Current MA Student Bios
Lindsay Adams
Lindsay Adams, a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, completed her B.A. in
cultural studies and comparative literature. After working as assistant
director for a small international charity in Chicago, she decided to
enter the Latin American Studies program with an emphasis on
inter–Latin American border development and participatory approaches to
all areas of development, in particular, the design of human rights
memorials and ethno- and eco-tourism projects.
Giovanni Batz
Giovanni Batz received his B.A. in political science and a minor in
history at California State University–Northridge in May 2008. His main
research interest involves the issue of identity and the preservation
of culture among the children of Mayan immigrants in urban areas,
specifically in Los Angeles. In addition, Giovanni is interested in
Guatemalan history, politics, and the human rights situation as well as
Central American migration to the United States during the 1980s civil
wars in the region. Giovanni is the son of Guatemalan immigrants, was
born and raised in Los Angeles, and believes that hard work pays off.
He hopes one day to return to Los Angeles and encourage students from
underrepresented backgrounds to pursue higher education.
Monica Bosquez
Monica Bosquez, native of Corpus
Christi, Texas, earned a B.A. in English literature from UT Austin
before working for five years as a policy analyst and legislative aide
at the Texas Legislature, where she focused on natural resource and
border issues. She served as a Peace Corps Environmental Conservation
Volunteer in Panama from 2002–2005. Monica was a 2007 Ford Fellow in
Guanajuato, Mexico, was part of a 2008 UT Community and Regional
Planning applied G.I.S. research team in the Dominican Republic, and
serves on the Board of Directors of the DiscoverHope Fund. Monica is
currently employed as a Program Development Specialist with the Office
of Rural Community Affairs, where she manages a multi-million dollar
self-help water and wastewater fund for low- and moderate-income
residents across the state. Research interests include housing,
informal settlements, Mexican Americans and the rural poor, social
capital and community development.
Meredith Bossin
Meredith, originally from Houston,
Texas, received her B.A. in the history of art and architecture from
Rice University. After a six-month trip to South America, she decided
to pursue a degree in Latin American Studies and chose the University
of Texas because of the opportunity to pursue Planning as well. The
focus of her research is gender in the context of development. She
volunteered with ProyectArte, a nonprofit art program in Buenos Aires,
during the summer of 2006 and completed the Civil Society Institute
Program in Mexico in the summer 2007 semester. Last semester, she
participated in a service learning course that involved fieldwork in
the Dominican Republic. She will be returning to Santo Domingo in
October 2008 to do research for her thesis, which will focus on women
and employment. Upon graduation, she hopes to work in the field of
international development.
Zachary Brown
Zachary Brown earned a B.A. from the
University of California, San Diego, with majors in history and
religious studies. His academic work there culminated in two honors
theses, the first on the history of political mobilization through
cultural movements in Brazil, and the second on the construction of
hybrid identities during the formation and development of the Brazilian
religion, Umbanda. Following four years of experience as a jazz
instructor at a San Diego arts academy, he went to Salvador da Bahia,
Brazil, where he taught Afro-Brazilian music and dance to disadvantaged
children at schools affiliated with several of the city’s cultural
organizations. Zachary is currently pursuing an M.A. in Latin American
Studies. His research interests include the formation and development
of Afro-Latin identities, especially in relation to historical projects
of nation building. He is particularly interested in the role of
religion within these projects.
Gina Casey
Gina earned her B.A. degree in Latin
American Studies and Spanish at the University of Texas at Austin.
During this time, she spent two semesters abroad, studying in
Valparaiso, Chile, and Salvador, Brazil. After graduation, she traveled
in Central America and taught English on the coast of Nicaragua at
Bluefields Indian and Caribbean University. Afterward she worked at a
nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., the Washington Office on
Latin America, where she conducted research on current events and human
rights issues in Mexico and Central America.
Erin Daley
Erin Daley is a dual degree master’s
student in Latin American Studies and Public Affairs. She graduated
from Wake Forest University in 2002 with a B.A. in Spanish and
completed a graduate program in community development at the
Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro in Mexico in 2004 as a Rotary
Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar. In Mexico, Erin wrote her thesis on
microfinance and savings in rural communities in Querétaro. While at
UT, she has researched the health care needs of American retirees in
Mexico, studied social vulnerability in informal urban settlements,
designed transnational development proposals, and worked as a
management consultant to a Mexican nonprofit. In addition to Mexico,
Erin has studied and conducted research in Spain, the Dominican
Republic, and Brazil. Prior to coming to UT, Erin managed a family
violence prevention initiative for migrant farm workers. Erin’s primary
policy and research interests include migration, health, and
international development.
Olivia Ellis
Olivia Ellis earned her B.A. from Duke
University in 1999 (Cum Laude) with a major in cultural anthropology
and minor in French. She began ethnographic research in Madagascar with
the School for International Training in 1998. Olivia was Public
Relations Associate at Vanity Fair before continuing her ethnographic
research in Bahia, Brazil, as a 2002 Fulbright Scholar. In 2003, she
was a volunteer at Hono Hu'aka Tropical Plantation in Huelo, Maui,
where she learned biodynamic and permaculture farming. She has since
been the administrator at an urban organic farm in Austin, Texas.
Olivia is the 2008–2009 recipient of the McIlhany Endowed Presidential
Fellowship through LLILAS. Her focus is sustainable agriculture among
indigenous communities in Brazil.
Lindsey Engelman
Lindsey Engelman is a dual degree
candidate in Latin American Studies and Public Affairs. She attained
her bachelor’s degree in legal studies at the University of California,
Santa Cruz. Since then, Lindsey has worked as a legal assistant at an
environmental law firm in Austin, Texas. She also has worked as a human
rights accompanier in Guatemala, accompanying genocide victims
participating in a criminal case against the heads of state responsible
for the genocide. Lindsey's research interests include human rights and
the global political economy, particularly pertaining to issues of
environmental justice.
Laura Gamboa
Laura Gamboa is a first-year student
in the M.A. program in Latin American Studies at UT Austin. She
conducted her undergraduate studies at the Universidad Nacional de
Colombia, where she graduated with honors, obtaining a B.A. degree in
history. Laura is interested in democracy and participation,
specifically political parties and government systems, within Colombia
and other Latin American countries.
Andrea Guttin
Andrea Guttin is a dual degree
candidate in Latin American Studies and Law. Her current research focus
is the local enforcement of immigration law and its effects on
immigrant communities in Texas. Andrea is currently a student fellow
with the ACLU of Texas, and has previously interned with Latino
Justice/PRLDEF in New York City, and the Rapoport Center for Human
Rights and Justice in Austin. Andrea hopes to work in the field of
immigrant rights upon graduating in May 2009.
Lora Hollingsworth
Lora Hollingsworth earned her
B.A. with highest honors in anthropology and a minor in Latin American
and Latino Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz, in
2006. Her undergraduate achievements include her position as an
assistant for an upper-division medical anthropology course, her
presentation of research at the American Anthropological Association
meeting in 2006, and her award-winning senior research project
investigating nodes of inequality at the border. After graduation, she
worked in fund development with two local nonprofits and served on the
Board of Directors of the Development Executives Network. In summer
2008, Lora completed an internship assisting with grant research and
preparation for the Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice. As a
master’s student at LLILAS, Lora is interested in engaging with
activist anthropology and understanding relations of power and poverty
in Nicaragua. In her personal time, she volunteers as a Support
Specialist for a virtual support group for women's reproductive health
issues.
Naya Jones
As a LLILAS master’s student, Naya
combines the fields of anthropology, geography, and ethnobotany in her
research. Her interests include the African diaspora in Mexico,
critical race theory, racialization, medicinal plant use/knowledge, and
the interaction between medical systems. She strives to understand how
the processes of the African diaspora—slavery, marginalization, the
construction of race—continue to have an impact on the lives of
Afro-descendants. Naya is particularly interested in health and healing
in black communities. Her thesis examines plant use and its interaction
with clinical care among Afro-descendants in Mexico. Her inspiration
stems from a passion for racial/social justice and from her experiences
as a black and Mexican American. Aside from academics, Naya is active
in the Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA). Her extracurricular
efforts center on issues affecting students of color on the campus.
Outside of school, she enjoys working within the greater community,
writing, dancing, and travel.
Hadyn Kihm
Hadyn Kihm is pursuing master's degrees
in Latin American Studies and Public Affairs. Originally from
Alexandria, Virginia, she received her B.A. in Latin American Studies
and international relations from the College of William and Mary in
2006. She has lived and traveled in Argentina and Brazil, and her focus
of study is Southern Cone development, particularly the role of local
governance in working toward greater transparency and citizen
participation. During summer 2008, she conducted research on
participatory budgeting in Córdoba, Argentina. Hadyn will serve this
year as one of the coordinators of the annual ILASSA Conference. She is
rarely seen without her yerba mate kit.
Colleen McGue
Colleen McGue is a first-year M.A.
student in the LLILAS program at UT Austin. Her studies are focused on
human rights and the politics of race and violence in Brazil. Colleen
graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. in political
science and a minor in Portuguese. During her time at Notre Dame, she
spent a summer working with Maryknoll lay missioners in São Paulo, and
later spent a semester studying in Brazil at the Universidade Católica
Salvador. Here at UT, Colleen is an intern at the Brazil Center
(http://www.utexas.edu/cola/insts/llilas/brazil/).
George McQueen
Growing up on the U.S.-Mexico border
in Arizona, George has always been drawn south—whether to "lunchear" on
tacos or to travel overland to Argentina and back. Since earning B.A.
degrees in English and Spanish (minor in music) at Northern Arizona
University, George has worn several caps, including those of
journalist, activist, carpenter, teacher, camping guide, and traveler.
He hopes to combine his years of preservation experience with his
observations as a municipal reporter (and education at UT) to
understand planning issues that affect historic districts, particularly
in Latin America.
Karina Merino Hinojosa
Karina Merino Hinojosa is a
master’s degree student in Latin American Studies with a scholarship
from CONACYT. Karina holds a B.A. in international relations from the
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). She wrote her thesis
about The Foreign Policy of UK in the European Union, which allowed her
to get an internship at the European Studies Center at UNAM. While
working there, she earned a scholarship to participate in a Seminar at
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid, Spain. Karina worked for a
Foundation related to America Latina where she was aware of her
interest for the region. She wants to focus her research in comparative
studies and development, especially in Mexico and Brazil.
Elizabeth Parrott
Elizabeth Parrott is a first-year
master's candidate in Latin American Studies. She holds a B.A. in
Spanish from the University of Georgia at Athens. Her academic
interests include development, human rights, and gender studies. Upon
completion of her master's program, Elizabeth will be pursuing a
doctoral degree.
Thomas Perkowski
Thomas Perkowski is a first-year
student in the M.A. program at LLILAS. He graduated from Georgetown
University's School of Foreign Service in 2008 with a B.S. in foreign
service and a certificate in Latin American Studies. While at
Georgetown, he was fortunate to have had the opportunity to intern at
the Inter-American Dialogue and the Woodrow Wilson International Center
for Scholars. Thomas wrote his undergraduate thesis on the effects of
gang violence and law enforcement policies on democracy in Central
America. His research interests include the relationship between gang
violence and democracy, the effects of crime on development, drug
trafficking, revolutionary movements, and human rights in Latin
America.
Claudia Rodriguez
Claudia received her B.A. in
international relations from the University of Delaware in May of 2007.
Her research there included one project investigating the maquiladora
industry and kidnappings of women in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, and another
project investigating the human rights violations accountability and
the legal cases against former dictators in Argentina and Chile. The
latter project evolved into an undergraduate senior thesis. Both
projects were completed in conjunction with the Ronald E. McNair Post
Baccalaureate Achievement Program at Delaware. Currently, Claudia is
pursuing na M.A. at LLILAS, concentrating on various human rights
issues in Latin America. Her research interests include civil society
in Cuba, discrimination in Latin America, accountability for human
rights abuses, and human trafficking in Latin America. She is also an
intern at American Gateways (formerly PAPA) for the Immigrant Victims
of Violence Protection Project.
Ann M. Scott
Ann M. Scott is a Ph.D. candidate in
Latin American Studies with emphasis in anthropology, geography, and
art history. Originally from Michigan, she earned her B.S. degree with
honors in 1988 at Central Michigan University and continued at Northern
Illinois University, where she received her M.A. in anthropology in
1993. Her field experience includes archaeological investigations in
Peru, Bolivia, Honduras, Belize, and Guatemala. Ann’s specialization in
Mayan studies has focused on pre-contact cave utilization as well as
contemporary use of sacred space among the Kaqchikel Maya of Guatemala.
Her doctoral research has examined how contemporary Maya utilize and
relate to sacred landscape features such as caves, mountains, and
boulders. Ann was a recipient of the Faculty Sponsored Dissertation
Research Grant in Latin America and two FLAS fellowships for the
Kaqchikel Language and Culture Program held in Guatemala. She plans to
graduate in May 2009.
Sean Sellers
Sean Sellers studies the food system,
human rights, globalization, and grassroots social justice movements
within the emerging field of activist anthropology. His organizing and
research centers on the Coalition of Immokalee Workers
(http://www.ciw-online.org). Sean received a B.S. in political
communication from the University of Texas at Austin in 2004.
Emily Spangenberg
Emily Spangenberg is a first-year
M.A. student at LLILAS. Her current research interests lie in human
rights, transitional justice, and interactions between international
law and domestic politics. Emily spent a semester of her undergraduate
career in Argentina at the University of Buenos Aires, which sparked
her interest in the politics of human rights in the Southern Cone. She
has served as a translator for various organizations that provide
immigrant communities with legal assistance, and currently translates
affidavits for the Political Asylum Project of Austin. Emily graduated
from the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a B.A. in journalism,
political science, and Spanish in 2007. Before arriving in Austin, she
spent a year teaching in a bilingual elementary school in Cádiz, Spain.
Dana Stovall
Dana is pursuing an M.S. in community
and regional planning at the School of Architecture and an M.A. in
Latin American Studies at LLILAS. She earned her B.A. in anthropology
from the University of Notre Dame with minors in Latin American Studies
and International Peace Studies. As an undergraduate, Dana studied in
Santiago, Chile, where she founded an art program for abused children.
She also interned with an Ecuadorian human rights foundation,
documenting local organization against large-scale mining. Upon
graduation, Dana moved to the U.S.-Mexico border and volunteered
full-time in a domestic violence shelter. Before starting at UT, she
worked in Monterrey, Mexico, as an ethnographic consultant. Her
background in documenting impoverished conditions has sparked her
interest in the built environment, and at UT she has been involved in
planning research projects in Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Dana's
interests include informal housing settlements and participatory
community processes.
Lindsey Stringer
Lindsey Stringer completed her
B.A. in international studies and Spanish at the University of
Mississippi in 2008. While pursuing her undergraduate degree, she was a
member of the Croft Institute for International Studies and the Sally
McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. She studied Spanish in both Costa
Rica and Chile for a month and international relations in Argentina for
a semester at the Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Lindsey completed
her degree with a thesis on presidential decree powers in Argentina and
Chile and their effect on democracy. She is currently a first-year M.A.
candidate in LLILAS and is focusing on human rights. She would like to
research gay rights in Argentina and Chile and perhaps work with an NGO
in human rights in the future.
Matthew Templeman
Matthew Templeman is a U.S. Army
Latin America specialist. He received a B.S. in electrical engineering
from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Matt served ten years in
the U.S. Army as an Engineer Officer, working in combat and civil
engineering units. In 2007 Matt became an Army Foreign Area Officer. He
studied Spanish at the Defense Language Institute then worked at the
U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru. for one year. During his military career,
Matt has worked with foreign militaries and security forces in Kosovo,
Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Chile, and Peru. He earned an M.S. in
engineering management from the University of Missouri in Rolla. Matt
is interested in human rights and development issues in Latin America.
After completing his degree, Matt will continue working with Latin
American militaries as a U.S. Army Foreign Area Officer to promote
democracy, institutional integrity, and respect for human rights.
Meghan Vail
Meg is a first-year master’s degree
candidate at LLILAS. She received her B.A. in Hispanic studies and
history from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006. Her Hispanic
studies thesis analyzed the roles of the Shining Path and the Peruvian
military in placing indigenous Peruvians at the heart of a violent
crossfire of political ideology throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.
Her research interests include migration, the relationship between
language and cultural identity, and all matters Caribbean and Peruvian.
Meg is grateful for this wonderful opportunity to be part of LLILAS, a
participator in Longhorn culture, and most important, for the
opportunities that Austin provides to be working to address the needs
of migrant communities. Go Quakers and Hook ’em Horns.
Nashielly Victoria
Nashielly Victoria, born in
Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico, received a B.A. in anthropology at the
University of Florida. She is interested in human-environment
interactions, particularly “sustainable” community-based natural
resource management in rural Mexico.
Chris Woodruff
Chris is a second-year master's
degree candidate at LLILAS. He graduated from Texas A&M University
in May 2007 with undergraduate degrees in international studies and
Spanish. As a master's student, Chris has devoted his attention to the
study of human rights, particularly as they relate to the process of
transitional justice and democratization in South America's Southern
Cone region. Within this region, Chris's primary research focus has
been on Uruguay's guerrilla revolutionary group, the Tupamaros, and on
tracing the history of human rights protections in Uruguay. In 2008,
Chris was instrumental in aiding the Ecuadorian Truth Commission in its
endeavor to secure declassified documents from the U.S. government
related to human rights abuses in Ecuador from the 1980s. His summer
2008 internship with the National Security Archive in Washington, D.C.,
allowed him to conduct extensive research on primary U.S. government
documents as well as submit more than two hundred Freedom of
Information Act requests that should help support his future research
into U.S. foreign policy in Latin America.
