LALS Graduate Student Representatives

The two LALS Graduate Representatives are elected each year to bridge the graduate students, faculty, and campus committees. Each representative takes on a designated role:

• Faculty-Graduate Student Liason: serves as a liaison between the faculty of the LALS Department and the LALS Graduate Student Body
• Campus-LALS Graduate Student Liason: keeps up with broader graduate student actions

LALS Graduate Representatives are open to questions from prospective students. Use the links below to find their contact information.

2023-2024 Representatives:

Marina Dadico Amâncio de Souza & Juan Manuel Ruiz Cortes

Marina (she/her/ela) is a second-year international graduate student who is eager to represent the graduate community and address issues that impact fellow students' academic experiences. She is committed to ensuring a supportive and collaborative environment for all. In addition to serving as grad rep for LALS, Marina serves as a department representative in the Graduate Student Association (GSA) Council. For more information about Marina, see her LALS bio or LinkedIn profile.

Juan Ruiz is a 2nd-year Ph.D. Student in the Latin American & Latino Studies Department at UC Santa Cruz. Juan works on cultivating resources for undocumented students, theorizing about the undocumented lived experience, and respecting, valuing, and enjoying all forms of People of Color livingness. When not engaging academically, he loves playing soccer, swimming in open waters, and hiking through the forest on a rainy day.