About

The 2nd Annual Arizona Latin American Studies Symposium (ALASS) is a 1-day symposium and an excellent opportunity for both undergraduate and graduate students in Arizona to gain experience in presenting academic work in a welcoming, inclusive environment. ALASS also strives to encourage learning, collaboration and conversation surrounding important topics in Latin America between students and experts in the field. ALASS will be held on March 26th at the University of Arizona Student Union, and is being hosted by the Latin American Studies Student Organization.

Students will have the opportunity to present either lightning talks (short five-minute presentations on a topic of interest) or oral presentations (ten-minute talks on research). These talks will be organized into panels and sessions throughout the day to encourage discourse along broader topical and disciplinary lines. Any undergraduate and graduate student researching and studying topics related to Latin America across the UArizona campus is encouraged to submit their work for consideration. These sessions intend to provide critical professional development for students by providing practice in academic presentations. However, ALASS strives to do this in a warm, accepting environment to encourage participation of budding Latin American scholars. It is the hope of ALASS and LASSO that students can build off this close-knit experience to further engage in the Latin American studies academic community, including future conference attendance and presentation experiences.

Objectives

Provide an opportunity for both undergraduate and graduate students in Arizona to gain experience presenting academic work in a welcoming, inclusive environment.
Encourage learning, collaboration and conversation surrounding important topics in Latin America between students and experts in the field.
Achieve the goals of LASSO to serve as a resource for students in the Latin American Studies program at the University of Arizona, facilitate a connection between graduate and undergraduate students and the greater University of Arizona and Tucson academic community.
Create a close-knit experience to further engage in the Latin American studies academic community, including future conference attendance and presentation experiences.