The Latin America and the Caribbean Competency Virtual Series is an opportunity for students to learn more about different topics related to this area and connect with the guest speakers outside the classroom environment. The students will also have the chance to discuss and ask questions regarding the topic of the presentation. Students can also earn myPittGlobal and OCC credit and a certificate of participation by attending.
We cannot discuss global sustainability without including the Amazon; however, what exactly is the Amazon? Our conversation explores a facet often ignored about the Brazilian Amazon: cities. We will offer a contemporary profile of challenges and characteristic of the cities in the forest, inserting them in the axis of sustainable development. The recent and intensive urbanization process is often associated with lack of planning and adequate infrastructure that adds to the other challenges such as the loss of forest and other natural environments faced by this region.
So, you want to apply your research? Well, so do I! Join me as I reflect on the success of my past research and give a few tips & tricks for completing research at Pitt. Since graduating in May '21, I have been immersed in the Capacity Building Program of the Applied Sciences program in NASA's Earth Science Division. During this talk I implore participants to think about why it is important to apply research. I will share my thoughts on what we mean by applied sciences, capacity building, and international collaboration. Finally, we will have an open dialogue evaluating ways your own research and academic work can make an impact.
"Taking my professional career as a starting point, I will address some of the most important issues related to the study of slavery in contemporary Brazil"
- Keila Grinberg, CLAS Director
The fourth presentation will be by Kat Andrews, Policy Analyst at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She will talk about working in federal government. Getting a job in the federal government whether it be with the Department of State, Homeland Security or the Intelligence Community is hard to do. Half the battle is knowing the tips and tricks for getting hired and navigating the complicated process. In this presentation, we will discuss everything you need to know to make your way into government work and what opportunities are really out there.
The third presentation will be by João V. Guedes-Neto, Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh. He will talk about Bureaucratic Polarization. In times of political polarization, we tend to pay attention to conflicts in Congress. Yet, this is just a minor part of the problem. Polarization exists everywhere, even in the public administration. Relying on data from Brazil and the United States, this presentation discusses the causes and consequences of the conflicts between civil servants in government. After all, can we get things done when everyone seems to hate each other?
The second presentation will be by Manuel Roman-Lacayo, Associate Director for the Center of Latin American Studies. He will be talking about leveraging experience and personal inclinations to find life paths and opportunities, despite your best intentions.
The first presentation was by Caelan Hidalgo Schick, Panoramas Graduate Coordinator and Graduate student in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. She talked about how the rising popularity of products marketed as “superfoods” is leading to questioning of how sustainable these “trendy” foods and products truly are. Consumers of superfoods from rich northern countries are unknowingly contributing to unsustainable agriculture exploitation of indigenous farmers and land, and forced labor practices.
