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  • Chair, Political Science Department
  • Professor, Political Science Department

Professional Service

  • American Journal of Political Science (AJPS). Role: External Reviewer. External Reviewer. 2009 - 2009

Internal Service

  • Culture and Language Across the Curriculum Program (CLAC). Director, 01/01/2021 - 06/30/2021. University service.
  • Culture and Language Across the Curriculum Program (CLAC). Director, 01/01/2020 - 12/31/2020. University service.
  • Global U Council. Member, 01/01/2020 - 12/31/2020. University service.
  • Culture and Language Across the Curriculum Program (CLAC). Director, 01/01/2019 - 12/31/2019. University service.
  • Culture and Language Across the Curriculum Program (CLAC). Director, 07/01/2017 - 12/31/2018. College service.
  • RPT Advisory Committee. Member, 05/01/2016 - 12/31/2016. Department service.
  • Department Strategic Hiring Committee. Member, 03/01/2016 - 05/31/2016. Department service.
  • RPT Subcommittee. Chair, 05/01/2015 - 12/31/2015. Department service.
  • Academic Appeals Committee. Member, 05/01/2015 - 08/21/2015. College service.
  • Betty Gladd Research Award Committee. Member, 03/02/2015 - 03/31/2015. Department service.
  • Director Graduate Studies, Latin American Studies Program. Director of Graduate Studies, 01/2013 - present. University service.
  • Comparative Politics Subfield. Chair, 01/2013 - present. Department service.
  • Comparative Politics Subfield. Member, 01/2013 - 12/2013. Department service.
  • Academic steering committee for the "Innovations Scholar Diploma". Department Representative, 05/01/2010 - 12/31/2010. University service.
  • Member of the International Studies Board. Member, 2006 - present. University service.
  • Executive Committee of the Latin American Studies Program. Member, 2003 - present. University service.

Community Partnership

  • Presentation to Spanish Speaking Families at Comunidades Unidas College Night. 02/22/2021 - 02/22/2021
  • Invited to speak and meet with Latino high school students at Kearns High School. 2009 - present

Honors & Awards

  • CSBS Superior Teaching Award for seniortenure-line faculty for 2022-2023 . College of Social Behavioral Science, University of Utah, 03/17/2023
  • University of Utah Distinguished Teaching Award for 2022-2023. University of Utah, 12/07/2022
  • 2022 Seligson Prize for the best scholarship from the past two years that uses the LAPOP survey data for the book "Voice and Inequality: Poverty and Political Participation in Latin America" (with Carew Boulding). LAPOP - Latin American Public Opinion Project, Vanderbilt University, 09/30/2022
  • Grants and matching funds totaling $100,000 over 5 years to fund Scholarships for graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Utah. IME-Becas Grants, Government of Mexico, 09/2013
  • Academic Writing Residency a the Bellagio Center, Bellagio Italy, Rockefeller Foundation. Rockefeller Foundation, 10/2012
  • Grant ($168,000) to enhance Brazilian Studies, Foreign Language instruction, and international content across departments and colleges. Department of Education Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language (UISFL) Program , 08/2012
  • Grant to fund a speaker series and exhibition of Aztec codices to launch Nahuatl studies (with Rebecca Horn). Dee Grant Award, University of Utah, 05/2012
  • Grant to develop instruction in beginning Nahuatl (with Rebecca Horn). University of Utah Teaching Grants, 03/2012
  • Award for creative use and mentoring of Graduate Student Instructors. University Teaching Assistanship (UTA) Award, 05/2011
  • Nominated for the Early Career Teaching Award. University of Utah Teaching Committee, 01/2010
  • Grant to sponsor speakers, photographic exhibits, and events related to Mexican history, politics and society. Dee Grant Award, 01/2010
  • Faculty Fellow Award. University of Utah Research Committee, 2009
  • Semi-Finalist for the CSBS Superior Teaching Award. CSBS, 2009
  • Co-PI on $238,000 grant to study immigrant incorporation in new destinations. Russell Sage Foundation, 07/2008

In the Media

  • Univision National -- Washington Bureau: Interview about the implications of Donald Trump's meetings with antisemitic personalities for his presidential bid. 11/28/2022.
  • Live on-air discussion of midterm election results for Telemundo Utah, one of the two most important Spanish-language television and news networks in the state and the country as a whole. 11/08/2022.
  • Interview with Univision News (Phoenix, AZ) to discuss midterm elections in Arizona and nationally. Univision is one of the two most important Spanish-language television and news broadcast networks in the United States. 11/07/2022.
  • Radio interview for KSL News Radio 102.7 FM (Dave and Dujanovic show) on immigration and border crisis. Focus on causes and solutions to rapidly increasing border apprehensions at the southern border. 09/26/2022. https://kslnewsradio.com/
  • On air interview with Telemundo (Spanish Language television news) to discuss President Biden's State of the Union Address. 03/01/2022.
  • Interview with Telemundo about Russian invasion of Ukraine and possible economic impacts in the United States. 02/24/2022.
  • Telemundo "Foro Digital: Hablemos Sin Máscaras", Telemundo Facebook Live Panel Discussion on Vaccination Plans and impact on politics and state economy. In Spanish, aimed at providing information and analysis for Spanish speaking community in Utah. Más de 1 millón de residentes de Utah han sido vacunados contra el Covid-19. ¿Estamos listos para retirar las restricciones? Muchas personas se oponen a vacunarse y otras más no están de acuerdo con el uso obligatorio del cubrebocas. ¿Cuál es el impacto de estos cambios en su bolsillo, en la educación de los jóvenes, la salud de la comunidad? ¿Qué conflictos existen en las creencias religiosas? 03/18/2021. https://www.facebook.com/TelemundoUtah/videos/8279...
  • Telemundo "Foro Digital: Voces de Nuestra Gente", Facebook Live panel discussion on the impact of Covid Relief Package on people's lives and the economy. Ahora más que nunca, tenemos que estar unidos y apoyarnos mutuamente en tiempos de crisis. Telemundo Utah presenta el foro digital "Voces de Nuestra Gente: COVID-19 y la Vida Diaria". Una charla con miembros de la comunidad y especialistas en salud y educación, que muestra la resiliencia que la pandemia ha requerido y lo importante que es compartir nuestras lecciones aprendidas. 03/11/2021. https://www.facebook.com/TelemundoUtah/videos/9753...
  • News interview with Telemundo about the prospects of DACA under a Biden administration (in Spanish). 11/11/2020.
  • Analysis of 2020 Presidential election results for RCN Radio Colombia, one of the largest radio stations in Colombia. 11/04/2020.
  • Election night commentary and analysis for Univision Channel 32. 11/03/2020.
  • Analysis of Vice Presidential Debate for RCN Radio in Colombia, one of the largest radio stations in Colombia. 10/07/2020.
  • Telemundo interview (in Spanish) about Coronavirus's impact at the University of Utah. 03/13/2020.
  • Telemundo Interview about Latino participation in primaries. 02/28/2020.
  • Interview with Telemundo about Latino voter registration efforts in anticipation of 2020 elections. 02/13/2020.
  • In-studio analysis of 2018 Midterm Election results for KULX and KTMW Telemundo Utah, a main Spanish-language TV and News station. 11/02/2018.
  • KUTV Channel 2 News at 10 pm. Interview discussing presidential candidate Donald Trump's plan to build a wall between Mexico and the United States. 04/06/2016.
  • Deseret News: "Women Refugees in Utah Encounter Greater Challenges to Resettlement, UU panel says". 12/10/2015. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865643323/Women...
  • Access Utah, on Utah Public Radio. 12/03/2015. http://upr.org/post/should-utah-accept-syrian-refu...
  • "Syrian Refugee Family questions calls for ban on refugees" (KSL News). 11/17/2015. https://www.ksl.com/?sid=37407405
  • "Should Refugees come to Utah?" (Trib Talk, Salt Lake Tribune). 11/17/2015. http://www.sltrib.com/home/3187907-155/trib-talk-s...
  • "In Wake of Paris Attacks, Gov. Herbert orders evaluation of state's refugee plan" (KUTV News). 11/16/2015. http://kutv.com/news/local/gov-herbert-orders-secu...
  • Live interview on ABC4 news discussing the European migration crisis. 09/14/2015. http://www.good4utah.com/good-morning-utah/u-of-u-...
  • Interviewed on "Top of Mind" (BYU Radio's daily, live news program) on recent developments on the fight against drug cartels in Mexico and the implications for Mexico's political system. 07/20/2015.
  • Ahora Utah, coverage of IME-Becas scholarship event at the Mexican Consulate. 02/2011.
  • Feature coverage by El Observador de Utah, one of Utah's largest spanish language newspapers, published by the Deseret News. 01/2011.
  • KSL News and The Deseret News, coverage of invited talk on immigration reform. 01/2011.