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The Foundation for The Gator Nation An Equal Opportunity Institution Center for Latin American Studies 319 Grinter Hall PO Box 115530 Gainesville, FL 32611 5530 352 392 0 375 352 392 7682 Fax www.latam.ufl.edu For Immediate Release March 3 2011 University of Florida Celebrates 80 Years of Latin American Studies Gainesville, FL The University of Florida (UF) proudly celebrates 80 year s of teaching, research and service in Latin American Studies The anniversary will be marked by a series of public events from March 24 26, 2011. The events include the dedication of a historical marker on the Plaza of the Americas, an academic conference, a Latin American career symposium, several art and cultur al exhibits, and a gala reception. Full details can be found online at: http://www.latam.ufl.edu/News/conference.stm nnounced the creation of the Institute for Inter American Affairs (IIAA), the first research center in the United States to focus on Latin America. Interest in Latin America at UF was, and still is, a natural result of Florida's geographical proximity to the Caribbean and South America, its Spanish heritage, and its large Spanish speaking population. th ceremony by planting 21 live oaks on the university quadrangle, one for each of the republics of the Americas at the time. Over the subsequent decades the IIAA evolved into wha t is known today as in the country to be designated a National Resource Center by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) under its new Title VI program. It h as been funded through Title VI ever since. UF faculty members have been a force behind the development of the field of Latin American Studies nationally. The Handbook of Latin American Studies the premier bibliography on the region, was published by the University Press of Florida from 1949 78. The inaugural meeting of the Seminar on the Acquisition of Library Materials (SALALM) was hosted by UF in 1954. Also, three UF faculty members have served as president of the Latin American Studies Associatio n (LASA), the largest professional association in the world for individuals studying Latin America. The mission of the Center for Latin American Studies is to advance knowledge about Latin America and the Caribbean and its peoples throughout the hemispher e. With over 170 faculty from colleges

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across UF, the Center is one of the largest institutions internationally for interdisciplinary research, teaching and outreach on Latin America, Caribbean, and Latino Studies. Source: Hannah Covert, Executive Direct or, hcovert@latam.ufl.edu 273 4712