Fellows

Maya Lazzaro Ba is a Native American scholar with the Culture & Media and Journalism & Design department at The New School: Eugene Lang. She is currently in her MA studies at the American Studies department at the University of New Mexico. She has served as a teaching assistant for two undergraduate courses, Creative Placemaking in Harlem and Migration/Immigration in Buenos Aires. For over two years she has been invited to teach various labs and classes at the Smithsonian Museum of American Indian and as taught there as an artist, artist educator and teacher. Maya has served as a Youth Educator at the Smithsonian for a hands-on educational exhibit on Native America innovation, science, math and medicine. Maya contributed in designing and opening the exhibit, and it remains open to this day, educating youth from all over the globe. Maya is Quechua, and mixed descent, including Italian and Jewish roots. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York (original territories Lenapehoking). Her personal values are strongly focused in Indigenous ancestral knowledge, revitalization of language and being an ethical scholar and educator in BIPOC science, culture, and art. Maya believes scholarship is found in research, methods, theory as well as on the land and stars. Her Quechua traditions have taught her the importance of storytelling, and record keeping; recently she has been researching the Quechua traditional use of quipus and its importance in recording and storing data.

Anderson holds a B.A. in Portuguese and English from the Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil (2016). He served as the Portuguese T.A. at Washington and Lee University from 2021 through 2022 with a Fulbright award. Today at the University of New Mexico, he is pursuing an M.A. in Portuguese with an emphasis on teaching Portuguese as a second language and Brazilian marginal literature.

Basirat, is dedicated third-year Ph.D. student in chemistry, is on a scientific journey of exploration and innovation. Her research focuses on the development of cutting-edge novel materials for lithium-ion batteries, addressing crucial challenges in energy storage technology. With a passion for environmental sustainability, Basirat not only excels in the lab but also demonstrates a deep love for nature, advocating for eco-conscious choices. As a member of underrepresented groups in the materials Chemistry field, her journey embodies resilience, diversity, and the pursuit of excellence in the sciences. With a commitment to both academic and societal advancement, Basirat is poised to make significant contributions to the future of clean energy and scientific inclusivity.

Blessing Akinlabi is a third year PhD student from the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at the University of New Mexico. Her research focuses on natural products synthesis and its bioactivity study as potential therapeutics. Though still at the early stage of her career, she has garnered a lot of research experience needed to be successful as a graduate student. Prior to starting her program at UNM, she bagged a degree from the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry with distinction from her country, Nigeria. She also received a number of awards as the best student from her department and faculty. Blessing also believes in giving back to the society; she is actively involved in volunteering opportunities that show up. She is currently serving at various sections of GPSA (Graduate and Professional Student Association) in UNM.

As a chef, advocate, gardener, and PhD student in Geography at the University of New Mexico, Cassidy engages the world through the lens of community. Cassidy is a human-environment geographer, focusing on how rural communities respond to crises. She is a research fellow with the Robert Mallory Center for Community Geography, the PATHWAYS cross-cultural research exchange, and the Transformation Network. Her business, Masa Madrina, offers seasonal cooking, beginning in 2020 as a mutual aid project. Cassidy grew up on a farm in Colorado and worked in food policy for over a decade, including with the National Young Farmers Coalition. She is devoted to co-education and community-engaged praxis. She teaches World Regional Geography at UNM, and has developed science-based, public scholarship curriculums in cultural foodways for Cottonwood Gulch (Thoreau, NM), Reunity Resources (Santa Fe, NM), & Mountain Roots Food Project (Gunnison, CO). She lives in the South Valley of Albuquerque, NM.

Christopher is a 2nd year Ph.D. student in the Department of Economics. His research focuses on the intersection of environmental economics and public policy. Currently, he is exploring the economic barriers for rural residents and urban ethnic minorities within the clean energy workforce in New Mexico. Christopher is from the San Francisco Bay Area and earned his B.A. in economics and a minor in computer science at the University of New Mexico. His vision is to research topics that bring attention to deserving communities. He looks forward to collaborating with fellow graduate students at Summa Academia.

Daniela is a first-year student in the MA in Latin American Studies program with a concentration on Conflict, Peace, and Rights at the University of New Mexico. Coming from Sogamoso, Boyacá, in Colombia, she earned her BA in Foreign Languages from Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia in 2020; she also holds a Post-Graduate Degree in Project Management. Daniela's teaching and life experiences have ignited a profound passion for empowering her community. Daniela aspires to use her education to better understand her country's issues and contribute to creating a more peaceful and just society. Her commitment to learning and her desire to positively impact her community reflect her dedication to making a difference, and her relentless determination serves as a driving force in her pursuit of academic excellence and community service.

Elias Vasquez was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Started his undergrad in 2016 and applied to the MA Program in Chicana and Chicano Studies. He is involved in a community-based music group within the Chicana/o Studies department that emphasizes traditional music from Veracruz called Son Jarocho. He is examining his academic journey through a cultural production lens of playing, singing, and dancing.

Emmanuel hails from Accra, Ghana. He is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Chemistry and Chemical Biology department here at UNM. Healthcare, being a crucial aspect of human life concerns him a lot and his ambition is to find cures for diseases. This piqued his interest in finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. His goal is to contribute to human health advancement. He intends to take a post-doc position in the industry or academia. He is an international volunteer student ambassador at GEO to help other international students adjust to a new university in a new country.

Nick Daniel Rivas is a first-generation college graduate who was born in El Monte, California. He identifies as Chicano-Latino and Peruano-Mexicano. Nick was raised by a single mother and feminist grandmother who were both undocumented immigrants from Lima, Peru. In 2009, he received his G.E.D. from College of the Desert in Palm Desert, CA. He then attended Mt. San Antonio College (MT. SAC) in Walnut, CA, where he earned his A.A. in Social & Behavioral Science and in Kinesiology & Wellness. He then transferred to California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), where he attained his B.A. in Chicano-Latino Studies with a minor in Native American Cultures. Nick went on to receive his M.A. in Chicana(o) and Latina(o) Studies from California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). He is a songwriter and uses lyrics and digital art as a method of social activism, decolonization, and reconstructing identity. His goal is to be an Ethnic Studies lecturer, write articles for newspapers, create movie scripts, and produce short films

Zonaly Hernández is a first-year MA student in the Chicana and Chicano studies department. She is an Afromexican woman born and raised in Mexico City. Zonaly studied Sociology at Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales, UNAM. She found her Afromexican identity at the time that she was working on her dissertation titled "Identidades afrodescendientes. El caso de Yanga, Veracruz". As an Afromexican activist, she has worked in different organizations that stand for the visibility and human rights of the Afromexican population. In academia, she has worked in the UNAM where she also has participated in several conferences as a lecturer. Zonaly’s academic interests are focused on the history and presence of Afromexican identity within the Chicana community.

Xóchitl was born in Durango, México. Her family migrated to the U.S when she was three years old. Xóchitl was raised in Parker, AZ and has loving memories of time spent with her siblings on the Colorado River. She is a Librarian and Archivist and completed a Master of Arts in Library and Information Science at the University of Arizona. Xóchitl also completed a Graduate Certificate in Archival Studies, focusing on Community-Centered and Participatory Approaches. She has worked in various information environments including special collections, government information, community-centered archives, and public libraries. Xóchitl completed her undergraduate studies in Spanish at Arizona State University with concentrations in Literature and Cultural Studies.