Student Staff
Bahía Gatti is a Fulbright scholar and graduate student at Columbia University in New York, pursuing a Master's degree in International Affairs with a concentration in Economic and Political Development and double-specializing in International Organizations Studies, and Technology, Media, and Communications.
Originally from Argentina, she holds three Bachelor's degrees in International Relations, Political Science, and Law and has completed an Executive MBA in Political Management, supported by a scholarship from the Organization of American States (OAS).
With over 7 years of valuable experience in the nonprofit sector, Bahía actively contributes as a member of the National Board for the Argentine Youth Organization for the United Nations (OAJNU), member of the Youth Council of Comic Relief - managing a philanthropic fund called Juntanza - and as the Regional Coordinator for the Americas at the United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY), actively contributing to the Youth, Peace, and Security Agenda.
Bahía's professional journey extends into the public sector, where she spent almost 3 years in the International Relations Secretariat of the City of Cordoba as a Consultant for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This year, we welcome Bahia as the new Program Assistant for the Institute of Latin American Studies.
Camila Braga (CC’24) is an undergraduate student in Columbia College studying Political Science and Latin American and Caribbean Studies. She works at ILAS as an administrative assistant.
Born and raised in Recife, Brazil, Camila is really passionate about her country’s culture and history. In her spare time, she loves dancing (especially Frevo), going to cafes, and dreaming about the next Brazilian Carnaval she will attend.
Jose La Rosa is a doctoral student in the International and Comparative Education program at Teachers College, Columbia University. His research examines the impact of teacher policies and the role of governments in improving teacher quality in Latin America. Originally from Peru, he is a policymaker with eight years of experience working for the Ministry of Education of Peru, where he designed and implemented educational policies at a national level with a special focus on introducing legislation to support teachers and school leaders. During his time working for the government, he held positions in the Department of Teacher Development, the Department of School Leadership, and the National Education Council of Peru. He is the current coordinator of the K-12 Outreach Program at the Institute of Latin American Studies at Columbia University.
Ana Cardenas is an undergraduate student at Columbia University majoring in Sustainable Development.
Ana is interested in the circular economy, issues of equity, and climate change adaptation. She discovered her calling for sustainability during the Amazon wildfires in 2019, and since then, has been determined to support regenerative and fair development in Latin America. Ana works at the Center for Mexico and Central America (CeMeCA) as a program assistant.
Additionally, Ana works for the Department of Sustainability and Climate Action at Barnard College. She is the student assistant for the circular campus initiative, a holistic framework based on circular economy principles designed to reduce waste, emissions, and costs, transform consumption patterns on campus, and increase access affordability for students.
Sofia Cruz is an undergraduate student at Barnard College majoring in History with a concentration in Empires and Colonialism. She works at the Center for Mexico and Central America (CeMeCA) as a Program Assistant.
Sofia is Cuban and Guatemalan, born and raised in Miami, Florida. She is passionate about issues related to immigration, as well as the subjects of colonization and decolonization with a special interest in the regions of Latin America and the Middle East.
She has worked on one of CeMeCA’s applied academic projects, Separated: An Oral History, doing transcription work on the interviews of migrant families affected by the U.S.’ “zero tolerance” policy.
On campus, she is also involved in the Columbia Journal of History (CJH) as an editor.
Ann Wang is an M.A. candidate in Film and Media Studies at the School of the Arts, Columbia University. She was born in Tallahassee, Florida, and spent her childhood moving back and forth between China, Malaysia, and the United States with her family. She holds a B.A. in Communication and a minor in Sociology & Education from Peking University. Her academic interest lies in interactive media archeology and Third World national cinema.
At ILAS, Ann works as a Social Media Assistant and is responsible for creating visual and audio-visual content. Ann is also a member of the Interdisciplinary Arts Council, the official student government of Columbia School of the Arts, where she co-chairs the Marketing Subcommittee. Outside of school, she enjoys cooking, knitting, and localizing indie games based on interests.
Sofia (BC’25) is an undergraduate student double majoring in Economics and Political Science.
She was born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico. Sofia is really passionate about Mexican politics, Latin American feminism, and education. On campus, Sofia is also involved in the Economic Review and dancing for Columbia’s Orchesis. She is the Co-President of the Mexican Student Association at Columbia University, and she is involved in research at the political science department.
In her free time, Sofia loves visiting all the galleries and museums around New York, dancing around campus, and going to some Broadway shows.
Lloxci López is an undergraduate student(CC'25) studying Political Science-Statistics with a concentration in Race and Ethnicity Studies.
Lloxci was born in Hartford, Connecticut to Ecuadorian immigrants. Of Kichwa heritage, she is highly passionate about indigenous history, decolonization, and environmental justice. She hopes to attend law school in the future to defend her community.
On campus, she is involved in cultural groups such as Alianza, Student Organization of Latines(SOL), and Students of Color Advisory Board(SoCAB). She's involved with Columbia Spectator as an opinion staff and plays violin in the Columbia Pops Orchestra.
In her free time, Lloxci enjoys finding cheap eats in the city and playing music with friends. You may find her napping on the lawns.
Jonathan is a Columbia College student studying economics and political science with a minor in Latin American studies. Originally from Miami, Florida, he grew up immersed in Latin culture as the child of a Peruvian mother. He is the founder of VOTA, Inc., an organization dedicated to increasing civic engagement and combatting disinformation in Miami-Dade's Spanish-speaking community through social media. On campus, he writes a column on Latin American politics for the Columbia Political Review, focusing on Latin American institutional stability and economic development. He has composed full-length articles in Spanish for CPR en Español, the Review's Spanish-speaking branch.
Jonathan has worked as a Social Media Assistant at ILAS since the Spring of 2024. He encourages you to engage with our various profiles, especially on Instagram and X.
In his spare time, Jonathan enjoys playing guitar, seeing live music, and spending time outdoors.
Mila (BC'26) is a sophomore at Barnard double majoring in Computer Science and Film. She has been working at ILAS as an administrative assistant since the spring of 2024.
She was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil. She is very interested in the Brazilian audiovisual production. In her spare time, she likes to play the guitar.