Student Staff

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 Oropeza is an undergraduate student, majoring in Film and Media Studies. Prior to coming to Columbia, Ana earned an Associate's Degree in Theater from Borough of Manhattan Community College, where she focused on theater management and set design.

Originally from Mexico, she embarked on her journey in the arts as a dancer at one of the branches of the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes in her hometown Torreon Coahuila, Mexico. There she mastered different disciplines, including ballet, jazz, and contemporary dance. Once in New York City, Ana was a regular dancer at Broadway Dance Center, where she expanded her knowledge in dance by taking tap and theater dance lessons. 

At ILAS, Ana works as a Program Assistant responsible for the Regional Center for Mexico and Central America. She oversees the financial aspects of the Center, the organization and execution of events, content creation, publicity, and collaborations with visiting scholars, organizations, universities, and school departments. She works side by side with the Institute's executive and administrative staff and other offices at the University to enhance the outreach of the Center's programs and offerings.

Additionally, Ana works as a Program Support Coordinator at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia. She oversees the organization, execution, and completion of non-degree programs. She also conducts research on media, marketing, and fundraising at NYU Law School.

Ana has been a member of the General Board of the Mexican Students Association at Columbia University and served as the Association's Secretary of Community Engagement during the 2021-2022 academic year. She has been a mentor to incoming students, as part of the GS Mentorship Program, and co-founded the Institute's first student-run Cine Club. She is an avid runner and enjoys running on different terrains, especially trails.

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.

Pedro is originally from Valinhos, Brazil and he's one of the founders of Pindograma, a Brazilian data-journalism publication, that has been featured in Folha de São Paulo and revista piauí. Pedro has reported on zoning reform, electoral data, public security, and the relationship between Bolsonaro and the military. On campus, he also works as a research assistant in the Economics Department.

Pedro has worked as a Social Media Assistant at ILAS since the fall of 2022 and he encourages you to engage with our publications, especially on Instagram and Twitter.

In his spare time, Pedro enjoys playing soccer and following Corinthians, his favorite team. He also enjoys the sunsets of Riverside Park.

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.

Meiyi Liu is currently pursuing her M.A. Film and Media Studies at Columbia University. As a member of the Interdisciplinary Arts Council, the official student council at the Columbia School of the Arts, she participated in brainstorming, promoting, and helping organize interdisciplinary art events on campus. Co-chaired Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion subcommittee and curated Uyghur film screening, from coordinating with the guests and budget planning to moderating the event and Q&A session.

Originally from Changchun, China, Meiyi received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Cinema Studies at NYU Tisch School of the Arts with a minor in Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology. Throughout her study, she has developed an interest in film curatorial practice and research focusing on gender and sexuality in cinema. She has assisted in hosting virtual film programming and facilitating journalistic interviews with award-winning filmmakers.  

At ILAS, Meiyi works as a Social Media Assistant responsible for creating visual and audiovisual content for social media, including editing and filming video projects on relevant events and topics of Latin American studies at the School of International and Public Affairs for YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok.

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.