On November 15th, during his fall speaking tour, Steve Ellner spoke on the challenges Venezuela is experiencing under President Nicolás Maduro. The event was a combined effort of The Association of Latin American Students (ALAS) worked with the Latino Alumni Student Organization (LASO). Read the full article in the University News… Continue reading
Latinx and Latin American Studies
CAS Dean’s Fall Reception presents Faculty and Staff Awards
The College of Arts and Sciences is pleased to announce one staff award and four sets of faculty awards that were presented at the annual CAS Dean’s Fall Reception on September 11.
Faculty Awards are as follows:
Dean’s Outstanding Teaching Award (awarded to a tenure-track or tenured faculty member)
- Laurie Ellinghausen, Ph.D., from the Department of English
Royall Distinguished Professors (honors faculty committed to research excellence, creativity, and interdisciplinarity, as well as pedagogy)
- Barry Anderson, M.F.A., from the Department of Art & Art History
- Mark Brodwin, Ph.D., from the Department of Physics & Astronomy
- Michelle Smirnova, Ph.D. from the Department of Sociology
- Lindsey Arbuthnot Clancey, M.S. from the Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology
Bernardin Research Development Grant (recipients are granted support to prepare a grant proposal in their chosen area of research)
- Majid Bani Yaghoub, Ph.D., from the Department of Mathematics & Statistics
- Alison Graettinger, Ph.D., from the Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences
- Clara Irazabal-Zurita, Ph.D., from the Latinx & Latin American Studies Program
- Ye Wang, Ph.D., from the Department of Communication Studies
Haskell Distinguished Research Award (recipients receive an award to support the completion of a scholarly project or creative work)
- Cristina Albu, Ph.D., from the Department of Art & Art History
- Hadara Bar-Nadav, Ph.D., from the Department of English
- Joseph Hartman, Ph.D., from the Latinx & Latin American Studies Program
- Sungyop Kim, Ph.D., from the Department of Architecture & Urban Planning + Design
- Fengpeng Sun, Ph.D., from the Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences
Staff Award is as follows:
Outstanding Staff Member
(awarded to recognize outstanding contributions made by staff members who are employed by the College of Arts & Sciences with strong characteristics including: respectful, responsible, resourceful, receptive, responsive, and reasonable)
- Hannah Hohenstein-Flack, M.A., from the Department of History
Clara Irazabal-Zurita Wins Award for Co-authored Article
Clara Irazábal-Zurita, UMKC Professor of Planning and Director of Latinx Studies, recently received a Best Journal Article Award from the Global Planning Educators Interest Group of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. Continue reading
Dr. Sandra Enriquez lands Two Grants from the Texas State Historical Society
The History Department is proud to announce that Dr. Sandra Enriquez, who is also the Director of the Public History Emphasis, has been awarded two competitive fellowships from the Texas State Historical Association. Continue reading
Fight Against Racism Takes Up the Tools of History
Researchers reveal the exploitation of medieval imagery and language by white supremacists
White Nationalists and neo-Nazis have misused medieval imagery and language to support their cause. Faculty from the University of Missouri-Kansas City are working to reveal the true histories and explore the connections between contemporary issues and medieval concepts of race, gender and identity. Continue reading
First-Generation College Student Navigates College By Learning About Her Heritage
Mentor in the UMKC Avanzando program assists in journey
When Aricela Guadalupe first arrived at UMKC, she spent a lot of time thinking about her parents – would she make them proud? Would she have what it takes to succeed in college?
As a first-generation college student, she was eager to take advantage of the opportunity she’d been given. But the path to graduation seemed uncertain.
Public History Project Wins Two Awards from AASLH
The Department of History is proud to announce that “Kansas City’s Guadalupe Centers: A Century of Serving the Latino Community” has been recognized with two awards from the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH).
This multifaceted Public History project is a collaboration from the Guadalupe Centers, Inc., the Department of History, the UMKC Latinx and Latin American Studies Program, Tico Productions, LLC, and the Kansas City Public Library. Their efforts included an exhibit, a documentary, public programming, and an ongoing archival project to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the organization.
The Guadalupe Centennial project received AASLH’s Award of Excellence, and was one of three projects recognized with the History in Progress (HIP) Award. The HIP Award is given to projects that are “highly inspirational, exhibit exceptional scholarship, and/or are exceedingly entrepreneurial in terms of funding, partnerships, or collaborations, creative problem solving, or unusual project design and inclusiveness.”
Congratulations to Dr. Sandra Enríquez (History), Dr. Theresa Torres (LLAS), History graduate student Hunter Albright, our Public History students who worked on this project, and all of the collaborators!
ALAS Raises Funds for Latinx Scholarships
The Association of Latin American Students (ALAS) raised nearly $9,000 in matching scholarship dollars benefiting UMKC’s Latinx first-generation and DACA students. Read the full article in the University News…
Continue reading
The College Introduces New Department Focusing on Race, Ethnic and Gender Studies
The beginning of UMKC’s Fall semester also brings the start of a new department within the College of Arts and Sciences – Race, Ethnic, and Gender Studies (REGS). Chaired by Dr. Toya Like, the REGS department comprises three interdisciplinary programs from which students can currently declare a minor: Black Studies, Latinx and Latin American Studies, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. A full Bachelor of Arts degree focusing on the intersectionality of race, ethnic, gender, and sexuality studies is in development for the Fall 2021 semester. With interdisplinarity at the forefront of its curriculum, College faculty from a broad range of disciplines have joined forces within the REGS department, offering students a diverse approach as they examine the complexities of studying Race, Ethnic and Gender Studies in today’s world. Find the list of REGS faculty below, and read more about the College of Arts and Science’s new REGS department here.
Dr. Brenda Bethman, Associate Teaching Professor and Director of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program
Dr. Crystal Doss, Associate Teaching Professor in Department of English
Dr. Joseph Hartman, Assistant Professor in Art & Art History and Latinx & Latin American Studies
Dr. Clara Irazabul-Zurita, Professor of Planning in Department of Architecture, Urban Planning + Design, and Director of the Latinx and Latin American Studies program
Dr. Toya Like, Associate Professor in Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology and Interim Chair for Department of Race, Ethnic and Gender Studies
Dr. Linda Mitchell, Professor of History & Martha Jane Phillips Starr Missouri Distinguished Endowed Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies
Dr. Teresa Torres, Associate Professor in Department of Latinx and Latin American Studie