CLAS Events Calendar
- Loretta Fernández and Erika Abarca Millán
- 3:00 pm
- 4130 Posvar Hall
Loretta Fernández holds a PhD in Language, Literacy, and Culture and is Associate Professor of Practice in World and Heritage Language Education in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Leading at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research focuses on world and language pedagogy, identity, and justice and equity in education. Her research interests include sociocultural theory, cognitive linguistics, systemic functional linguistics, multimodalities, Latinx student’s identity development, and qualitative research methods. Her work has been published in academic journals and volumes and presented in international and national conferences. She is currently the managing editor of Contingencies: A Journal of Global Pedagogy. Email: lof7@pitt.edu. She is also one of the Editors of the book Conceptual metaphor theory in world language education. Erika Abarca Millán is an educator and researcher with a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Pittsburgh. Her work focuses on critical discourse studies, equitable access to higher education, and teacher and student identity. With over 15 years of experience teaching English and Spanish in Chile and the U.S., she is currently a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Spanish and Portuguese. She also holds research positions as a Senior Research Associate at NYU’s Metro Center and as an Associate Researcher at the University of Chile’s Center for Advanced Research in Education.
- Alvaro Bernal
- 1:00 pm
- Zoom
- 1:00 pm
- Global Hub
- Thatiellen Ribeiro and Ruth Jimenez
- 1:00 pm
- 4130 Posvar Hall
- 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
- William Pitt Union and O'Hara Student Center, Pitt-Oakland Campus Model United Nations high school simulation
- (All day)
- Global Hub
- 2:00 pm
- Global Hub
CLAS Day of the dead and saints day Celebrations! ¡DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS Y DÍA DE LOS SANTOS FESTIVITIES! Ofrenda/Altar Display October 28 – November 4, 2025 Global Hub All are welcome to take part in this beautiful tradition! Help us celebrate the lives of departed loved ones—family, friends, or pets—by adding photos, mementos, artificial flowers, or small ofrendas to the community altar. You’re also invited to paint a Monarch butterfly with their name to honor their memory. The Ofrenda/Altar will be lovingly created by Lisa DiGioia Nutini (Mexico Lindo), and Luz Amanda Hank (CLAS). Workshops on Wednesday, October 30, 2025 2:00-3:00 p.m. Learn about the Day of the Dead Celebration: Lisa DiGioia Nutini, Mexico Lindo and Dr. Manuel Roman-Lacayo, Deputy Director, LASA 3:15-4:15 p.m. Learn how to make Papel Picado 4:25-6:00 p.m. Paint your own Alebrije This event is organized by the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS), and co-sponsored by the Global Hub, the Latin American Cultural Center (LACC), and the Center for Ethnic Studies Research (CESR).
- Dr. Filipe Recch
- 1:00 pm
- 4130 Posvar Hall
Dr. Filipe Recch is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Practice in Educational Research at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Education. Using methods from political science, comparative education, and data analysis, he studies how curriculum, governance, and policy affect educational outcomes. One of Dr. Recch’s primary research agendas focuses on how K-12 textbooks in low- and middle-income countries affect different populations of students and the regionalization of education. Employing computational text analysis and Natural Language Processing (NLP), he studies large collections of curricular materials to identify patterns and understand how these vary in terms of space and populational characteristics. By adapting NLP methods to non-English contexts, his work with Brazilian textbooks has revealed that textbook content correlates with performance, school characteristics, and broader educational outcomes. Additionally, in a study of Indian textbooks, he found shifts in historical narratives that suggest evolving understandings of national identity and different population experiences. Beyond curriculum analysis, Dr. Recch investigates how policy coordination and governance structures shape access to high-quality education. Focusing on decentralized systems, he has studied Brazil’s educational policy alignment across municipal and state governments, identifying conditions under which coordinated approaches can influence access to educational opportunities. This comparative perspective allows him to draw insights relevant to various contexts, including how parallel education systems—such as charter schools in the United States, selective schools in the United Kingdom, and private schools more broadly—may produce unequal learning opportunities. Before pursuing his doctorate, Dr. Recch worked for five years in the social development and education departments of a state government in Brazil. He holds a Ph.D. in International Comparative Education and a Master’s degree in Political Science from Stanford University. Prior to joining the University of Pittsburgh, he served as a Postdoctoral Research and Policy Associate at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.
- Scott Morgenstern
- 1:00 pm
- 4130 Posvar Hall
- Molly McSweeney
- 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
- Global Hub
Attention: Undergraduate students! Are you looking to gain experience that will help prepare you for a globally-connected job market? Stop by Drop-In Hours to learn more about getting the Global Distinction added to your academic transcript, receiving special recognition at graduation, and standing out to prospective employers!
- Jennifer Villanueva
- 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm
- Global Hub
- 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
- via Zoom
This professional development workshop series is designed for K-12 educators seeking to deepen their understanding of global issues through literature. This year, we will explore the theme of “The U.S. in the World.” Through global and regional perspectives, we will discuss narratives of a “Global United States,” where the U.S. role in the world and its relationship with other countries and regions is informed by transnational narratives and dialogues shaped by global trends such as migration, environmental issues, human rights, and human conditions. By exploring compelling stories from diverse cultural perspectives, educators will gain insights into the complexities of this theme, its impact on individuals and communities, and how to engage students in meaningful discussions around these topics. Each session features a carefully selected book, paired with historically contextualized presentations, interactive discussions, teaching strategies, and cross-disciplinary activities to inspire classroom implementation. The May 14, 2026 workshop will focus on the book, "Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings" by Margarita Engle. Sessions this year will take place virtually on Thursday evenings from 6:00-7:30 p.m. (ET). Three Act 48 credit hours (for PA educators) and a copy of the book are provided for each session. For more information and to register, please go to: https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/global/GILS .