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Alumni

The Master of Arts in Latin American and Caribbean Studies (MALACS) alumni community reflects the impact of our program. Our graduates go on to build meaningful careers in government, international development, nonprofit leadership, education, research, and the private sector—applying regional expertise and interdisciplinary training to address real-world challenges across the Americas and beyond.

Meet some of our MALACS Alumni

Patraillia Davis Bryant

  • Areas of Interest: She is interested in gaining perspectives from history, anthropology, and cultural analysis, allowing her to examine the region through multiple scholarly lenses. For her research, this framework has been especially valuable because it allows her to situate the experiences of Afro-descendent communities in the U.S. and the Global South within broader African diasporic histories.
  • Ms. Davis Bryant chose the MALACS program because it offers a uniquely interdisciplinary approach to studying Latin America and the Caribbean. 
  • She is a graduate of the African and African Diaspora Studies 2024 Graduate cohort.

Tomas Alvarez Perez

  • Areas of Interest: Cuban History; International Relations of LAC.
  • While in the MALACS program, Tomás was a FLAS Fellow through which he studied Portuguese. His interest in being a global citizen led him to participate in the Argentina Study Abroad Program.
  • Tomás Álvarez Pérez is currently the Assistant Director, Employer Relations for Toppel Career Center at the University of Miami.

Elizabet Moreno

  • Areas of Interest: Her academic focus is on international development, policy, and sustainability in Latin America and the Caribbean. She is particularly interested in how tourism, education, and institutional systems intersect to shape economic development and long-term regional transformation.
  • What stood out most to me about the MALACS program was the freedom to explore. Its interdisciplinary structure pushed me to think in new ways and challenge my own assumptions and biases.
  • Elizabet “Liz” Moreno holds a M.A. in Latin American and Caribbean Studies and a B.S. in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication from FIU.

Ximena Valdivia

  • Areas of interest: Strengthening my ability to improve discoverability and culturally responsible description in FIU’s Special Collections. The degree also prepared me for interdisciplinary collaboration across Latin American, Caribbean, Indigenous, and diaspora studies.
  • The FIU MALACS program was unique because it combined strong knowledge of Latin American and Caribbean history and culture with practical, real-world experience rooted in Miami’s communities.
  • Ximena Valdivia serves as a Cataloging and Metadata Librarian at Florida International University (FIU).

Henrique Mendes

  • Areas of interest: His research interests focus on the impact of public policy and socioeconomic status on community health and welfare.
  • Doing the Master's in Latin American and Caribbean Studies at FIU was extremely valuable, both for the academic content and the unique context it offered. Additionally, the multidisciplinary nature of the program, with experienced regional professors and students from different countries, offered a global perspective rarely found in other programs.
  • Henrique Mendes is a PhD student and Teaching Assistant at the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs.

Pedro Argote

  • Areas of Interest: U.S.–Latin America relations, political behavior, democracy, and political participation.
  • I chose the MALACS program due to experts that focus on U.S. foreign policy decision making toward Latin America, with particular attention to security, democracy promotion, and regional relations.
  • I was born and raised in Colombia and earned my bachelor's degree in international relations in Mexico. At Florida International University, I completed a master’s degree in Latin American and Caribbean Studies and I'm currently pursuing a PhD in Political Science.