CLACLS Fulbright Program
Fulbright Chair of Brazilian Studies at the Center for Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies
Every academic year since 2016, the Center for Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies hosts the Fulbright Chair of Brazilian Studies at UMass-Amherst. It is a professorship that “recognizes senior faculty and researchers who have established a record of teaching and exhibit the potential to make significant contributions to the body of research in Brazilian Studies” (Fulbright Brazil). The Fulbright Chair of Brazilian Studies strengthens the cooperation between Brazilian institutions and UMass Amherst to promote research, training, and public engagement on the histories, cultures, and politics of Brazil and the U.S. The visiting scholars are affiliated with the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Their areas of research are typically: Race Relations, Women’s and Gender Studies, Social Movements, Social Policy, Political Sociology, History, Cultural Studies, and/ or Communication.
Dr. Luciane Corrêa Ferreira, Associate Professor, Portuguese as a Foreign Language & Applied Linguistics, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
During the Spring 2023 Semester Prof. Luciane Corrêa Ferreira lectured and led a conversation series on contemporary Brazilian issues, such as Brazilian culture, urban violence, immigration and refugees, the COVID crisis in Brazil, and climate change from a crosslinguistic perspective. During her time with CLACLS, she continued to work on her current project on the metaphorical representation of immigration and refugees in Brazilian online media, and on the access of immigrants and refugees to higher education in Brazil. Her publications can be found on Google scholar.
Dr. Ana Carolina Eiras Coelho, Associate Professor of History at the Universidade Federal de Goiás
Dr. Coelho Soares was our Fulbright Brazilian Chair in Fall 2022. Her work focuses on Brazilian history, the history of feminisms and gender relations in Brazil. On October 15th, 2021, she gave a talk on "Pedagogies of Feeling, Gender Relations, and History in Brazil." Her presence on campus and engagement with our community was remarkable. She was also a key figure in our series of conversations on emotions.
* Dr. Coelho’s Visit moved to Fall 2021 given COVID-19 restrictions
Dr. Marlise Miriam de Matos Almeida, Associate Professor of Political Science at the Federal University of Minas Gerais
Dr. Matos Almeida’s interdisciplinary research extends to political science, gender relations, political theory, governance and human rights. She teaches courses in gender, politics and policies, sociology, feminism, participation and representation.
During her visit to UMass in the fall semester of 2020, Dr. Matos taught a comparative course on gender, human rights, and public policies in Brazil and the United States in the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies department. CLACLS sponsored Dr. Matos’ main research lecture: “Anti-Gender Politics and Violence Against Women In Politics: The Case of The Latin American President Bachelet, Rousseff and Kirchner”. As part of her activities in UMass, Dr. Matos was invited to present her work in different classes and gave a number of on-campus presentations of her research for faculty and students.
Dr. Loreley Gomes Garcia, Professor at the Federal University of Paraiba
During her visit to UMass in the spring of 2019, Dr. Gomes Garcia taught a course in Latin American Issues in the Sociology Department and attended activities and presentations.
Dr. Gomes Garcia’s research explores cultural and social issues in literature and media. Her interdisciplinary work draws on gender studies, anthropology, sociology, history, literature, and cinema to examine urban violence, gender inequality, ethnic and cultural identity, human rights, and the environment in Brazil.
Dr. Benjamin Picado, Associate Professor of Communication Studies at the Universidade Federal Fluminense
Dr. Picado was our Fulbright Brazilian Chair in the Spring 2022 semester. His research focuses on contemporary graphic humor in Brazil. During his time with us, he gave a very insightful talk on the work of Laerte Coutinho, one of the most brilliant cartoonists in Brazil.