4th Annual Latin American Studies Symposium

Congratulations to the Latin American Studies Student Organization (LASSO) for organizing an outstanding 4th Annual Latin American Studies Symposium (ALASS). Our LAS MA students—Emily Morel, Ximena Mendieta, Edward Buck-Shannon, Diego Meringer, and Yecenia Andrade—did an exceptional job coordinating the panels and bringing together an impressive group of presenters from across campus.

The keynote address by Robin Reineke was both deeply moving and highly relevant, setting a powerful example for the important role that academia can play in addressing key concerns of the communities that we serve.

I am immensely proud of our LAS students and those students from across campus that presented their research. Their enthusiasm for learning and teaching about Latin America from an interdisciplinary perspective is truly inspiring, as is the care and rigor reflected in the research presented. The level of organization and scholarly engagement across the event was remarkable.

Mil gracias a tod@s ustedes—you make us proud and remind us that, even amid the challenges we face, thoughtful intellectual exchange remains essential to moving forward and fostering a more nuanced understanding of our world.

Thank you as well to everyone who attended, students, faculty and staff. It is always a pleasure to see a room full of engaged participants asking thoughtful questions. I would also like to acknowledge the generous support of CLAS staff, TVI, and HSI initiatives, whose sponsorship made this symposium possible.

Looking forward to next year’s symposium!