What is the UF Center for Latin American Studies website?

Updated

The site at latam.ufl.edu is the official web presence of the University of Florida's Center for Latin American Studies (UF-LAS), an academic center focused on Latin America and the Caribbean. It is aimed at prospective and current students, faculty, researchers, alumni, and the general public who want information about the Center's programs, people, and events. It is an informational and academic site, not a commercial one.

What the Center is

According to the site, the Center brings together over 190 experts on the region and is recognized as one of the top-ranked centers internationally. It has been continuously designated a National Resource Center by the U.S. Department of Education since 1961. These two facts frame the site's purpose: it is a hub for regional expertise and federally supported academic programming.

What you can find on the site

The navigation and page content point to several main areas:

  • Academics — graduate and undergraduate programs, LAS specializations, course listings, cross-listing policies, and study abroad, including the Florida-Brazil Linkage Institute (FBLI).
  • People — center-based faculty, affiliate faculty, MALAS students, center staff, visiting and research scholars, and the faculty advisory council.
  • Student funding and forms — academic and funding forms, plus library travel grants.
  • Outreach — K-16 professional development, teacher resources, and virtual exchange.
  • Program highlights — the Latin American and Caribbean Collection, the Latin American Business Environment (LABE) report, the International Ethnography Lab, the Master's in Development Practice, and Tropical Conservation & Development.
  • News & events — a calendar of events, an event support request form, the annual conference, "Stories from the Center," and The Latinamericanist newsletter.
  • Alumni — profiles, awards, an update form, and the alumni board.
  • Giving — a donation page.

Who it serves

The site is organized around distinct audiences: prospective students, current students, and alumni each have their own entry points, alongside faculty and researchers. Outreach sections such as teacher resources and K-16 professional development extend it to educators beyond the university, and public-facing news and event listings make much of the content open to anyone interested in the region.

Practical notes

  • The site is in English.
  • It functions as a directory and information source; specific program requirements, deadlines, and funding details are handled through the linked academic and funding pages rather than the homepage.
  • If you are looking for a particular program, start from the Academics section; for research or collaboration, the People and Program Highlights sections are the relevant entry points.