University Center for International Studies | myPittGlobal

Ambassador Profile Page

CLAS Ambassadors 2020-2021

The CLAS Student Ambassadors represent the Center on campus and help the Assistant Director for Academic Affairs in connecting with undergraduate students by conducting class visits, hosting informational events, and working on projects throughout the academic year that further the Center's mission. They assist with recruiting, orientation, and other aspects of the undergraduate programs in Latin American Studies. They do classroom presentations about CLAS credentials and programs and represent Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies at various events on campus. They respond to questions about the programs, and have an overall knowledge of the area studies programs offered across the University Center for International Studies. The Student Ambassadors also create and administer innovative projects for the Center. Students can sign up for Peer Advising, Digital Portfolio Training, and to learn more about the various student opportunities that CLAS offers.

Contact Information

You can reach out to any of the CLAS Ambassadors by emailing CLASAMB@pitt.edu.

Alex Anton

Year:
Junior
Neuroscience Major, Chemistry Minor, Certificates in Latin American Studies & in Central Foundations of Medicine
Interests:
Neuroscience Research

Dara Dawson

Year:
Junior
Political Science Major, Spanish & Economics Minors, Certificate in Latin American Studies
Interests:
Policy, Latin American Politics

Dennis Espejo

Year:
Sophomore
Psychology Major, Spanish Minor, Certificate in Latin American Studies
Interests:
Afro-Latinx Studies

Sofia Jacalone

Year:
Senior
Spanish Major, Portuguese & Linguistics Minors, Certificate in Latin American Studies
Interests:
Languages and Linguistics, Religion and Spirituality, Education

Ongoing and Completed Ambassador Projects

  • Latin American & the Caribbean Competency Virtual Series

    • ​The Latin American and the Caribbean Competency Virtual Series is an opportunity for students to learn more about different topics related to this area and connect with graduate students, faculty, and alumni outside of the classroom environment. The students also have the change to discuss and ask questions regarding the topic of the presentation, while earning myPittGlobal and OCC credit and a certificate of participation by attending.
    • Visit our events page to sign up for the next one!

  • Ambassador Visibility Initiative

    • The Ambassador Visibility Initiative aims to spread awareness of the CLAS Ambassadors, their impacts, and the ways they can be of assistance to students. Through the Ambassador webpage and other forms of outreach, Pitt students involved in CLAS will more easily be able to access the Ambassadors.

  • Instagram Initiative

    • The CLAS Instagram Initiative aims to revitalize the Center's Instagram account so students, faculty, and others can easily access information about CLAS programs, events, opportunities, and more! A consistent posting schedule and style was established in order to increase engagement and improve overall design.
    • Follow us!

  • Roundtable Collaboration

    • The roundtable collaboration was an opportunity for Ambassadors and Panoramas Interns to work together on a project for the fall semester. The group co-published an article regarding the Black Lives Matter Movement in different countries in Latin America. Based on this article, the group presented a roundtable discussion on the topic.
    • Read the article here
    • Watch the roundtable on CLAS' YouTube page

  • Media Initiative

    • ​Creation of vidoes to promote both CLAS and its related events. One of these wil be for graduate programs, another one for undergraduate programs, and the third involving community members to promote their experiences with the Center and how the Center has impacted them.

  • Ma' Té Pa' Ti (Podcast Initiative)

    • ​A podcast for promoting the Center and its related events while speaking on prevalent Latin American and Caribbean centered topics based on articles written by Panoramas Interns.

  • Course Page Improvements Project

    • For this project, the CLAS Course List was reorganized by general education requirement and guidelines were created so that future ambassadors can do the same. Sample course of study were also developed so students can visualize what a CLAS certificate would look like according to their interests. Finally, a form in which students can check if a course they've taken counts toward the certificate or suggest a course they believe should be added to our list was created.
    • Visit the Course Page

Sign up for Peer Advising Meetings