Each Spring semester, MAS organizes the Alvarez Seminar, a series of lectures, readings, performances, films or workshops that provide a profound examination of a critical theme in the MAS world. It is interdisciplinary by nature and the coordination of the seminar rotates among MAS faculty from various departments. Alvarez Seminar events are incorporated into the courses of MAS faculty to maximize the engagement that students will have with the chosen theme.

For Information on upcoming 2020 MAS events, follow us on Facebook for more upcoming news and events!

Diverse group of six in a group photo

Past Alvarez Winners

"Defining Latinx Leadership in these Turbulent Times," Olga Talamante, Director Emeritus Chicana/Latina Foundation

"Latinx Resistance & Survival in Higher Education," Lupe Gallegos Díaz, UC Berkeley, Director of ChicanzLatinx Academic Student Development Center

"Latinx Leadership for the 21st Century," Juan Sepulveda J.D., Lillian Radford Visiting Professor of Practice, Education, Trinity University

"Invisible Immigrants: Spanish Immigrants in the United States." James Fernández, Professor, New York University

"Body and Space in Pedro Almodóvar’s La pielo que habito." Maria DiFrancesco, Assoc. Professor, Ithaca College

"The Aesthetics of Garbage in Democratic Spain." Samuel Amago, Professor, Univ. of North Carolina

"The Women Film Pioneers of Spain." Barbara Zecchi, Professor, Univ. of Massachusetts - Amherst

The Bones of Padre Kino: Missionaries and Memorialization in the Borderlands. Brandon Bayne, Assistant Professor, Department of Religious Studies University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

La Economía de Dios: Almavisión and the Latino/a Prosperity Gospel Movement. Arlene Sánchez-Walsh, Associate Professor of Church history & Latino/a Church studies at Azusa Pacific University

The Reliable Reapress: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint. R. Andrew Chesnut, Professor of Religious Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University - School of World Studies

Returning Postcard to Sender: Living, Researching and Writing Song of the Water Saints. Lecture by Nelly Rosario, novelist and creative writing instructor, Texas State University in San Marcos

De pura cepa: Writing My Way into Being. Lecture by Maria Teresa "Mariposa" Fernandez, poet and activist

Black, Latina, Both: Claiming and Making History. Lecture by Miriam Jimenez and Juan Fores

The Music of the Mexican Revolution. Lecture/Concert with Speaker: Gilberto Hinojosa, Our Lady of the Lake University; Performer: Azul Barrientos, Performer

The Films of the Mexican Revolution. Lecture/Film Showings with Speaker: Zuzana Pick, Carlton University, Ottawa

An Evening of Readings concerning the Mexican Revolution. Discussion and Musical Presentation with Speakers: Maria Antonietta Berriozabal; Henry Cisneros; Sandra Cisneros; Gabriela Franco; John Phillip Santos; and José Antonio Vela. Francisco González: Chicano Musician

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"In Between Worlds: Poetry of Reclamation," Denice Frohman, Poet

"Canción Cabaret," Amalia Ortiz, San Antonio Poet

"Virgin Territory: Latinidad, Femininity & Artistic Practice",  Analicia Sotelo, local Poet, Trinity alum

Animating Internationalism: David Alfaro Siqueiros and the Mexican Electricians' Syndicate. Jennifer Jolly, Ithaca College

Material Dialectics in Mexican Muralism: Orozco, Siqueiros, and Rivera. Mary Coffey, Dartmouth College

Siqueiros and Internationalism in the 1960s. Luis Castañeda, Syracuse University

Towards a More Politically Effective Art: Siqueiros and the 'Plastic Integration' Movement. Christopher Fulton, University of Louisville

Democracy and Dictatorship in Chile. Lecture by Steve J. Stern, historian, University of Wisconsin, ­Madison

La nueva canción chilena: An appraisal. Lecture by Juan Pablo González, musicologist, Universidad Alberto Hurtado

In Praise of Violeta y Víctor:. Songs and stories from José Seves and Elizabeth Morris

Community concert. José Seves and Elizabeth Morris, Esperanza Center for Peace and Justice

Resistencia y solidaridad: Chicanos and Chilenos in California. Songs and stories from Antonia Castañeda , Agustín Lira, Patricia Wells, and Lichi Fuentes

Exhibition opening, Pablo Neruda’s Canto general with illustrations by David Siqueiros

Community concert. Agustín Lira, Patricia Wells, and Lichi Fuentes, Esperanza Center for Peace and Justice

Feminism and the New Left in Ecuador: From Neoliberalism to the Buen Vivir. Lecture by Amy Lind, Associate Professor, University of Cincinnati

South of the Border (2010). Film by Oliver Stone with an introduction and discussion led by Francisco Durand, University of Texas at San Antonio

Evo Morales and the Rise of the Left in Bolivia. Lecture by Raúl l. Madrid, Associate Professor, University of Texas at Austin

Semi-Authoritarianism and "Participatory Cancer" in Venezuela. Lecture by Javier Corrales, Professor, Amherst College