LALS students were excited to see a paid undergraduate research opportunity over the summer of 2020: Professor Lily Balloffet's Venom Lab (supported in part by both the Institute for Social Transformation and the Research Center for the Americas). Balloffet's lab furthered research for her next book project on snake venom and inter-American relations. While we can't wait to see the results of Dr. Balloffet's summer lab and continued research, we are currently getting ready to celebrate her most recent publication.
Balloffet's Argentina in the Global Middle East, launched over the summer with an original interactive website, "situates this transregional history of Argentina and the Middle East within a larger story of South-South alliances, solidarities, and exchanges." The companion website and StoryMap "invites you to think of geographic space and human movement as continuous and connective as you ‘travel’ through seven of the country’s geographic subregions."
The Humanities Institute, along with the LALS Department, will host a virtual reading event on Friday, Oct 23, 2020. We hope you join us by registering here.
Balloffet, who is teaching LALS 1: Introduction to Latin American and Latino Studies this fall, updated us on the progress of her current research in the Venom Lab and the work of her student researchers over the summer: "students explored weekly themes related to biogeography, animal behavior, cultural meaning, venom research, and public health. Our weekly conversations about these topics led us to begin to conceive of these themes as a tapestry—one woven together by moving people and animals that have long connected environments, societies, and knowledges related to these venomous creatures."
For more on venomous snakes, read Balloffet's "Venomous Company: Snakes and Agribusiness in Honduras"
