkable, newfound colleagues.
In the coming year, PRLS will sponsor two significant intellectual gatherings: “Rethinking Latin@ Intellectual Ecologies” (October 11 and 12, 2007) and “The Hospitable U.S.” (May 16 and 17, 2008). We have already initiated “The Hospitable U.S.” as an interdisciplinary faculty working group devoted to human rights,hemispheric inquiry and border studies. It is part of the Translatinidades Initiative and planned as a noteworthy collaboration with the Human Rights Institute.
Central to the intellectual mission of PRLS, the Latin@ Sexualities Project continues its pioneering work and swiftly moves toward the completion of a landmark tome on this area of inquiry. Dr. Marysol Asencio, project director, has assembled approximately fifty scholars in the humanities and social sciences. With the generous support of the Ford Foundation, she has built up an emerging field of research.
Our association with the Center for Eliminating Health Disparities among Latinos has been an asset to our curriculum and to our efforts to make Latin@ studies central to the academic mission of our university. We thank Dr. Pérez Escamilla for his unrelenting relationship with PRLS. PRLS has enjoyed the enduring dedication of its faculty, staff, and associates. Reporter(o) revels in their individual accomplishments. Beyond their dedication to their disciplines and departments, much of their generous dedication goes unnoticed.
We, however, thrive through their unsung allegiance. Our deep gratitude goes out to you. Please, read on to find out more about our recent accomplishments and coming programs.
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