LAII Awards Visiting Scholars Funding for Library Research

May 15, 2013

The Latin American & Iberian Institute (LAII) is pleased to announce the recipients of the Richard E. Greenleaf Visiting Library Scholar awards for the 2013-2014 academic year. These awards provide three individuals the opportunity to work as visiting researchers with the University of New Mexico's Latin American library collection, one of the largest and most complete Latin American or Spanish American collections in the country. Congratulations to Theresa Avila, Breanne Robertson, and Melanie Wetzel.

  • Theresa Avila is an independent scholar who holds a Ph.D. (2013) and M.A. (2005) in Art History from the University of New Mexico. Avila's areas of specialization include the history, theory, and criticism of modern and contemporary Latin American Art with a concentration in Modern Mexican Art. The Richard E. Greenleaf Visiting Library Scholar award will allow her to conduct research regarding visual material that stems from or is related to the Mexican Revolution.
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  • Breanne Robertson is a visiting assistant professor in Art History and American Studies at Wesleyan University. She holds a Ph.D. (2012) in Art History from the University of Maryland and an M.A. (2005) in Art History from the University of Texas at Austin. Robertson's areas of specialization include American Art, Pre-Columbian Art, and Western Art, with special topics on issues of Nationalism, Pan-Americanism, Race, Visual Culture, Cultural Appropriation, Cultural Diplomacy, and U.S.-Latin American Relations. Her research while at UNM will focus on "Pan-Americanism in UNM Campus Murals, 1933-1945."
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  • Melanie Wetzel is pursuing an M.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Kansas and holds a Licenciada en Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales (2001) from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras. Wetzel's areas of specialization include labor law, international trade, and the apparel industry in Central Americas, as well as the study and maintenance of indigenous languages in Central America. Her use of the library collections will focus on the latter, as she researches "Miskitu Bila Aisisna - Collecting Miskitu Language Resources."

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, the LAII Operations Committee - composed of LAII-affiliated faculty from across campus - annually offers national and international scholars the opportunity to work with the unique holdings of UNM University Libraries' Latin American collections. The Visiting Library Scholar awards honor Dr. Richard E. Greenleaf, distinguished scholar of colonial Latin American history, and his extensive career in teaching, research, and service.

Applicants are invited to learn more about UNM's collections at the website for the University Libraries' Inter-American Studies program. For more information about the award criteria, visit the LAII's webpage on Visitor Funding.