The Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center at Florida International University attracts a diverse group of highly qualified students. Some students join LACC directly from an undergraduate program and others bring with them years of professional experience.
Master of Arts in Latin American & Caribbean Studies (MALACS)
Areas of Interest:
Hemispheric security, nuclear proliferation, and defense diplomacy.
I graduated from The United States Air Force Academy in May of 2025 with a BS in Behavioral Science and minors in Spanish and Portuguese. As my first assignment in the Air Force, I am attending Florida International University to get my master's degree in Latin American and Caribbean studies.
I chose FIU because it has one of the strongest Latin American Studies programs in the country and I like its interdisciplinary approach to regional studies. Upon completing the program in December of 2026, I will continue in my career as a Nuclear and Missile Operations officer with the goal of eventually becoming a Foreign Area Officer in Latin America and strengthening hemispheric military diplomatic ties.
Master of Arts in Latin American & Caribbean Studies (MALACS)
Areas of Interest:
Immigration Policy, Adoption/Foster Care Reform, Migrant Adoption, Transracial Adoption, Kinship Dynamics in Mixed Families, Urban Youth Development, Decolonizing Body Politics, Youth Labor Rights, Maternal Health Outcomes, Immigration Trauma.
Giovanni received his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Anthropology from Florida International University (FIU). Through his time working in academia and in the private sector, Giovanni has cultivated a skillset in expanding educational outcomes and a passion for supporting disadvantaged youth in receiving access to much needed social services. Now as a MALACS/GSS PhD student, Giovanni aims to implement a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the long-term psychosocial and socio-cultural ramifications of migration on undocumented youth and their complex kinship dynamics. He plans to conduct research on migrant children crossing the Mexico-USA borderlands who are placed into the US foster care system. Giovanni is interested in understanding how adoptive and birth parents navigate kinship systems differently given their unique sociopolitical needs.
Master of Arts in Latin American & Caribbean Studies (MALACS)
Areas of Interest:
Haitian Culture and Studies, Haitian Creole, Women Studies, Disability Rights, Caribbean and Afro-Latino Studies.
Rose Laure Jean Joseph is a MALACS student at FIU, where she is also pursuing a certificate in Haitian Creole. She previously received her Bachelor’s of Arts from FIU in Latin American and Caribbean Studies in Spring 2024. Growing up in Miami as a Haitian American has impacted Rose’s love of learning about other people and their cultures. This love has anchored her through various courses, job opportunities, and volunteer opportunities she has held. Rose is currently volunteering at the ACLU and the Florida Immigration Coalition, using her bilingual abilities to better serve her community during a time when Haitian Creole speakers and translators are in high demand. After graduating, Rose plans to continue volunteering and working in South Florida.
Master of Arts in Latin American & Caribbean Studies (MALACS)
Areas of Interest:
Andean Region, Export-based Political Economy, Latin American Patterns of Development.
