Scholars and Visitors

Each year CLAS sponsors an outstanding group of visiting scholars. The group ranges from area specialists to public intellectuals and practitioners. Visiting scholars give public talks and participate fully in the intellectual life at CLAS.

Applying for affiliation with CLAS

Senior Scholar

Maria Echaveste

Maria Echaveste has built a distinguished career working as a public policy consultant, lecturer, senior White House official, long-time community leader, and corporate attorney. She has lectured at UC Berkeley's School of Law and was affiliated with the UC Berkeley Warren Institute on Law and Social Policy.  She is currently working on immigration, civic engagement, labor rights and education. She is an affiliate of the Berkeley Food Institute, a multi-disciplinary center at UC Berkeley, focused on transforming our nation’s food system. She specializes in international issues related to Mexico and Latin America, including being named by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as Special Representative to Bolivia in 2009.  From 1998 to 2001, Echaveste served as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff to President Bill Clinton. From 1997 to 1998, Echaveste was director of the Office of Public Liaison at the White House and the administrator of the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division from 1993 to 1997. 

Visiting Researcher

João M. B. Mendonça (Brazil)

João M. B. Mendonça is an Associate Professor at the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB). He was a research fellow of the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) and the Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq). In addition to co-organizing the e-book “Antropologia visual: perspectivas de ensino e pesquisa” (Visual Anthropology: Teaching and Researching Perspectives/ ABA-Brazilian Anthropology Association), Professor Mendonça has worked as both organizer and curator in photographic and ethnographic film events. As a filmmaker and member of AVAEDOC (Research Group on Visual Anthropology, Arts, Ethnography and Documentaries), he produced the videos “Passagem e permanência” (As Time Goes By/2012) and “Memórias Retomadas” (Regained Memories/2015). His current research focuses on photographic and ethnographic archives at the Bancroft Library and Hearst Museum of Anthropology, as well as visual memories and the history of anthropology between Brazil and USA in the first half of 20th century.

Leonildes Nazar Chaves (Brazil, 2019-20)

Leonildes is a researcher and Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the State University of Rio de Janeiro Institute for Social and Political Studies (IESP-UERJ). She holds a Master's degree in Political Science (IESP-UERJ, 2017), and researches Brazilian foreign policy, international cooperation for development, climate change and environmental policy, and democratic institutions and political history. She is a member of the Laboratory of World Political Analysis (Labmundo) and the Latitude South research platform. In 2014, she did postgraduate work on studies of culture, politics, and identities. She develops studies of climate change governance and environmental justice, working with civil society organizations on these themes. In addition, Leonildes has subspecialties in International Journalism (Dialogos do Sul/UFRJ) and the History of Africa and African Philosophy (UFRJ). In her research, she defines the dimensions of race and gender as essential axes for/in the analysis of themes, actors and agendas.   

Affiliated Scholars (non-resident)

Carolina Botelho (Brazil, resident 2018-19)

Carolina Botelho holds a Ph.D. in political science from IESP / UERJ, a master's degree in sociology and anthropology from UFRJ and a degree in social sciences from UFRJ. She is currently working on a project on bureaucracy and public policy in Brazil, coordinated by Professor Barry Ames of the University of Pittsburgh. She was a researcher at FGV, IPSOS, UERJ, IPEA, UFRJ and other institutions. She is co-author and co-organizer of the books Reforma da Previdência - A Visita da Velha Senhora; Brasil Pós-Crise: Agenda para a Próxima Década; Novo Regime Demográfico: uma nova relação entre população e desenvolvimento, and Caminhos Trilhados e Desafios da Educação Superior no Brasil. She has experience in public management in federal and state governments.

Past Visiting Scholars and Researchers