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Student News

Winter Intersession enlightens LAS students

Kerri Eames - Over Christmas break, 2007, I went back to Costa Rica for the fifth time where I conducted numerous interviews pertaining to women, development, and adult education. I focused on programs funded by the Ministry of Education and the University of Costa Rica. I stayed with my adoptive family, whom I visit every year. They live in a major suburb called Desamparados outside of the capital city, San José. For the first time in my life, I decided to spend Christmas outside of the United States. Spending Christmas in Costa Rica was marvelous. I experienced many new cultural activities, such as partaking in the Christmas festivities at 12am on December 25th with song, dance, fire-crackers, gifts and a huge meal with the entire family.  I interviewed nearly 20 people, and was amazed at just how generous all of the interviewees were. They all welcomed me into their offices and homes with open arms, and were wholeheartedly eager to respond to all of my questions as they were appreciative of my interest in each of their stories. It was a life-changing experience, and I am grateful to have had the chance to return, and for the support of the Latin American Studies Program. 

Connor Toomy - During summer 2007, I spent six weeks in South America.  The first four weeks were in Cuenca, Ecuador where I took courses at CEDEI (Centro de Estudios Interamericanos) and taught English receiving, at the end of my stay, a completed TEFL (Teach English as a Foreign Language) Certification.  After four weeks in Cuenca, a jewel of a city nestled in the Southern Ecuadorian Andes Mountains, I, and two other O.U. graduate students spent a week in Peru.  While in Peru, we visited the ancient Incan capital of Cuzco.  From Cuzco we took a tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas to see sites such as Machu Picchu and Ollantaytambo.  Cuzco is a true world-class city, brimming with so much history, from the Incan kings to the Rebellion of Tupac Amaru II.  There are many vibrant indigenous peoples that still maintain their cultural prominence.  The abundance of pristine Incan masonry around every street corner, and the plethora of museums, make this a must see Andean city.  I came home to Virginia with an outstanding cultural experience.  My travels would never have been possible without our amazing Latin American Studies program and Ohio University’s Study Abroad. 

Dave Lawrence - The anthropology class I took last quarter focused on Mesoamerican prehistory. I sat through almost every class smiling in a blissful state of absorption. The information presented intrigued me beyond the point of simple fascination, which is interesting, because over winter break I had been planning to visit my sister who has lived in Tegucigalpa for the last several years. Now, with my mind filled with wonder about Central American cultures, the visit had many more exciting possibilities. Through conversations over Skype and on email, my sister and I constructed a travel itinerary that made a decent route through the Mayan lowlands. The main highlights from the trip included exploring the marvelous Mayan centers of Tikal and Copan. I had an amazing time. It was so rewarding to have spent a quarter in the classroom and then see those cultures and rich histories come to life. My sister and I made it a goal to cover as much ground as we could while still taking the time to appreciate what we saw in our ten-day excursion. A goal we successfully accomplished each day as we enjoyed positive interactions with the other interesting people we encountered. If we weren’t in thoughtful reflection, we were laughing about our own quirks and bumps we encountered along the way. I think this photo captures the spirit of the trip.

Flávio Serpa has successfully defended his LAS thesis entitled:
“Microfinance in Brazil: Government Policies and their Effects.” 2007.

Flavio came to Ohio University from UNA in Belo Horizonte and taught Portuguese classes for two years, enhancing the language program greatly. At the same time he was studying for a dual MA degree in both the Latin American Studies program and in Economics. We are very proud to announce that he has completed and successfully defended his thesis in LAS and will soon be returning to his native Brazil. Flavio hopes to find a business position in economics, but would also like to teach courses at a university. We wish him all the luck in the future with his family and his career. Flavio’s thesis committee consisted of: Dr. Julia Paxton (ch), Dr. Thomas Walker, and Dr. Hector Perla.

Welcome incoming LAS students for ’07-08!!

Kinyanjui Chege ("Nash")
Krupskaya Campos-Petien
Tatiana Arguello
Rachel Barnstable
Krupskaya Campos–Petien
Brendan Cherry
Lauren Cutcher
Noemia Da Silva
Kerri Eames
Linder Ellersick
Sarah Gallo
Jill Klimpel
David Lawrence
Hernán Medina
Jeremy Moss
Lenny Milenka Quisbert
Maria Martha Scaglioni
Camila Souto

Award

Mike Elliott, a first year graduate student of the Latin American Studies Program, has won a generous award for his proposed research on the Sugar Cane industry in Nicaragua. He has received a Student Enhancement Award from the Council for Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. Mike will spend ten weeks in Nicaragua this summer do field research for his LAS thesis. Mr. Elliott has already presented his preliminary studies at a conference held this year at OSU and will present his findings at various conferences upon his return to OU.

Profiles of Current Graduate Students

Kinyanjui Chege ("Nash")

2nd year student

I come from Nairobi, Kenya

Interests: Historical politics and development

I studied International Relations and Spanish in my undergraduate degree. Once I graduate from OU I intend to spend some time in Latin America visiting the region and perfecting both Spanish and Portuguese which should be fun.

Krupskaya Campos-Petien

1st year

Chinandega, Nicaragua

Areas of study and Interest: My areas of studies are Political Science and Diplomacy.

I graduated from the Universidad Centroamericana in Business Administration in 2003 in Managua, Nicaragua. I have been living in the USA since 2005. Something interesting about me is that I love dancing. I know how to dance folklore music from my country and I like languages. I have been to most of Central America and Mexico and am hoping to visit South America. I am interested in studying how USA policies affect Latin America.

Tatiana Argüello Vargas

1st year

Managua, Nicaragua

Areas of study and Interest: I am particularly interested in Politics, History and Literature.

Something interesting about yourself: I have been working for more than three years as a public off icer with International Organizations issues. This experience has given me the opportunity to be close to my country’s foreign policy and also to practice my French and a little of my English.  I love languages and I am looking forward to learning Portuguese and improving my English. I am also interested in cultural issues (arts in all its expressions), so I have been working as a volunteer for some cultural activities in my country, and I enjoy reading (I certainly believe that Latin America has a distinguished literary tradition). My plans for the future are to continue working as a public officer in the capital or abroad and to teach at university level.

Rachel Barnstable

1st year
Carlinville, IL

Interests: International education and development, the current debate on illegal immigration, public health, bilingual/bicultural education and ESL.

Something interesting about me: I served as an AmeriCorps volunteer with the Prov idence Community Health Centers in Providence, RI. In the pediatrics department, I helped asthmatic children and their families better understand and manage asthma through a combination of correct medication usage and assessment of potential environmental triggers. During my time there, I interacted with a number of patients originally from Latin America, especially from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Guatemala. It was the perfect opportunity to not only us e my Spanish, but also learn more about three distinct Latin American countries.

Noemia Augusta da Silva

1st year
Sao Paulo, Brazil

Areas of study & interest: My goal is to enrich my knowledge in International Business with focus on Latin American countries. Improve my knowledge in Spanish and English. In the LAS, I expect to develop my studies in Social and Pol itical Sciences, Anthropology, and International Development. I received my Master's degree in Business Administration from OU in Summer 2007. In the close future, I would like to work for Spanish or American companies with business operation in Latin American countries; however, my dream is to be part of European Union staff.

Kerri Eames

1^st Ye ar

Farmington, NY

Areas of Study: Latin American Development, Language, Literature, Gender Issues, ESL, and Political Science.

Something Interesting: I have been to Costa Rica three times, and I love the Latin American culture and the Spanish language. I am also really interested in gender issues/roles present in Latin American society. I currently teach English to Spanish speakers, and I have two undergraduate degrees. One degree is in Spanish and the other is in International Relations. Traveling and experiencing new cultures is my favorite thing to do.  I hope to one day work in the field of development in Latin America, whether it is for the government, or an NGO.

Linda Ellersick

1st year
Perrysburg, OH

Areas of Interest:  World Cultures, traveling

Interesting about myself:  My first name is Spanish, my middle name is French, and my last name is German--I was born to travel!!

e-mail: me204906@ohio.edu

e-mail: pk414406@ohio.edu

Jill Klimpel

e-mail: jn251106@ohio.edu

Michael Perkins

2nd year
United States
Area of interest: Environment and Sustainable Resource Development
My B.S. is in Environmental Science. I plan to work to increase sustainable agro-ecosystems and their effectiveness and decrease natural ecosystem degradation.

e-mail kellystarwatch@yahoo.com

2^nd year

Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Areas of study & interest: Economic Development, Microfinance and Finace

I have a background in business administration and corporate finance. In the LAS I shifted my attention towards economic development and poverty alleviation, with focus on Microfinance. I am also very glad to be the Portuguese instructor.

 E-mail: fs117805@ohio.edu

Camila Souto Vilaca

LAS Recent Graduates

Jared Bibler

2nd year
Fremont, Ohio

Areas of study & interest: Recent Central American history and politics.

I am interested in the civil wars that occurred in the region as well as the guerrilla/revolutionary organizations that fought in those wars. I chose OU mainly because of the faculty. Among the wonderful faculty there are two great Central Americanists.
Email: jb269704@ohio.edu

Ann Schneider
Exchange student