On October 15, friends of the Latin American and Iberian Studies Department gathered to celebrate the department’s new identity and innovative programs. Guests included university and College of Liberal Arts administrators, retired faculty, current faculty and students.

The event, sponsored by the Office of International and Transnational Affairs, opened with welcoming remarks from Chancellor J. Keith Motley and Provost Winston Langley. They highlighted both the department’s exciting trans-disciplinary innovations and its long history of commitment to outreach to diverse communities and constituencies in the Commonwealth and around the world.

UMB Hosts and Distinguished Guests

Among the notable features of the new major are a track in Translation Studies, one of the few such undergraduate programs in the country, and for the first time at UMass Boston, a major track in Latin American Studies.

 Alumni panelists Tina Everberg, Diego Mansilla, Pamela Cataldo and Patty Chouinard

 The celebration featured a panel of department alumni, who spoke of the many ways that their studies have shaped their careers.  The panel also included perspectives on Latin America and the Atlantic world “Ten Years from Now,” offered by Fernando Mell Barreto, Consul General of Brazil in Boston, Mónica Pinzón Bueno, Consul General of Colombia in Boston, and João Caixinha, Education Office of the Consulate General of Portugal in Boston. Their remarks focused on the importance of language study as a gateway to career opportunities in their countries.

Alumni panelists Audy Ramirz, Addie LeBeouf and Ian Gold

Assistant Chancellor Theresa Mortimer, a long-time member of the department, closed the program with remarks that both celebrated the department’s past and pointed to the future.

We thank all who participated and attended for their contributions to the success of the event.

 Professor Jean-Philippe Belleau with alumnae and guests

 Professor Valéria Souza, João Caixinha and Provost Winston Langley at the reception