Lourdes Gouveia

Arts and Sciences Hall, Room 102
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE 68182
(402) 554-3835
lgouveia@unomaha.edu

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Dr. LOURDES GOUVEIA is the director of OLLAS and professor of Sociology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Her teaching and research focuses on Latin American migration, US Latino population, Latin American societies in the globalization era, global development and food and agriculture. Her most recent publications include: "Patters of Migration: Latin America and the United States" (Encyclopedia of Global Human Migration. London: Wiley-Blackwell. Forthcoming); "Latino Voting Eligibility in Nebraska" (OLLAS Data Brief. March 2011); "The Omaha Site: Migrant Civil Society Under Construction" (Woodrow Wilson Institute. 2010) and "The Research-Policy Gap on Latino/Latino Immigrant Issues: Impacts and New Directions on Social Policy" (Journal of Social Issues. 2010). As a researcher and Director of OLLAS, Dr. Gouveia has secured more than $1.5 million in funding. She sits on the boards of the International Network on Migration and Development, Partnership For Our Kids and the Heartland Workers Center. She has won numerous community and University Awards.

Juan Casas

Arts and Sciences Hall, Room 347 U
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE 68182
(402) 554-2548
jcasas@unomaha.edu

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Dr. JUAN CASAS is the associate director of OLLAS and associate professor of Psychology. His teaching centers on child and adolescent development and his research interests focus on relational aggression and victimization as well as on issues related to various forms of bullying. Dr. Casas has written many scholarly articles and book chapters. He has published in top-tier journals including Developmental Psychology, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, Journal of Social Issues and Early Childhood Research Quarterly among others. He has broad editorial experience, most recently serving as Co-Editor in Chief of the Journal of Latino/Latin American Studies (JOLLAS). He is a founding member of the Bullying Research Network, Midwest Social Development Consortium and the Relational Aggression Conference series. In addition he is a member of the Society for Research on Adolescence and the Society for Research on Child Development where he is a member of the Ethnic and Racial Issues committee. He currently sits on the board of the Partnership 4 Kids.

Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado

Arts and Sciences Hall, Room 275
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE 68182
(402) 554-4859
jalvarado@unomaha.edu

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Dr. JONATHAN BENJAMIN-ALVARADO is the OLLAS associate director for engagement and a professor of Political Science. Area interests include: Comparative Politics/Sustainable Development in Latin America, Inter-American Politics, and Latino Politics. Dr. Benjamin-Alvarado reveived an Alumni Association Excellence in Teaching Award for the Social Sciences in 2003. Active in Omaha's Hispanic community, he was the president of the board of directors of the Chicano Awareness Center (today called the Latino Center of the Midlands).

Watch a video about his class: Cuba at the Crossroads.

Yuriko Doku

Arts and Sciences Hall, Room 102
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE 68182
(402) 554-3835
ydoku@unomaha.edu

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Ms. YURIKO DOKU is the project coordinator for the Office of Latino/Latin American Studies of the Great Plains. Yuriko holds a Master's Degree in Economics from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and her areas of interest are social demography and labor economics. She worked closely with Census 2010 data, and continues assisting the OLLAS faculty and staff in the creation of OLLAS reports.

Christian Espinosa

Arts and Sciences Hall, Room 102
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE 68182
(402) 554-3835
cespinosatorres@unomaha.edu

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CHRISTIAN ESPINOSA is the OLLAS research and community engagement associate. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Universidad Tecnológica de México and he is currently working on his Master's thesis to obtain a Master of Arts in Sociology. His areas of interest are Latino migration and integration, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and he works closely with Census 2010 data.

Clare Maakestad

Arts and Sciences Hall, Room 102
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE 68182
(402) 554-3835
cmaakestad@unomaha.edu

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CLARE MAAKESTAD is the OLLAS research and study abroad assistant. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Latino/Latin American Studies, International Studies, and Spanish, as well as her Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certificate from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She works with OLLAS study abroad programs, research projects, and marketing.