CLACLS Graduate Student Awards & Opportunities
CLACLS Pre-Dissertation Research Award
The CLACLS Pre-Dissertation Research Award recognizes and encourages graduate students whose work engages Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latino communities in the United States. The award is intended to support graduate students at the pre-dissertation stage as they prepare for advanced doctoral research.
The award provides up to $1,500 to support preliminary research activities, which may include exploratory fieldwork, archival research, or the development of research design and data collection strategies. Students from all disciplines are encouraged to apply, particularly those whose work aligns with the interdisciplinary mission of CLACLS.
Award recipients are expected to share their work as part of the CLACLS Pre-Dissertation Awards Colloquium, which provides an opportunity for intellectual exchange, feedback, and community building among graduate students and faculty.
Next Call for Applications: Spring 2026
Award Recipients – 2025
Mariana Pinto Alvarez
Doctoral Candidate, Community Health Education, School of Public Health & Health Sciences
Project Title: Understanding Suicide among Older Adults in Bogotá, Colombia: A Mixed-Methods Approach
Abstract: This project examines suicide among older adults in Bogotá through a mixed-methods approach, including a systematic review, survey analysis, and a photovoice study. By integrating social determinants and critical perspectives, the research aims to inform public health policies and interventions that support mental well-being in aging populations.
Carol Pinzón Masmela
Ph.D. Student, Department of Anthropology, College of Social & Behavioral Sciences
Project Title: Embodied Transitions: Female Ex-Combatants and the Gendered Realities of Colombia’s Post-Agreement Period
Abstract: Following Colombia’s 2016 peace agreement, female FARC ex-combatants face persistent stigma and the challenges of reconciliation. This project examines how women reconfigure their gendered subjectivities as they navigate social expectations, legacies of violence, and the redefinition of imposed roles in the post-conflict period.
Gerardo Zelaya
Ph.D. Student, Language, Literacy & Cultures, School of Education
Project Title: Last Name, Identidad, and Heritage Spanish Speakers: A Raciolinguistic Inquiry in a Novice Spanish Classroom
Abstract: This ethnographic study examines how heritage Spanish speakers perceive their linguistic identities and roles within a novice Spanish classroom in a predominantly White school context. Drawing on classroom observations, interviews, and thematic analysis, the project explores distinctions between heritage speakers and second-language learners.
Graduate Awardee Outcomes include:
2020 Cohort
- Claudia Morales Rivera (Anthropology, PhD 2022) – Assistant Professor, Dominican University of California
- Christian Puma Ninacuri (Hispanic & Lusophone Studies, PhD 2024) – Lecturer, Bowdoin College
- Manuel García (Economics, PhD) – Lecturer / Assistant Professor, SOAS University of London
- Marcelo Leal (Political Science, PhD 2024) – Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Dallas
2021 Cohort
- Claudia Matachana (Hispanic & Lusophone Studies, PhD 2024) – Assistant Professor, Bentley University
- Paulina Ochoa Figueroa (Hispanic & Lusophone Studies, PhD) – Editor and Programs Manager, Restless Books
2022 Cohort
- Aitor Bouso (Hispanic & Lusophone Studies, PhD 2024) – Lecturer in Latinx Studies, Harvard University
Awardees from 2022–2024 continue to make progress on their dissertations.
Pre-Dissertation Awards Colloquium
The Pre-Dissertation Awards Colloquium showcases the research projects supported by the CLACLS Pre-Dissertation Research Award. During this annual event, graduate student awardees present their preliminary findings, share their research progress, and engage in dialogue with faculty, peers, and the broader academic community.
The colloquium highlights emerging scholarship on Latin America, the Caribbean, and Latinx communities in the United States, fostering interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration. This event is open to the public and reflects CLACLS’s ongoing commitment to supporting innovative graduate research and intellectual community building.