From the Directors
2024-25
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
This past September, the Institute for Latino Studies celebrated its 25th anniversary. This was a three-day affair, convening alumni, faculty, advisory council members, undergraduates, graduate students, and community leaders to witness the achievements of the five program components: Research, Teaching, Leadership, Community, and Spirituality. This program captured significant milestones.
During academic year 2024-25, the Institute:
- led Hispanic Heritage Month programming and celebrations for the ninth consecutive year;
- collaborated through the Somos ND campaign committee and co-sponsored events;
- expanded the Graduate Student Working Group;
- organized a Book Seminar for Emiliano Aguilar, assistant professor of history;
- facilitated the initial meeting of the Working Group on Multiracial Democracy, an award from the Provost Office Democracy Initiative;
- engaged 12 students in the eighth cohort of the Latino Studies Scholars Program.
ILS offered an incredible array of academic and community-building activities featuring over 35 speakers, panels, events, and enrichment, serving over 2550 students and faculty on campus. We are prepared for a smooth transition into a new leadership team at ILS with Jason Ruiz, professor of American studies, at the helm of the Institute next year. ILS has a bright future ahead of us.
—Luis Ricardo Fraga, Director, Institute for Latino Studies; the Rev. Donald P. McNeill, C.S.C., Professor of Transformative Latino Leadership; and the Joseph and Elizabeth Robbie Professor of Political Science
—Paloma Garcia-Lopez Associate Director, Institute for Latino Studies; Advisor, Mariachi ND; Advisor, Ballet Folklórico Azúl y Oro; Advisor, LMSA+ND
MISSION
The Institute for Latino Studies advances understanding of the fastest-growing and youngest population in the United States and the U.S. Catholic Church.
VISION
ILS fosters a deeper understanding of Latino communities to empower faculty, students, and society — all of us — to make better strategic decisions as to what kind of a country we want to leave for our children and grandchildren.
The Institute achieves its mission by providing faculty and student support in the areas of Research, Academics, Leadership, Community Engagement, and Latino Spirituality.
We won't be a great Catholic university unless we are a great university in terms of Latino studies. It is that simple.”
— John McGreevy, Charles and Jill Fischer Provost
RESEARCH
ILS fosters and develops research in Latino studies by faculty experts from numerous disciplines, positioning them as thought leaders throughout the U.S. and the world.
On April 11, 2025, the Institute for Latino Studies hosted a one-day book seminar to provide critical feedback on assistant professor of history Emiliano Aguilar’s work-in-progress manuscript, “Building a Latino Machine: Caught Between Good Government Reform and Corrupt Political Machines.” The seminar convened distinguished scholars to discuss all six chapters, fostering rigorous academic dialogue to refine the manuscript.
Invited Scholars:
- Andrew Sandoval-Strausz, professor of history, The Pennsylvania State University; president, Urban History Association; author of Barrio America: How Latino Immigrants Saved the American City, a key text in Latino urban history.
- Lorrin Thomas, associate professor of history, Rutgers University–Camden; expert in Puerto Rican history in the U.S., with a forthcoming third monograph on civil rights struggles post 1960.
- Matthew J. Garcia, Ralph and Richard Lazarus Professor of History, Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies, and Human Relations, Dartmouth College; historian of agricultural labor in Latino history, offering insights into secondary themes of the manuscript.
Faculty Highlights
Alex E. Chávez, associate professor of anthropology, debuted the album Sonorous Present, praised by Rolling Stone and KEXP. Chávez also received the National Humanities Center Summer Residency and a Franco Family Institute Humanities Fellowship.
Ricardo Ramirez, associate professor of political science, co-authored the article “Silent Voice or More than a Feeling? January 6th Insurrection and Racialized (Non)Attitudes” in the Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics. He was also the recipient of the 2024 Adaljiza Sosa-Riddell Mentor Award for mentoring of undergraduates from the American Political Science Association.
Tatiana Reinoza, associate professor of art history, received the 2025 Ewell L. Newman Book Award and the 2024 International Latino Book Award for Reclaiming the Americas: Latinx Art and the Politics of Territory.
Francisco E. Robles, associate professor of English, published Coalition Literature: Aesthetics on the Move in Midcentury US Multiethnic Writing with Stanford University Press.
Ivan Vargas, assistant professor of psychology, published new research on cognitive styles and mindfulness, received a Human Performance & Wellness Research Grant, and delivered a keynote at Notre Dame’s Our Futures Weekend in February.
2024-25 Faculty Fellows
- Emiliano Aguilar, Assistant Professor, History
- Steven Alvarado, Assistant Professor, Sociology
- Thomas Anderson, Professor of Spanish, Romance Languages and Literatures
- Karla Badillo-Urquiola, Assistant Professor, Computer Science & Engineering*
- Kraig Beyerlein, Associate Professor, Sociology
- Edgar Bolivar Nieto, Associate Professor, Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering
- Tatiana Botero, Teaching Professor of Spanish, Romance Languages and Literatures
- Alex E. Chávez, Assistant Professor, Anthropology
- Yamil J. Colón, ND ’09, Associate Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- David Cortez, Assistant Professor, Political Science
- Anne García-Romero, Professor, Film, Television, and Theatre
- Rev. Daniel Groody, C.S.C., Professor, Theology
- Jimmy Gurulé, Professor, Law
- Anna Haskins, the Andrew V. Tackes Associate Professor of Sociology
- Carlos A. Jáuregui, Professor of Spanish, Romance Languages and Literatures
- Amy Langenkamp, the O'Shaughnessy Associate Professor of Education, Sociology
- David M. Lantigua, Associate Professor, Theology
- Elena Mangione-Lora, Teaching Professor of Spanish, Romance Languages and Literatures
- Timothy Matovina, Professor, Theology
- Orlando Menes, Professor, English
- Nydia Morales-Soto, Senior Research Scientist, Eck Institute for Global Health
- Marisel Moreno, the Rev. John A. O'Brien College Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures
- Xavier Navarro Aquino, Assistant Professor, English
- Jenny Padilla, William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families Assistant Professor, Psychology
- Rachel Rivers Parroquín, Teaching Professor of Spanish, Romance Languages and Literatures
- Jaime Pensado, Associate Professor, History
- Juanita Pinzón Caicedo, Assistant Professor, Mathematics
- Ricardo Ramírez, Associate Professor, Political Science
- Tatiana Reinoza, Associate Professor, Art, Art History, & Design
- Francisco Robles, Assistant Professor, English
- Jason Ruiz, Associate Professor, American Studies
- Maria Tomasula, Professor Emerita, Art, Art History & Design
- Thomas Tweed, the W. Harold and Martha Welch Professor, American Studies
- Ivan Vargas, ND ’10, Assistant Professor, Psychology*
- Katy Walter-Lichon, associate teaching professor, Alliance for Catholic Education
*joined the Institute this year as mentors and research advisors of Latino studies supplementary minors and majors
Graduate Research
ILS supported a robust set of graduate student initiatives during the 2024-25 academic year, fostering academic collaboration, professional development, and community engagement. This year, the ILS Graduate Network expanded to 27 participants, significantly broadening the network’s reach and impact.
The Graduate Student Work Group held biweekly meetings and hosted well-attended events, including presidential debate and election watch parties. ILS provided meeting space and refreshments to facilitate scholarly exchange and engagement. ILS allocated funding to support the research efforts of four graduate students, enhancing their academic productivity. Victoria Basulto, Ph.D. candidate in history, served as the ILS Graduate Student Work Group coordinator.
Being a part of the ILS Graduate Working Group (since my first year in the PhD program!) has given me a real sense of community with other grad students from different disciplines. It’s been a space where I’ve gotten helpful feedback on my research and writing, learned about different approaches from other fields, and, just as importantly, it’s also where I’ve built many genuine friendships. Beyond that, the group has helped me fine-tune my leadership skills by offering opportunities to lead and has given me the confidence to present my work in other settings.”
— Victoria Basulto
ACADEMICS
Established in 1999, ILS now has 35 affiliated faculty fellows and 116 supplemental majors and minors, offers approximately 60 cross-listed classes, and enrolls over 1,300 students each year. ILS courses are primarily in the humanities and social sciences, although the Institute is beginning to branch out to other colleges of the University as well.
ENGAGING COURSEWORK
A sampling of recent courses
- Drugs in American Life and Death
- Latinos in U.S. Politics
- Afrolatinidades
- Latinx Art & Activism
- Immigrant America
- Latino Chicago
- Frames of History: Latinx History through Graphic Novels
- Latinx Literature Now
Karen Richman is ILS's director of undergraduate studies
Letras Latinas
An essential part of the institute’s academic programing
Letras Latinas is directed by professor of the practice Francisco Aragón, who implemented its yearlong constellation of 20th-anniversary events in addition to launching two multiyear initiatives — one a partnership with the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art and the other a partnership with the St. Joe County Public Library.
Letras Latinas carries out its mission both on and off campus with an emphasis on enriching the education of our students, supporting newer voices, fostering community among writers, and placing writers in community spaces.
Highlights:
Oct. 31 through Nov. 2, 2024: 4 Poetas: A Letras Latinas Reading and Conversation.
Presented in partnership with the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture at Ever Ancient, Ever New: On Catholic Imagination, the latest iteration of the itinerant Biennial Catholic Imagination Conference
March 5, 2025: An evening with Maria Kelson reading & conversation
New partnership with the Macondo Writers Workshop in San Antonio, Texas
LEADERSHIP
Latino Studies Scholarship Program
This merit scholarship was launched in 2017 and funded by a $6 million endowment established by Ignacio “Nacho” Lozano ’47. He passed away in December 2023 and was commemorated with a special mass and panel of merit scholars on Sept. 27, 2024. Additional endowments of $4 million allow ILS to select and provide leadership development, mentorship, and instructional programming to 40 merit scholars on campus, who receive $25,000 per year in merit aid as well as $5,000 per summer in enrichment funding for Latino studies-related internships and research. ILS engages these students in undergraduate research to support the work of five faculty fellows throughout the academic year.
L’Attitude, San Diego, California, September 2024
USHLI, Chicago, Illinois, February 2025
EcoAlianza, Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico, March 2025
ILS celebrated the graduation of 10 LSSP scholars in 2025
Nadxielli Arredondo
- Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
- Major: Film, Television, and Theatre
- Minor: Latino Studies
- Nadxielli will return to Las Vegas to explore professional opportunities in her field.
Ana Cristina Bailey
- Hometown: Alhambra, CA
- Major: Economics
- Supp. Major: Latino Studies
- Ana Cristina will be working as a full-time Associate in Legal (Discovery) Managed Services at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Chicago, IL.
David Barrera
- Hometown: San Jose, CA
- Major: Economics
- Supp. Major: Latino Studies
- Minor: French and Francophone Studies
- David will return to California as he explores his next steps toward pursuing graduate studies.
Andres de la Garza
- Hometown: San Antonio, TX
- Major: Business Analytics
- Supp. Major: English
- Andres will be starting as a Professional Development Assistant at Chapman and Cutler LLP in Chicago, IL.
Alessandra Gonzalez
- Hometown: Highland, IN
- Major: Accountancy
- Minor: Latino Studies
- Alessandra will be starting a full-time position in the advisory practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Chicago, IL.
Angel Gonzalez Rodriguez
- Hometown: Healdsburg, CA
- Major: Civil Engineering
- Angel will be joining W-Trans’ internship program before pursuing a Master of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley in the fall.
Jasmine Peña Ramirez
- Hometown: Cambria, CA
- Major: Political Science
- Supp. Major: Latino Studies
- Minor: Hesburgh Program in Public Service
- Jasmine was awarded a Fulbright Teaching Fellowship in Korea January 2026.
Sbeydi Ponce Duarte
- Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
- Major: Mechanical Engineering
- Sbeydi is continuing her studies at the University of Notre Dame.
Josué Rocha
- Hometown: Arlington, VA
- Major: Computer Science
- Minor: Latino Studies
- Josué will be pursuing a Master’s Degree in Computer Science through a one-year program at the University of Notre Dame this fall.
Daisy Santos
- Hometown: Frankfort, IN
- Major: Chemical Engineering
- Minor: Latino Studies and Bioengineering
- Daisy will be joining Ecolab’s Supply Chain Leadership Development Program as a TPM Engineer in Greensboro, NC.
ILS’s Transformative Latino Leaders
Oct. 8, 2024: Transformative Latina Leader: Alexis Meruelo
Alexis Meruelo, chief vision and purpose officer for Meruelo Group, served as this year’s Transformative Latina/o Leader speaker. A proud alumna of Notre Dame, Meruelo is one of the most recent additions to the ILS Advisory Council.
Oct. 10, 2024: Fireside Chat with Arturo Vargas: “What can we expect from Latinx voters in the 2024 election?”
Weeks short of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the ILS community gathered in the Julian Samora Scholars Lounge to hear from Arturo Vargas, CEO of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund, who spoke on the critical role of Latinos in the 2024 election.
ACC United Award recipients
Two distinguished University of Notre Dame graduates and former ILS Advisory Council members were selected for the 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference UNITE Award, given to individuals who best exemplify the ACC’s CORE’s mission to promote and encourage racial equity and social justice through education, partnerships, engagement, and advocacy.
COMMUNITY
For the ninth consecutive year, ILS led Hispanic Heritage Month programming and celebrations. In 2024, ILS centered its efforts on the Institute’s 25th anniversary, commemorating the milestone with three days of signature events.
Sept. 26, 2024: SomosND Fiesta
The SomosND Fiesta kicked off the Institute’s 25th-anniversary celebrations with vibrant community spirit. Held outside Bond Hall, the event drew more than 300 participants for lively conversations, food trucks from local businesses, snow cones, and student group performances.
Sept. 26, 2024: Success Stories of Hispanic Alumni of ND Panel
Following the Fiesta, guests gathered in the Bond Hall auditorium for an inspiring panel moderated by Dr. Carlos Gomez-Meade, skin cancer and reconstructive surgeon. The conversation featured Gregorio Arimany, corporate development director; Sandra Garcia, people and culture director; Kelly Rivera Salazar, attorney; and Blanca Janet Ibarra, educator.
Sept. 27, 2024: Celebration of Life, Ignacio "Nacho" Lozano Jr. '47
ILS invited the Notre Dame community to honor the life of Nacho Lozano Jr., one year after his passing in late 2023. Lozano served on the ILS Advisory Council and played a critical role in establishing the Latino Studies Scholars Program through his generous support.
Performing Arts and Culture Program
The Institute for Latino Studies continued to expand its performing arts and culture programing in 2024-25. This year, ILS offered Mariachi Levels 1, 2, and 3, along with a Level 1 Ballet Folklórico class. Students learned a minimum of three songs or dances and performed at least once per semester at campus events, showcasing their progress. ILS also hosted acclaimed artists who explored themes of identity and resistance through lectures.
Paloma Garcia-Lopez
Paloma Garcia-Lopez founded the ILS Performing Arts and Culture Program in 2022, introducing one-credit courses in Mariachi Ensemble and Ballet Folklórico as curricular counterparts to student performance groups Mariachi ND and Ballet Folklórico Azúl y Oro. This academic year over 40 students participated in the courses. Many progress into performers in the student clubs she advises, therefore enriching campus life.
Leadership Academy & Performing Arts Bootcamp
In August 2024, ILS launched its inaugural Leadership Academy and Performing Arts Bootcamp. Held during Welcome Week, the three-day intensive program featured professional dance instructors and ethnomusicologists as master teachers to undergraduate students promoting Mexican arts and culture on campus.
Cross Cultural Leadership Program
ILS fosters partnerships with 24 nonprofit organizations and parishes and identifies outstanding role models to serve as supervisors and mentors to the undergraduate students who apply for ILS’s program.
During summer 2025, 18 undergraduates engaged in the summer serving learning program in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, and South Bend.
The students participating came from the College of Arts & Letters, the Mendoza College of Business, and the Keough School of Global Affairs. They spanned 15 different majors, seven different minors, and every class year.
El Paso Program Launch
CCLP Expands: El Paso becomes a Site City
CCLP 2025 Student Highlights
Of the 20 students who completed the summer course, the following individuals offered powerful reflections on their growth through service, leadership, and cultural immersion.
Joshua Guzman ’27
- Majors: Global Affairs and Latino Studies
- Placement: Las Americas Immigrant Rights Center (El Paso, Texas)
Working with Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center has allowed me to work hands-on in aiding my community’s most vulnerable members. From citizenship renewal workshops to visa and asylum application, I have been able to learn the legal pathways to support immigrants in these dire times. Combined with our weekly class, I have been given the tools to operate successfully in these professional spaces while still reflecting and learning from the experiences. I am beyond grateful to have been able to participate in the Cross Cultural Leadership Program in El Paso this summer because it has allowed me to grow academically and professionally, giving me exposure to immigration law, a career path I hope to follow post graduation.”
Mia Patlan ’27
The Notre Dame Club of Los Angeles generously funds the CCLP in Los Angeles, supporting students like Mia Patlan ’27 in their internship and community engagement experiences.
- Majors: Political Science and American Studies
- Minors: Latino Studies and Hesburgh Program in Public Service
- Placement: Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund (Los Angeles)
This internship has been formative in shaping my understanding of activism within Latino communities. Working at the MALDEF has given me the opportunity to contribute and witness firsthand to the ongoing fight for Latino civil rights.”
Daniella Morales-Garibay ’27
- Majors: Economics and Political Science
- Minor: Latino Studies
- Placement: League of United Latin American Citizens (Washington D.C.)
Interning with LULAC has been an incredible experience. I’ve written articles, met with Latino leaders, and attended events on Capitol Hill and around the city. I’ve learned a great deal about how policy is created and enacted and how policymakers communicate and build support for it. This experience has helped me grow both personally and professionally.”
Doriz Cruz-Mestizo ’26
- Major: History and Latino Studies
- Minor: International Security
- Placement: Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund (Chicago)
- Recipient of the ILS Frank M. Gonzales Jr. Summer Scholar Award
My CCLP experience was eye-opening on how to achieve my future goals in life. I was able to gain a deeper appreciation for different organizations that work in conjunction with each other to protect our rights, even when it seems impossible.”
ILS welcomed local and statewide high school students on two occasions during the 2024-25 academic year as part of its college readiness and community engagement programming
LATINO SPIRITUALITY
The Institute for Latino Studies plays a crucial role in advancing awareness of Latino Catholics, who make up more than half of the Catholics in the United States. For two decades, the Institute has led initiatives and events to foster spiritual growth and understanding of Latino spirituality.
Each year, the on-campus gatherings and ofrendas organized by the Institute for Latino Studies and Campus Ministry provide the Notre Dame community with a powerful expression of culture and an opportunity to honor the lives of loved ones, especially those far from home.”
– Lluvia Gaucin ’25, Nacho Lozano journalism fellow and Latino Student Ministry anchor intern
From June 6-8, 2025, the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership (CSPL) hosted its third annual Congress — a three-day conference focused on leadership training based on Catholic social teaching. ILS proudly sponsors CSPL and the Congress. This year’s theme, Pilgrims of Liberation, aligned with the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year theme, Pilgrims of Hope, inviting participants to embrace the Jubilee’s call to engaged discipleship.
A delegation of 15 students and two faculty attended this year’s event at the Loyola University Lakeshore Campus in Chicago, including one student completing a summer internship with CSPL through the Cross-Cultural Leadership Program.
Advisory Council
None of this work — from research and teaching to community engagement and Latino spirituality — would be possible without our Advisory Council members. We are grateful for their support and guidance.
The University of Notre Dame maintains advisory councils for its principal academic units to advance their development in the broadest context. Council members acquire an understanding of the mission, plans, and priorities of the Institute and of the wider University. As members of the Notre Dame family, they in turn share this understanding with others, serving as ambassadors for the Institute and the University in the cities where they reside and in their respective professional communities.
From left: Ruben C. Berumen, ND ’79, president of B-Gear Services Inc., Miami (2018); Peter S. Gonzales, ND ’16, JD ’19, associate, The Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, Chicago (2020); Leslie Vergara, ND ‘19, project engineer, Vanir, Riverside, California; Joe A. Power, ND ’74, president, founding partner, and attorney at power, Rogers & Smith, Chicago (2015); Lupe Eichelberger, ND ’82, co-founder, Snoozeenie, LLC, Atlanta (2014); Thomas McNeil, president of Mainelli Mechanical Contractors, Omaha, Nebraska (2013); Philip Fuentes, owner and operator of McDonald’s, CHBIP Management, Inc., Chair of Advisory Council, Chicago.
Others not pictured: Bruce Broillet, ND ’71, partner, Greene, Broillet, and Wheeler, Los Angeles, California (2018); Sofia I. Casillas, ND '24, Fulbright-Garcia Robles Fellow, Lone Tree, Colorado (2024); Gregory Evans J.D ‘89, McGuire Woods, LLP, Los Angeles; Phil Eagan, ND ’70, Viking Global Investors, L.P., New York (2017); Bernard Luis Fraga, associate professor, Emory University, Decatur, Georgia (2024) Bill Koury, ND ’66, diagnostic radiologist at Diagnostic Imaging Centers, P.A., Kansas City, Missouri, (2008); Alexis Marie Meruelo, ND '16 ND '21 (MBA), chief vision and purpose officer, Meruelo Group, Newport Coast, California (2024); Mary Trotter, ND ’88, Los Alamitos, California; James (Jim) R. Wilson, director, U.S. Comptroller of the Currency, Washington, D.C. (2024).
Connect with us at latinostudies.nd.edu