The Institute for the Study of the Americas in UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences has received an $88,000 grant from the Christopher Reynolds Foundation to support expanded collaborations with Cuba.
“This will allow us to explore new projects that directly enhance people’s lives,” said Louis Perez, director of the institute and the J. Carlyle Sitterson Professor of History, “Among other areas, we are considering projects in the natural sciences, information technology and medicine.”
The new grant has already benefited UNC marine biologist John Bruno’s graduate students, who spent time recently with a marine biologist from the University of Havana. Perez said he is also trying to foster relationships between UNC and Cuban cancer researchers, as well as connecting other medical professionals with each other.
UNC’s Cuba Program is dedicated to the study of past and present Cuban culture. It began in 2008 with a grant from the Christopher Reynolds Foundation which funded an international conference, “The United States and Cuba: Rethinking Engagement.” Since then, the program has organized conferences and speaker series; sponsored guest scholars and artists; and showcased Cuban visual culture through exhibits and theatrical performances. Additional ongoing support is provided by the College and the Office of the Provost.
Perez’s teaching and research interests include 20th century Latin America, the Caribbean and Cuba. His publications include On Becoming Cuban: Identity, Nationality and Culture (1999), To Die in Cuba: Suicide and Society (2005), Cuba in the American Imagination: Metaphor and the Imperial Ethos (2008), and Cuba: Between Reform and Revolution (2010).
For more information on the Christopher Reynolds Foundation, visit http://www.creynolds.org.
