About LACC

Milagros Pereyra-Rojas has a PhD in Management (Designing Sustainable Systems) from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, an M.S. in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University, an M.S. in Management and Technology and a B.S../B.A. both from Carlow University. She began working for the Latin American Studies Association as Assistant Director for Information Systems and Communications in 2000 and has been the Executive Director since 2003, She also serves as a research associate at Case Western Reserve University and is President of MaestroMeetings Inc, a subsidiary of LASA that organizes its annual meetings. She has published peer reviewed papers in journals and conference proceedings and is co-author of books on managerial decision making. In 2019, she received the Carlow University Laureate award in recognition of her leadership and contribution to the academic community. She is originally from Peru where she worked as a journalist and for La Casa de la Mujer (House of Women)—a non-profit organization that promotes the rights of underprivileged women.

Manuel has a B.A. from Harvard University and was the recipient of a Fulbright Research Fellowship upon graduating. He received his PhD in Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh with a Heinz Fellowship in Latin American Archaeology.  In his professional life, Manuel has served as Director of the National Museum of Nicaragua, Country Program Manager and Monitoring and Evaluation Manager for USAID Public/Private Partnerships in Nicaragua and Guatemala, and founded and coordinated the master’s program in Latin American Studies at the Universidad Americana in Managua. Prior to his return to Pittsburgh in 2019 to serve as Assistant Director of the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, he spent five years in Washington, D.C., serving as a project manager, and cultural heritage, environmental and social consultant for projects located in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Sandra Budd received her MFA from Carnegie Mellon University focusing on interactive robotic installations. She began her position as Assistant Director and Curator in April 2020. She previously served as Museum Exhibition Designer and Project Manager of Permanent Exhibitions at the Utah State University Eastern Prehistoric Museum, an accredited Natural History Museum and repository for paleontological and archeological materials and collections originating from Utah. She formerly worked as an exhibition designer and production professional for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. She is an interdisciplinary multimedia designer and has extensive experience managing large scale exhibitions from museum and private collections. Sandra has worked as a production lead for a major Hollywood film (The Fault in Our Stars) and has served on advisory boards for several museum hall renovations requiring integration of new building infrastructure, and strategic marketing and planning for capital campaign projects.

Bill DeWalt has a B.A. and a PhD in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Connecticut. During a long and distinguished academic career, he authored or coauthored a substantial number of books and articles about the relationship between humans and natural resources in Latin America, and he advised many PhD students who are now leaders in academic and nonprofit organizations. Bill was the recipient of major teaching and research awards at both the University of Kentucky and University of Pittsburgh. At the University of Pittsburgh, he was Director of the renowned Center for Latin American Studies and Distinguished Service Professor of Public and International Affairs. While a professor, he served as a consultant for many international development organizations including the U.S. Agency for International Development, World Bank, International Finance Corporation, Inter-American Development Bank, and the World Wildlife Fund. Bill became Director of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in 2001 where he raised more than $50 million for building projects that included major expansions of Hillman Hall of Gems and Minerals and of the museum’s world-famous dinosaur halls. He then became the Founding President and Director of the new, award-winning $250 million Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. After retiring for the first time, he became Executive Vice President and Museum Director to help guide the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate to its successful opening in 2015. Bill was a long-time member and served as the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Pennsylvania/Delaware chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Bill has been a life member of the Latin American Studies Association since 1994.

Sylvia Keller holds a Master of Public Management degree from the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University with a focus on non-profit management, and a B.A. from Dickinson College. She completed the Getty’s prestigious Museum Leadership Institute program in 2001. Sylvia has nearly thirty years of collective experience as a museum and non-profit professional. She spent nearly 17 years at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History (CMNH) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania serving in several critical roles, including Assistant Director for Public Programs, Deputy Director, and as Interim Director. Subsequent to her work at CMNH, Sylvia served as Executive Director of Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures (PA&L), where she professionalized the organization, scheduled world class authors to speak to audiences numbering 1,800 to 2,000, and secured funding for all programs. Sylvia was hired in 2007 to assist in every facet of the formation of the new Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix, Arizona—building its facilities, staff, collections, programs, and funding sources from the ground up. Sylvia has served as a panel reviewer on numerous occasions in Washington, DC for the National Science Foundation’s Informal Science Education grants.

With a proven track record of success in various roles, Carola is known for her exceptional skills in event management, relationship building, and marketing. Her expertise and dedication make her a valuable addition to the Latin American Cultural Center, where she is committed to driving engagement and fostering meaningful connections within the community.

Claudia Ferman holds a PHD in literature; she is a documentarian and film programmer. She has produced and directed documentaries examining the relations between print writing, digital culture and film, in the works of leading Latin American writers, which have been shown at numerous venues in Latin America and the USA. Among other distinctions, she has been awarded the Fulbright-Hays fellowship, as well as the Rockefeller Foundation and the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities fellowships at different points in her career.  She is currently based in Buenos Aires and directs the Latin American Studies Association Film Festival and its Multiscreen Platform and Documentary Archive Project.

Deborah Cancel-Roman earned a B.A. in Psychology from Kent State University, graduating magna cum laude in 2016. Her academic focus on human development and family studies included research on attitudinal familism and parental orientation among adolescent Latina mothers, which she presented at that year’s symposium. During her undergraduate research, she also managed Spanish transcription and translation, contributing to the study’s accessibility and accuracy.

Deborah’s career spans diverse roles in administration, event coordination, and research. From managing executive initiatives at The Hope Learning Center to supporting international operations at JLL, she has consistently demonstrated a commitment to excellence and fostering intercultural understanding.

Currently serving as the Administrative Assistant for Event Rentals at the Latin American Cultural Center, Deborah ensures the seamless organization of programs and events. She is also the Office Manager for the Latin American Studies Association (LASA), where she assists with operations and supports global conferences.

Lazaros Amanatidis is Director of Information Systems and Development at the Latin American Studies Association where his role is to develop and implement cost-effective solutions to meet current and future decision-making requirements. A native of Greece, he has Bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science from Hellenic Open University and in Environmental Cartography from the University of the Aegean, and a Master’s degree in Financial Engineering from the University of the Aegean.

Before working for LASA and LACC, Lazaros spent ten years as a Software and Database Developer for companies in Greece. His main interests are database optimization, machine learning and big data analytics.

Vanessa Chaves is Director of Communications and Marketing for LASA and LACC. A native of Costa Rica, her undergraduate degree is in Media Production.  She has a Master’s degree in Media, Peace, and Conflict Studies from the United Nations University for Peace (UPEACE) and an MPhil in Latin American Studies from Oxford University in England.

Vanessa worked as a journalist for the Costa Rican newspaper La República and for the television channel Central America Broadcasting (CB24). At the latter, she was a reporter, anchor of the program “Es Noticia Mundo”, and a producer. Since joining LASA in 2017, she has coordinated all media relations, produced promotional materials, and acted as host for LASA’s annual Congresses.