Lourdes Gouveia
Arts and Sciences Hall, Room 106
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE 68182
(402) 554-3358
lgouveia@mail.unomaha.edu

Dr. Lourdes Gouveia is the Director of the Office of Latino/Latin American Studies of the Great Plains and a Professor of Sociology.  Her areas of expertise are Global Development, Food and Agriculture, Latin American/Latino Sociology, and Immigration.   She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Kansas. Her awards include the 2003 City of  Omaha Education Award, the 2004 Chicano Awareness Center Education Award and the 2006 Heartland Latino Leadership Education Award. She is the principal investigator of a $1 million congressional earmark to expand the work of Latino/Latin American Studies in the Great Plains.

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

Dr. Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado is the OLLAS Assistant Director for Research and Outreach and an Associate Professor of Political Science. Area interests include Comparative Politics/Sustainable Development: Latin America, Inter-American Politics and Latino Politics. Dr. Benjamin-Alvarado received an Alunmi Association Excellence in Teaching Award for the Social Sciences in 2003. Active in Omaha's Hispanic community, he is the President of the Board of Directors of the Chicano Awareness Center.

Lucy Garza
Arts and Sciences Hall, Room 106
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE 68182
(402) 554-3835
lgarza@mail.unomaha.edu

Lucy Garza is the Project Coordinator and Academic Advisor for the Office of Latino/Latin American Studies of the Great Plains and is a Graduate Student in Sociology. Her research interests include Sociology of Education and the Educational Achievement of Latinos. Her thesis topic is Latino Educational Achievement and Attainment at the Postsecondary Level.