Â??new Perspectives in Contemporary Researchâ?� Spring 2008 Speakers Series Starts Jan. 23

Barbara Driscoll de Alvarado, visiting assistant professor of history at Assumption College, will be the inaugural speaker of the Colorado State University "New Perspectives in Contemporary Research" Spring 2008 Speakers Series starting on Wednesday, Jan. 23.

Driscoll de Alvarado will present "Minorities in the Americas: Ethnicity and Exclusion/Inclusion" from 10-11:15 a.m. in Room 211E of the Lory Student Center on campus.

Driscoll de Alvarado will discuss how American societies south of the Rio Bravo del Norte (Rio Grande) extraordinary diversity much like Canada and the United States. However, observers frequently draw distinctions between Canada and the United States as multicultural members of the developed world and the remaining countries of the Western Hemisphere as more homogeneous societies emerging from the problems of the developing world. The concept of ethnicity then reflects those countries’ efforts to find paths to acculturate and assimilate successive waves of immigrants and the immigrants’ need to find strategies to adjust to their new places of residence. Ethnicity is a significant tool and frame of reference for the United States and Canada.

Driscoll de Alvarado’s presentation will explore these ideas with the goal of laying out the design of a project to compare and contrast minority groups throughout the Americas.

Driscoll de Alvarado has served as adjunct and half-time lecturer for the history departments at Assumption College and Tufts University respectively. She also has served as Research Director for the Social Science Library, Global Development and Environment Institute and the Fletcher School of Diplomacy at Tufts University.

The "New Perspectives in Contemporary Research" Speaker Series has been developed to provide the Colorado State community access to a variety of cutting-edge original academic research. The speakers showcased are innovative senior scholars who have examined critical perspectives on the United States and international cultures, politics and societies. The intent of the series, sponsored by the campus committee for "New Perspectives in Contemporary Research" Speaker Series, is to enlighten and educate faculty, staff and students.

For more information contact Irene Vernon at [email protected] or call (970) 491-2418.

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