LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES PROGRAM
ACADEMIC YEAR RECAP 2015–2016
A Word from the Director
As we conclude another busy academic year, I write to share a brief recap of 2015-16. I am delighted to announce that
LASP Senior Associate Professor Francisco González was awarded tenure by the JHU Board of Trustees in June 2016.
Congratulations to Dr. González on this important professional milestone. Earlier in January, Dr. González led ten LASP
students to Delhi and Mumbai, India to explore growing economic and political relations between India and the countries of
Latin America. During the trip, the LASP delegation met with representatives from the diplomatic, public sector, business,
and media communities; highlights included visits to the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS),
and Aditya Birla Group, as well as meetings with the Wall Street Journal South Asia Bureau Chief (a SAIS alumnus), and
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), among others. Also, this academic year, LASP implemented half-semester courses on Brazil, Mexico, and the Southern Cone which, combined, allowed greater flexibility for
studying countries and areas of particular interest. In fall 2016, we expect to introduce additional two-credit courses. We
remain committed to tailoring our curriculum to complement students’ educational objectives and career goals. Further, I
take this opportunity to thank my esteemed colleagues, Dr. González, Associate Director Guadalupe Paz, Anne McKenzie,
John McGeoch as well as our LASP adjunct professors in DC and Bologna, for their dedication and hard work. Moreover, I am grateful for the generous support of alumni and friends, whose gifts of time and money allow LASP to continue to offer enriching academic and professional development experiences. We are excited about the year ahead and look forward to connecting with you.
With best wishes,
Program Highlights
The JHU Board of Trustees grants
tenure to Professor González in
June 2016
Dr. Roett’s Brazil: What
Everyone Needs to Know,
is due out in August 2016
LASP Coordinator John
McGeoch celebrates
graduation in May 2016
Dr. González, Dr. Paz, and DC LASP students attend Dr. Roett’s annual wine and
cheese reception in October 2016
Professor Roett hoods LASP Ph.D.
graduate Benjamin Gedan during the
2016 commencement ceremony
Professor Riordan Roett—
Publications, Speaking Engagements and Media Appearances
Professor Francisco E. González—
Publications, Speaking Engagements and Media Appearances
● Panelist, “Modernizing Latin America’s Economies: Needed Reforms to Spur Growth,” Center for Hemispheric Policy, University of
Miami, September 2015
● Speaker, “Sustainable Ocean Development in Latin America,”
SAIS Foreign Policy Institute, October 2015
● “China’s Expanding Ties with Latin America,” coauthor with Guadalupe Paz, in Handbook on China and Developing Countries, 2015
● Interview, “Brazil at a Crossroads,” Top of Mind, Goldman Sachs,
April 2016
● Interview, “The Fate of Brazil’s Democracy Depends on a Man
You’ve Never Heard Of,” Foreign Policy, May 2016
● Interview, “Brazil Active President Hailed by Many but Hands May
be Tied,” Bloomberg, May 2016
● Panel Chair, “Japan-Latin America Relations, Then and Now,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, September 2015
● “Mexico’s Contemporary Political Challenges,” South America,
Central America and the Caribbean, Routledge, 2016
● Speaker, “From Lima to Paris: Assessing International Efforts to
Strengthen Climate Action,” Peru Embassy Event, February 2016
● Interview, CNN en Español, Commentary on Donald Trump’s
Views of Mexico, March 2016
● “Mexico’s Economy Since Peña Nieto’s Structural Reforms,” South
America, Central America and the Caribbean, Routledge, 2016
● Paper Presentation, “Misplaced Monopolies: Mexico in Comparative Perspective,” Red de Economía Política de América Latina, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, June 2016
This Year’s LASPies—Large Bologna Class and Diverse Country Representation
Totaling 65 students (60 MA, 1 MIPP, and 4 PhD), Latin American Studies remained one of the
largest regional programs at SAIS and concentrators represented 15 different countries—
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico,
Portugal, Spain, Taiwan, United States, and Venezuela. Academic year 2015-16 was noteworthy for the sizable number of LASP students completing their first year in Bologna. The Bologna
group organized numerous extracurricular activities to supplement coursework, including a
Spanish-language speaker series, a lecture by Professor Julia Buxton on drug policy reform and
the Latin American perspective, and videoconference seminars with Dr. Roett and Dr. González. In addition to Spanish/Portuguese language practice sessions, movie screenings, and a
Prof. Mazza hosts LASP students for dinner in Bologna
capoeira lesson, the students held several dinners to showcase their culinary and salsa dancing
skills. In May 2016, the program graduated 34 LASPies including doctoral student Benjamin
Gedan. Job placements for this year’s class include: The Advisory Board Company, IFAD, J-PAL MIT, World Bank, IMG Rebel, U.S. Office
of Management and Budget (OMB), Vanguard, and Ernst & Young, among others.
2015-16 LASP DC Panel Events
● Dr. Alejandro Werner, Director, Western Hemisphere Department, International Monetary Fund
(IMF) and Dr. González, “Consequences of the Energy Shock for Latin America since 2014”
● Dr. Roett; Mr. Daniel Kerner, Latin America Practice Head, Eurasia Group; Dr. Cynthia
McClintock, Professor, Elliot School, The George Washington University; and Dr. Harold Trinkunas, Director, Latin America Initiative, The Brookings Institution, “Elections and Political Instability
in Latin America”
● Dr. Roett and Dr. Robert Devlin, SAIS LASP Professorial Lecturer, at the Embassy of Peru, “The
China-Latin America Relationship: Current Trends and Emerging Challenges”
September 2015 LASP Panel Event: “Consequences of
the Energy Shock for Latin America Since 2014”
Latin American Studies Program (LASP)
The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
The Johns Hopkins University
1740 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-663-5734
Email: [email protected]
L A S P A c a d e m i c Ye a r 2 0 1 5 – 2 0 1 6
2016 Summer Internships & Research Fellowships
Valerie Hartwick
M.A. Candidate
2016 Marney/Exton Fellow
Matthew Greenman
M.A. Candidate
2016 Kyle Fellow
Intern
International Finance Corporation
São Paulo, Brazil
Gender and Diversity Intern
Inter-American Development Bank
La Paz, Bolivia
Alejandro Alfaro Aco
M.A. Candidate
Isabel Amaro Lynn Fellow
Intern, Ministry of Finance and
Public Credit
Mexico City, Mexico
Michelle Mora
M.A. Candidate
2016 Hildreth Fellow
Michael Khayan Lontscharitsch
M.A. Candidate
2016 Ake Anders Densert Fellow
Intern
U.S. Foreign Commercial Service
Lima, Peru
Climate Change Intern
CAF Development Bank
Bogotá, Colombia
For summer 2016, SAIS Latin American Studies facilitated internship placements and provided stipend support to 19 program concentrators.
Placements for 2016 include positions in the public sector (Mexican Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, U.S. Foreign Commercial Service, U.S. Embassy Peru), the private sector (Banco Itaú Chile, and Cefeidas International Advisory in Argentina), and within multilateral organizations (IDB Peru/Bolivia and The World Bank Brazil), to highlight a few. The program remains committed to professional development experiences which broaden classroom learning and offer substantial field experience. These opportunities are only made possible
through the support of engaged alumni and generous program benefactors. We recognize the long-standing endowed internship support of
Robert Hildreth ʻ75, the Zemurray Foundation, and Olivier ‘91 and Jennifer Lemaigre ‘83. Also, we thank Robert ‘67 and Leslie Botjer ‘68,
Lynn Exton ‘79 and Richard Marney ‘79, Eric Gibbs ‘99 and Sampriti Ganguli ‘01, David Kyle ‘79, Sophie Lynn ‘91 and David Frederick, as
well as Dr. D. Scott Palmer and the Exxon Mobil Corporation. Further, we acknowledge the donations of countless alumni who help finance
our internships and SAIS-LASP financial aid fellowships as well as other LASP initiatives.
International Study Trip: India - January, 2016
From January 15-23, 2016, Dr. González and ten LASP students traveled to Delhi and Mumbai to
research the growing political and economic ties between India and Latin America. During their
visits in India, the SAIS-LASP delegation met with representatives from the diplomatic, public sector, business, and media communities, with the goal of assessing the opportunities and challenges
for a South-South relationship that holds great trade, economic, political and cultural potential, but
whose results so far are only now being studied in earnest. In Delhi, the delegation met with the
Indian Joint Secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Ministry of External Affairs to
discuss ongoing diplomatic initiatives between India and the countries of Latin America. The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) also welcomed the SAIS-LASP
group by hosting a roundtable event focusing on opportunities and challenges for India-Latin
America business relations. Additional Delhi highlights included a visit to the Mexican Embassy to
speak with diplomats regarding trade dynamics between India and Mexico, a conversation on povThe LASP delegation meets Indian Joint Secretary for Latin
America and the Caribbean, Ministry of External Affairs, Delhi erty alleviation at the United Nations Development Programme, and a meeting with the International Finance Corporation. Also in Delhi, the group spoke with the Wall Street Journal South Asia
Bureau Chief and the Guatemalan Ambassador to India, both alumni of Johns Hopkins SAIS. In Mumbai, highlights included a visit to IT giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and a small roundtable discussion with the TCS Vice President and Global Head of Corporate Affairs.
In this session, students gained insights into Indian knowledge industry expansion throughout the Western Hemisphere. Further, the delegation held a dinner meeting with the Vice President of Indian pharmaceutical leader Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, and visited Aditya Birla Group,
an Indian multinational corporation, to discuss growth potential for Indian firms operating in Latin America. Lastly, the group met with SAIS
alumna Camille Richardson ’93, Chief, U.S. Commercial Service, Mumbai to discuss emerging market business culture and practices.
Alumni Engagement
Alumni contribute their time, energy, and expertise to make the extended LASP family a dynamic network of colleagues and friends. LASP is
grateful for ongoing alumni engagement through mentoring support, generous donations, and participation in networking activities.
LASP alumni from the State Dept., World Bank and Berkeley Research participate on career panel.
Frederick “Eric” Gibbs ’99 and Sampriti Ganguli ’01, sponsors of the Ake Anders Densert Internship award,
meet with LASP fellowship recipients at the SAIS “Celebrating Achievement and Philanthropy” event.
Dean Vali Nasr, Professor González and LASP students at a reception hosted by LASP alumnus
Jay Gullish B ‘95, ’96 and his wife in Delhi, India.
In Buenos Aires, LASP alumni welcome our summer interns to Argentina.