LAII Awards Field Research Grants

May 1, 2013

The Latin American & Iberian Institute (LAII) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2013 Field Research Grants (FRGs) for graduate student and faculty field research. Congratulations to:

Graduate Students:

  • Anna Bellum (Spanish & Portuguese)
  • Andrew Bernard (Landscape Architecture)
  • Daniel Cozart (History)
  • James Davenport (Anthropology)
  • Grant Florian (Anthropology)
  • Chris Galanis (Art Studio)
  • Mike Graham De La Rosa (Latin American Studies)
  • Elizabeth Halpin (Latin American Studies)
  • Christopher Hart-Moynihan (Linguistics)
  • Stacie Hecht (Anthropology)
  • Amanda Hooker (Latin American Studies)
  • George Luna-Pena (American Studies)
  • Marcel Montoya (Architecture)
  • Beau Murphy (Archaeology)
  • Corey Ragsdale (Anthropology)
  • Jon Williams (Sociology)
  • Gandhi Yetish (Anthropology)

Faculty

  • Rosa Vallejos Yopán (Spanish & Portuguese/ Linguistics)
  • Jorge Colón (Architecture)
  • Frances Hayashida (Archaeology)
  • Heather Edgar (Evolutionary Anthropology)
  • Anthony Cárdenas-Rotunno (Spanish & Portuguese)
  • Allison Borden (Educational Leadership)

As part of the LAII's mission to create a stimulating environment for the production and dissemination of knowledge of Latin America and Iberia at UNM, each spring the LAII Grants and Awards Committee - composed of LAII-affiliated faculty from across campus - awards grants to support graduate student and faculty research projects related to Latin America.

FRGs for graduate students are designed to give students an opportunity to gain initial experience with field research in Latin America or Iberia, thereby deepening language skills, cultural knowledge, and connections to scholars and institutions in the region. For faculty, the awards are intended to assist with new projects or to complete, supplement, or add a comparative dimension to field research conducted previously.

In January, 2013, the LAII received and matched a $15,000 grant from the New York-based Tinker Foundation to support graduate student field research in Latin America. In the recent FRG competition, the Tinker Foundation funding and LAII funding were jointly allocated for research projects conducted between April 1 and Dec. 31, 2013. "The funding that the LAII receives from the Tinker Foundation enables UNM students to conduct primary field work in Latin America. Past awardees speak of the enrichment of their graduate experience and how their careers have been shaped by their field research," stated LAII director Susan Tiano in a recent UNMToday article by Carolyn Gonzales. The LAII has received support from the Tinker Foundation since 1980.

Visit the LAII's website for more information about graduate student FRGs and faculty FRGs.