Mexico City Global Center to launch new virtual lecture series
A new series of virtual lectures will launch in May, highlighting the current work and partnerships between the University of Notre Dame and Mexico. Lecture topics include economic development and public finance, medicine and culture, and the spread of vector-borne diseases in Mexico. The first of three lectures will be hosted on May 12 and is open to the public.
The new series is created and facilitated by Michael Talbot, Notre Dame International’s director for initiatives in Mexico. His goal is to create a venue to highlight Notre Dame faculty conducting research in Mexico. Several of the faculty featured, including Vania Smith-Oka and John Grieco, are recipients of research funding from Notre Dame International's Mexico Faculty Grant Program.
“Our hope is that students, parents, and alumni see that Notre Dame’s commitment to Mexico remains as strong as ever during these unprecedented times,” says Talbot.
Mexico Virtual Lecture Series:
"Poverty reduction policies in Mexico: Are universal policies better than conditional cash transfers?"
May 12, 2020
10:00am CDT / 11:00am EDT
Speaker: Alejandro Estefan
Faculty in Keough School of Global Affairs and Faculty Fellow at the Kellogg Institute for International Studies
Estefan is a native of Mexico who worked as a policy analyst in the office of the President of the Republic of Mexico before entering academia. His research focuses on economic development, labor economics, and public finance in Mexico, and aims to provide a solid evidence base for impactful policy formulation.
"Doctors on the March: (Extra) Ordinary Practice, Violence, and Protests"
May 19, 2020
10:00am CDT / 11:00am EDT
Speaker: Vania Smith-Oka
Faculty in Department of Anthropology and Faculty Fellow at both the Kellogg Institute for International Studies and Eck Institute for Global Health
Smith-Oka is a medical anthropologist and recipient of an NDI Mexico Faculty grant. Her research examines medicine and culture in Mexico, including the role of gender for health outcomes in rural and indigenous communities. Dr. Smith-Oka’s recent project looks at decisions that physicians make when caring for women and patients from marginalized groups. NDI has supported this research and her collaboration with Universidad Anáhuac Puebla.
"Combating Vector Borne Diseases in Mexico"
May 26, 2020
10:00am CDT / 11:00am EDT
Speakers: Nicole Achee & John Grieco
Faculty in Department of Biology and Faculty Fellows at the Eck Institute for Global Health
Achee and Grieco are entomologists who monitor the spread of vector-borne diseases around the world. In Mexico, they monitor mosquito and tick populations connected to dengue, chikungunya, zika, and other diseases in Chiapas. Their research also develops strategies to control these vector populations and limit disease spread. They work closely with the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, as well as the Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública in Tapachula.
Contact Michael Talbot for more details.