CLAS WEEKLY NEWSLETTER, February 27, 2020

Currently at the Pitt Global Hub:

Ramón Gómez de la Serna Exhibit 

Featuring a sample of items from this remarkable collection of one of the most innovative literary figures in Spanish literature of the 20th century. A prolific Spanish-Argentinian poet, novelist, and essayist, Gómez de la Serna is especially known for creating a new literary genre he named the “greguería.” Ramón himself defined the greguería as a mathematical equation:  Greguería = Humor + Metaphor. Others have characterized it as a brief, humorous insight expressed in metaphoric language.

It was a pleasure and a challenge for me to dig-into the Ramón Gómez de la Serna papers to select 16 items from the approximately 60,000 pieces that compose the collection. The ones selected for the exhibit are intended to present a glimpse of the scope of the collection, the range of topics, the physical formats (handwritten notes, drawings, caricatures, manuscripts) and Ramon’s untraditional approach to express his views on the subject matters. Numerous cross-outs and colorful marks can be found throughout his work.

Kari Johnston, Communications Support Specialist for the ULS, printed the images and designed the artistic display. Many thanks to Kari for her valuable contribution.

Edward Galloway, Associate University Librarian for Archives & Special Collections, provided valuable advice and support. Many thanks to Ed. 

The exhibit will be on display throughout the spring and a talk about the collection will be scheduled later in the semester. 

I will welcome questions and comments about the exhibit.

Please send them to:  Martha E. Mantilla martham@pitt.edu

Librarian, Latin American Studies and Eduardo Lozano Collection

For more information about the Collection, visit:

https://digital.library.pitt.edu/collection/ramon-gomez-serna-papers

The Richard E. Greenleaf Library Fellowships

The Latin American Library at Tulane University is pleased to announce the Richard E. Greenleaf Fellowships to support research at the Library for 2020-2021. Their purpose is to offer researchers who permanently reside in any country of Latin America or the Caribbean short-term residential fellowships to use the resources of the Latin American Library at Tulane to conduct research in any field of the humanities or social sciences.

Up to three fellowships will be granted every year. Each fellowship will cover the full cost of round-trip airfare as well as housing expenses and a monthly stipend to cover living expenses for a period of two to three months, as well as full library privileges at Tulane University. Fellowships are available to any qualified scholar - including independent researchers - who resides permanently in any country in Latin America or the Caribbean (including Puerto Rico and the Anglophone Caribbean). Applications from scholars of any nationality who are permanent residents of any country in the region will be considered, but preference will be given to citizens of Latin American or Caribbean nations, including Puerto Rico. Citizens of Latin American/Caribbean countries currently living outside the region and Puerto Ricans residing outside the island are not eligible.

Fellows are expected to reside in New Orleans, to conduct research at the library for the term of the award, and to deliver a public presentation of their work-in-progress during their stay. Fellowships will be awarded on the basis of the applicant's scholarly qualifications, the merits and significance of the project, and the relevance of the Latin American Library's collections to the development of the project.

Aside from the residential requirement, criteria for selection include:

• The merit of the research project and proposal, which should be in any field of the humanities or social sciences
• The relevance to the project of the resources of the Latin American Library
• The scholarly achievements and merit of the candidate, and the significance of his/her project

All inquiries and documents regarding the Greenleaf Fellowships must be submitted to the following address: GLfellows@tulane.edu
 

Becas de Investigación Richard E. Greenleaf
 

La Biblioteca Latinoamericana de la Universidad de Tulane se complace en anunciar el concurso para las becas de investigación Richard E. Greenleaf para 2020-2021. El propósito de las becas Greenleaf es ofrecer a investigadores que residen permanentemente en cualquier país de Latinoamérica o del Caribe una beca a corto plazo para utilizar los recursos de la Biblioteca Latinoamericana de Tulane para adelantar un proyecto de investigación en los campos de las humanidades o las ciencias sociales.

Un máximo de tres becas serán otorgadas cada año. Cada una cubrirá el costo del transporte aéreo y del hospedaje, mas una suma mensual para ayudar con los costos de manutención, por un período de dos a tres meses. Se aceptan solicitudes de investigadores que estén o no afiliados a una institución académica o que sean estudiantes avanzados de programas de postgrado.

Los candidatos deben residir permanentemente en cualquier país de Latinoamérica o el Caribe, incluyendo Puerto Rico. Si reside permanentemente en Latinoamérica o el Caribe, pero es ciudadano de EE.UU., un país europeo o tiene doble nacionalidad, puede postularse pero se dará preferencia a los ciudadanos de países latinoamericanos y del Caribe. Los puertorriqueños recibirán la misma preferencia que los ciudadanos de países latinoamericanos o del Caribe.

Si es ciudadano de un país latinoamericano o del Caribe, pero actualmente tiene residencia permanente fuera de la región, aunque sea temporalmente, no será considerada la solicitud; Los puertorriqueños que residen fuera de la isla no pueden postularse al concurso.

Si se le concede la beca, el candidato debe trasladarse a Nueva Orleans para residir aquí y mantener una presencia continua en la Biblioteca Latinoamericana durante los meses de vigencia de la beca. Asimismo, deberá hacer una presentación pública de su trabajo en marcha durante su estadía.

Los criterios de selección son:

• Los méritos y logros profesionales del solicitante
• Los méritos y significado el proyecto, que debe ser en cualquier campo de las humanidades o las ciencias sociales
• La relevancia de las colecciones de la Biblioteca Latinoamericana con respecto al tema del proyecto

Bolsas de Pesquisa Richard E. Greenleaf

A Biblioteca Latino-Americana da Universidade de Tulane, Nova Orleans, tem o prazer de anunciar o programa de bolsas Richard E. Greenleaf para apoiar a realização de pesquisas na biblioteca durante o ano acadêmico 2020-2021. O objetivo do programa é oferecer aos investigadores com residência permanente na América Latina ou Caribe, incluindo Porto Rico, bolsas residenciais de curto prazo que permitam a utilização dos recursos da Biblioteca Latino-Americana da Universidade de Tulane em seus projetos de pesquisa em ciências humanas ou ciências sociais.

O programa concede até tres bolsas cada ano. A bolsa cobre o custo total da passagem aérea de ida e volta e o alojamento durante o respectivo período. Também inclui um estipêndio mensal para cobrir as despesas para um período de dois a três meses. As bolsas estão disponíveis para qualquer pesquisador qualificado - inclusive pesquisadores independentes - que resida permanentemente em qualquer país da América Latina ou Caribe (incluindo Porto Rico). Serão considerados pesquisadores de qualquer nacionalidade que residam na região, mas será dada preferência para cidadãos latino-americanos ou caribenhos. Os cidadãos dos países da América Latina e Caribe que atualmente moram fora da região não são elegíveis.

Os bolsistas deverão residir em Nova Orleans durante a duração da bolsa e dar uma palestra para a comunidade da Universidade de Tulane sobre a pesquisa em andamento. As bolsas serão concedidas com base nas qualificações acadêmicas do candidato, os méritos e a importância do projeto, bem como a pertinência das coleções da Biblioteca Latino-Americana para o desenvolvimento do projecto.

Além do pré-requisito do país de residência, outros critérios para seleção incluem:

• O mérito do projeto de pesquisa e da proposta, nas áreas de ciências humanas, sociais e literatura
• A relevância dos recursos da Biblioteca Latino-Americana para o projeto
• O mérito e as realizações acadêmicas do candidato e a importância do projeto

 Toda correspondência e documentos relevantes para as bolsas Greenleaf devem ser enviados ao endereço eletrônico Glfellows@tulane.edu

INFORMATION FOR THE SUMMER INTENSIVE PORTUGUESE INSTITUTE (SIPI)

This special eight-week course is designed for people wishing to study beginning Brazilian Portuguese. SIPI 2020 will take place June 15th through August 7th, 2020.

APPLY HERE!

Enrollment is open to advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty and other researchers from any institution and will be useful to those who need to develop communication skills and reading knowledge for research.  Enrollment is limited to 18 students.

The Institute will take place at the University of Wisconsin-Madison during the eight-week summer session, June 15-August 7, 2020. Instruction is five days a week, four hours a day and the courses (listed as Portuguese 301-302) carry a total of 8 credits. Knowledge of Spanish or another Romance language is required (2-3 years equivalency).

The Summer Intensive Portuguese Institute is sponsored by the Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program (LACIS) – a Title VI National Resources Center- and the Department of Spanish & Portuguese at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Our priority deadline for applicants is February 1, 2020. The final deadline to apply is May 1, 2020.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Pitt Competition

What is a 3MT competition?

The 3MT competition celebrates the exciting research conducted by Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students. Developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), 3MT cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills. The competition supports their capacity to effectively explain their research in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience. The 3rd Annual Pitt 3MT competition will be held on April 6, 2020.

Read about the 2019 3MT Pitt Competition.

Read about the 2018 3MT Pitt Competition.

Who is eligible to enter?

PhD students who have successfully completed the dissertation proposal defense (PhD candidate status) and are actively in the dissertation stage of training are eligible.

Preparation workshops are being conducted on February 4, 2020 and March 5, 2020 to both review the rules and eligibility requirements and to provide helpful tips to prepare a 3-minute oration and an presentation slide. Registration is required.

How do I enter the 2020 Pitt 3MT Competition?

• Win your school-level competition. Each school will run a competition. (Check back as schools announce their competitions.)
• If no competition in your school is held, place in the online competition. (Details for the online competition will be announced soon.)

3MT Rules for the Pitt and Online Competitions

We are following the 3MT rules suggested by the University of Queensland, which founded the event.  

Noted are a couple variations for the online competition.

• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted. No slide transitions, animations, or ‘movement’ of any description are allowed. The slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration. (For the online competition, simply attach a file to your email submission.)
• No additional electronic media (e.g., sound and video files) are permitted.
• No additional props (e.g., costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
• Presentations are limited to three minutes maximum, and competitors exceeding three minutes are disqualified.
• Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g., no poems, raps, or songs).
• Presentations are to commence from the stage. (Not relevant for the online competition.)
• Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through either movement or speech.
• The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

Prizes for the University Competition

First place prize:                 $1,000 travel grant

Two runner-up prizes:        $500 travel grant

People's Choice prize:        $1,000 travel grant

Judging Criteria

Check back to see who our celebrity judges will be—and who will hear our competitors talk about their research.

At every level of the competition each competitor will be assessed on the judging criteria listed below. Each criterion is equally weighted and has an emphasis on audience.

Comprehension and Content

• Did the presentation provide an understanding of the background and significance to the research question being addressed while explaining terminology and avoiding jargon?
• Did the presentation clearly describe the impact and/or results of the research, including conclusions and outcomes?
• Did the presentation follow a clear and logical sequence?
• Was the thesis topic, research significance, results/impact, and outcomes communicated in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience?
• Did the presenter spend adequate time on each element of their presentation—or did they elaborate for too long on one aspect or was the presentation rushed?

Engagement and Communication 

• Did the oration make the audience want to know more?
• Was the presenter careful not to trivialize or generalize their research?
• Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for their research?
• Did the presenter capture and maintain their audience’s attention?
• Did the speaker have sufficient stage presence, eye contact, and vocal range; maintain a steady pace; and have a confident stance?
• Did the PowerPoint slide enhance the presentation—was it clear, legible, and concise?

Presentation Resources

To learn more about the competition history, rules, and to gain valuable preparation tips, visit the 3MT Web site.

Preparation Workshop

Pitt Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition: Speaking to Non-specialists Workshops

February 4, 2020, 4–5 p.m.
Alumni Hall 528

March 5, 2020, 12-1 p.m.
B26, Alumni Hall

Come and learn all you need to know in order to compete in the 3rd annual Pitt Three Minute Thesis (3MT), to be held on April 6, 2020. In this workshop, Meghan Culpepper (Office of the Provost) will review the rules and eligibility requirements for the 3MT Competition, and Dr. Joel Brady (Center for Teaching and Learning) will provide students with helpful hints and tips to prepare a three minute oration and an accompanying presentation slide of their research. Registration is required.

Note that participation in the workshop is not required to enter a school or online competition.

Questions?

Email: VPGraduate-Urban@pitt.edu

• Transformations in content production.
• Change in the use of media.
• Innovation and technological change.
• Media sustainability and funding.
• Gender, race, ethnicity, and identity.
• State, government and civil society.
• Regulation and public policies.
• Political communication and electoral campaigns.
• Production, distribution and consumption of information on social media.

• Submit an extended abstract of the article, with a maximum length of 500 words (excluding title and references).
• Detail contact information, a brief (no more than 75 words) biography of each author and provide institutional affiliation and position.
• The deadline for submission is April 30, 2020. Scholars should provide the extended abstract via submission form: https://forms.gle/mRa6SygdtaFLZF2E9

Contact Us: Social.Moments.Student.Journal@gmail.com
https://www.socialmomentsjournal.com/

UCIS@Pitt News:

Op-Ed: Republicans have a clear message on immigration. Why don’t the Democrats?

By
Dr. Ariel C. Armony, Vice Provost for Global Affairs;
Director, University Center for International Studies, University of Pittsburgh

January 31, 2020

CLAS/UCIS@Pitt Faculty news:

Congratulations/Felicitaciones:

Dr. Áurea María Sotomayor, Professor,
Department of Hispanic Languages and Literatures, University of Pittsburgh
 

Ganadora del Premio Internacional de Literatura, en la categoría de ensayo, de Casa de las Américas (La Habana, Cuba); Apalabrarse en la desposesión (literatura, arte y multitud en el Caribe insular)

Apalabrarse en la desposesión. Literatura, arte y multitud en el Caribe insular de Áurea María Sotomayor (Puerto Rico)

Call for Faculty Papers:
Transformation and Continuity in Cuba

International Conference

March 20-21, 2020

The main theme in our Year of Cuba Conference invites interdisciplinary approaches to the multiple, enriching, and conflicting intersections taking place in this country. This forum, in partnership with CIFAL Atlanta, serves as a platform to engage in scholarly conversations that will contribute to understanding the complexities of Cuba, generating new forms of engagement and learning, and appreciating the many forms of Cuban’s resiliency and contributions to the world. 

At a historic news conference in Havana back in 2016, former President Barack Obama reflected on the nuevo día dawning for Cuba and the United States: “Cuba’s destiny will not be decided by the United States or any other nation. Cuba is sovereign and rightly has great pride. And the future of Cuba will be decided by Cubans, not by anybody else.” This speech marked the reaffirmation of a transitional period that started in 2014 called the Cuban Thaw, an overture to reestablish relations between both countries after a period of estrangement that began back in 1959 with Fidel Castro’s Revolución. The end of this 60-year hostility could become a reality with the lift of the trade embargo; the culmination of the Castrista dynasty; the ease of American travel to Cuba; the long-awaited release of political prisoners; and the development of dozens of bilateral projects that would foment the performing arts, culture, sports, the ecological landscape, and medicine. Undertaking drastic economic reforms and striking a balance between rupture and tradition, however, have proven in a post-Castro era to come with promises and shortcomings. 

We invite proposals for academic papers across the disciplines that think critically about Cuba related topics, not limited to the following:

Social Issues – Same-Sex Marriage, Journalism, Social Justice, and Community Development
Economic Issues – Equity, Mobility, Tourism, Remittances, Investment and Healthcare
Cultural Studies - Race, Class and Gender; Cuisine, Sports, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Artivism
Historic Preservation – Architecture, Memory, Storytelling, Museum Studies
Religious Studies - Cuban Santería, Jewish Heritage, Christianity, and Secularism
Cuban History –Slave Trade, Colonialism, Revolución, Post-Castro Cuba
Environmental Studies- Climate Change, Disaster Response, and Sustainability
Cuba-U.S. Relations - Spanish American War, the Embargo, the Cuban Thaw, and the Role of Baseball
Cuban Americans & Transnational Cuba – Cuban Communities Across the Globe
Technology & Science –Internet, Youth Activism, Advances in Medicine and Emergency Response 

For additional context on the Year of Cuba and the conference visit https://dga.kennesaw.edu/yearof/cuba/)

Guidelines for Submission of Abstracts: To participate, please submit an abstract of no more than 300 words describing the focus of your proposed paper or panel, the methodology employed, and the general argument. At the top of the abstract, type your name, institutional affiliation, position or title, contact phone number, and e-mail. If you wish to propose a panel, please submit the title and abstract for each paper, along with the names and institutional affiliation of all panelists. Save in one Word or RTF document and attach the document to an email message. Type “Year of Cuba Conference” in the subject line and send it to Dr. Dan Paracka at dparacka@kennesaw.edu.

The registration deadline for the Year of Cuba conference is February 28, 2020. Register today to secure your spot!

REGISTER NOW!

New book from Dr. Pilar M. Herr - an assistant professor of history and the coordinator for the Vira I. Heinz Program for Women in Global Leadership at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg

Contested Nation: The Mapuche, Bandits, and State Formation in Nineteenth-Century Chile. 

Throughout the colonial period the Spanish crown made numerous unsuccessful attempts to conquer Araucanía, Chile’s southern borderlands region. Contested Nation argues that with Chilean independence, Araucanía—because of its status as a separate nation-state—became essential to the territorial integrity of the new Chilean Republic. This book studies how Araucanía’s indigenous inhabitants, the Mapuche, played a central role in the new Chilean state’s pursuit of an expansionist policy that simultaneously exalted indigenous bravery while relegating the Mapuche to second-class citizenship. It also examines other subaltern groups, particularly bandits, who challenged the nation-state’s monopoly on force and were thus regarded as criminals and enemies unfit for citizenship in Chilean society.

Pilar M. Herr’s work advances our understanding of early state formation in Chile by viewing this process through the lens of Chilean-Mapuche relations. She provides a thorough historical context and suggests that Araucanía was central to the process of post-independence nation building and territorial expansion in Chile.

By Gonzalo Lamana

SALUD PARA NIÑOS
 

For more information about event sponsored by LACU please CLICK HERE

For more information about events and information by LFC please CLICK HERE

The Institute of Reading Development offers summer reading skills programs in partnership with the continuing education departments of more than 100 colleges and universities nationwide. Since 1970, the Institute’s teachers have helped over 3 million students master valuable reading skills and develop a lifelong love of reading.  Programs designed by the Institute give students the right skills, books, and experiences that result in greater success in school and beyond.

We are currently hiring hard-working, encouraging people with a passion for reading to teach our summer programs. As an Institute teacher you will:

• Earn up to $8,000 in one summer. Our full-time teachers typically earn $550-$700 per week.
• Improve your teaching skills and confidence during our comprehensive, paid training program.
• Gain over 400 hours of classroom teaching experience with a variety of age groups from 4-year-olds to adults.
• Help your students become successful readers with a love of great books.

Successful Institute Teachers:

• Have strong reading skills and read for pleasure
• Are responsible and hard-working, with good communication and organizational skills
• Will be patient and supportive with students

Learn more about teaching for us and apply today: Summer Teaching Jobs