Alumni Spotlight: Kristi Phillips

Posted on 05/17/2013 by | Leave a comment
CLACS Alumnus, Kristi Phillips in Honduras (2013)

CLACS Alumnus, Kristi Phillips in Honduras (2013)

Kristi Phillips is a recent graduate of the CLACS MA Program who is now working as the Trip Coordinator with Central American Relief Efforts. She recently returned to the US, and shares her thoughts and experiences with us below.


CLACS: Can you please provide a brief introduction about yourself?
KP: I came to NYU after receiving my BA in economics and Spanish from the University of Northern Iowa and completed my MA at CLACS in January 2013. At CLACS, I focused on public policy evaluation within and with reference to Latin America. I have experience studying, working, and conducting research in Chile, Spain, Nicaragua, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Honduras and currently work for a Pennsylvania-based non-profit organization called Central American Relief Efforts. Continue reading →

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Posted in Alumni Achievements

Gaining Conference Experience: Leo Suarez

Posted on 04/19/2013 by | Leave a comment
Leo Suarez

Leo Suarez, CLACS MA candidate

Leo Suarez, a first year MA candidate at CLACS, reflects on his recent experience of presenting his research at the Institute of Latin American Studies Student Association at the University of Texas at Austin.

CLACS: Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
LS: I’m a CLACS first year student from Chicago. My undergrad background is in Political Science and International Studies at Northwestern University. My current research concentrates on religions of the Yoruba Diaspora, specifically on the Ifá divination system as an alternative system of mental health. Continue reading →

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Posted in The Adventures of a CLACS Newbie

Congrats! You’ve Been Accepted to CLACS- Now What?

Posted on 04/11/2013 by | Leave a comment

Washington Square Park, NYU

Washington Square Park, NYU

Congratulations on your acceptance to CLACS at NYU! You’ve been accepted to a challenging and enriching interdisciplinary program with amazing professors and students in one of the most extraordinary cities in the world. You’re probably beyond excited for this opportunity and eager to get started, but you may not be sure just yet if this program is the best fit for you. We are here to answer any questions you may have and give you any advice that we can offer. Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments section below, and we’ll quickly respond. Be sure to take your time when making this decision; it’s a big one!

1. What kinds of issues and research are students interested in?
Students are interested in a very wide range of topics, which is what makes CLACS what it is! These range from heritage tourism in indigenous communities, Brazilian immigration to the US, and Jesuit history in Cusco, to US and Latin American relations during the Cold War and women’s reproductive rights in Latin America. Check out our current student profiles to learn more. Continue reading →

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Posted in The Adventures of a CLACS Newbie

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Alumni Spotlight: Amanda Tollefson

Posted on 04/05/2013 by | Leave a comment
Amanda Tollefson

2012 CLACS Alumnus, Amanda Tollefson

Amanda Tollefson, a December 2012 CLACS alumnus, shares her thoughts and experiences with us below. Amanda is currently the Office Manager at the International Crisis Group in New York.

CLACS: Can you please tell us about yourself?
AT: I received my BA degrees in Spanish and the Comparative History of Ideas with a minor in European Studies from the University of Washington (Seattle). As an undergraduate student, I studied in Italy, the Czech Republic, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Cuba. After graduation, I earned my divemaster certification on the island of Utila, Honduras; taught English in Cadiz, Spain for a year; and spent a year as a flight attendant for an international airline. While studying at CLACS, I completed an internship in the Communications/Media department at the Coalition for the International Criminal Court. I also participated in a study abroad program during the January session in Puebla, Mexico, through the Food Studies department. Continue reading →

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The Revolution Recodified Conference: Two Memorable Days of Discussion

Posted on 04/03/2013 by | Leave a comment

Revolution Recodified Conference

Plenary Session of the Revolution Recodified Conference

On Saturday and Sunday March 16-17, CLACS continued its partnership with the New School of Design to host the symposium, The Revolution Recodified: Digital Culture and the Public Sphere in Cuba. The two-day academic conference— kicked off by an energetic keynote on Friday by Cuban blogger, Yoani Sánchez— brought together academics from around the country, experts on the international blogosphere phenomena, and Cuban bloggers to explore the ways that digital technology is transforming Cuba’s cultural and political landscape. Despite the academic material presented, the conference drew an audience as diverse as its presenters. The attendees represented the many points along the political spectrum in terms of Cuban politics and history, and they engaged in a lively discussion about the current political climate on the island and questions of the future for US-Cuban relations. Continue reading →

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Posted in CLACS News, Events and Happenings

The Revolution Recodified Conference: Keynote Speaker, Yoani Sánchez

Posted on 04/01/2013 by | Leave a comment

Yoani Sánchez

Conference keynote speaker, Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez

On Friday, March 15th, CLACS hosted the opening session of The Revolution Recodified: Digital Culture and the Public Sphere in Cuba conference in conjunction with The New School. The three-day conference brought together leading bloggers, writers, artists and scholars from Cuba and the U.S. to examine the rise of communication technology and social media in Cuba, which have given voice to a changing social and political atmosphere. Despite the government’s control of media and the Internet, Cubans have found ways to embrace blogs, websites, Twitter and other forms of digital communication, forging a new space to correspond with one another and the international community. Organizers of the conference, Jill Lane, Director of CLACS and Associate Professor of Spanish and Portuguese and Latin American Studies at NYU, and Coco Fusco, Director of Intermedia Initiatives and Associate Professor of Fine Arts at The New School, opened the conference on Friday evening, introducing widely regarded leader of Cuba’s digital movement and keynote speaker, Yoani Sánchez. Continue reading →

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Perspectives from the Field: Zamaly Diaz Lebron

Posted on 03/28/2013 by | Leave a comment

Zamaly Diaz Lebron

Zamaly Diaz Lebron, Program Officer at the Institute of International Education (IIE) & CLACS Alumnus

On Friday, February 22nd, we had hosted another CLACS Alumn during our Perspectives from the Field Series, a speaker series that invites CLACS alumni from a wide range of professions to speak about their experiences since graduation, and how their studies at CLACS prepared them for the work that they are doing today. The topics that our invited speakers discuss in the series include development, education, human rights, business, public health, and more.

On this day, we welcomed, Zamaly Diaz Lebron a 2006 CLACS MA alumnus and currently is a Program Officer for university placement services at the Institute of International Education (IIE). Zamaly, a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, has a Bachelor’s Degree from the Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, and also completed another NYU Master’s program in Performance Studies (completed in 2007) while studying at CLACS. Continue reading →

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Posted in Alumni Achievements, Events and Happenings