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Casa de las Américas

Casa de las Américas

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Room: M-Building, M-141
Phone: (718) 482-5995
casa@lagcc.cuny.edu

Monday- Friday 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Upcoming Events

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Casa de las Américas at LaGuardia Community College is the first center at a CUNY community college offering comprehensive academic and career services to Latinx students from all countries of the Americas.

LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC) is a microcosm of Queens’ abundant mix of ethnicities, nationalities, cultures, and races, particularly those of Latinx heritage – its student population represents almost every Latinx country in the Americas. La Casa pursues partnerships with community organizations and institutions across New York and beyond to engage its students, faculty, and staff and Queens residents of Latinx heritage and other intersectional communities. We aim to provide opportunities to educate and advance Latinx community members and support them as they become lifelong learners, professionals and activists, contributing towards the betterment of society.



Goals

La Casa will provide a welcoming space to celebrate, engage with, and learn the cultural richness of our students and community members – particularly undocumented, LGBTQIA+, Afro-Latino, and Indigenous peoples, and other often historically excluded and underserved members. Together we will promote and support diversity, equity, and inclusion while providing opportunities for Latinx community members to enter, advance, and excel in multifaceted professional arenas La Casa hopes to build global connections with academic centers, institutes, and community organizations to empower Latinx communities and foster continuing awareness and pride in the Latinx heritage.

Focus Areas

In order to achieve our goals, La Casa will partner with career services and the Division of Adult and Continuing Education (ACE) to help Latinx students take advantage of research assistantships and internships in various field-focused institutions. We will work toward developing study abroad opportunities and promote faculty, staff, and student research on Latinx history, culture, politics, etc., and the participation of Latinx members in STEM-related fields.

Additional resources you will find at La Casa include:

  • Mentoring
  • Conferences
  • Exhibits
  • Performances
  • Film screenings
  • Workshops
  • Networking events
  • Spanish Language and Continuing Education programming

Media interviews

Pix11 News with Monica Morales
September 28, 2022: New College Center Opens for Latino Students in Queens

ABC7 New York Tiempo with Joe Torres
September 18, 2022: La Casa de las Americas’ center celebrates the tradition, and history of Latinos

Urban U CUNY TV
September 15, 2022: Casa de las Americas

Co-Directors

Dr. Ingrid Veras received her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from St. John’s University. She also obtained her Master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Biology from St. John’s University. Her area of teaching is Biology, providing instructions for courses such as Microbiology, Anatomy & Physiology, and First Year Seminars. Her research involves studying environmental pollution in NYC. She is currently an Associate Professor in the Natural Sciences Department at Laguardia Community College.

Dr. Sonia Alejandra Rodriguez received their PhD in English from the University of California Riverside and their MFA in Creative Writing from the City College of New York. Their academic research focuses on Latine children’s literature including issues related to ethnic studies, critical race theory, gender & sexuality studies, and climate change. Dr. Rodriguez was a Mellon/ACLS Community College Fellow and a recipient of the Mellon Emerging Faculty Award. They are currently a Professor in the English Department at LaGuardia Community College.

Office Manager

Stefania Gonzalez is a LaGuardia graduate. She started as a College Assistant at the LaGuardia Community College Foundation in 2017. Since then she’s helped coordinate and manage projects like Honors Internship Program, MANA Entrepreneurship Class, President’s Society, President’s Society Environment, and many more. Stefania is now bringing her long-standing administrative experience to La Casa where she will continue to provide support to faculty, staff, and students alike.

Executive Committee

  • Kenneth Adams, President, LaGuardia Community College
  • Olga Calderón, Professor, Natural Sciences Department
  • Soraya Ciego-Lemur, Interim Director, LaGuardia Wagner Archives
  • Milena Cuellar, Professor, Department of Mathematics, Engineering, and Computer Science
  • Hector Fernandez, Professor, Business and Technology Department
  • Estefany Gonzaga, Coordinator, Student Success Mentor Program
  • Ryan Mann-Hamilton, Associate Professor, Social Science Department
  • Thomas M. Onorato, Professor, Natural Sciences Department
  • Maria Alexandrine Ribas, Coordinator of Transfer Credits, Division of Students Affairs
  • Miguelina Rodriguez, Lecturer, Social Science Department
  • Sonia Alejandra Rodriguez, Co-Director, Professor, English Department
  • Ingrid Veras, Co-Director, Associate Professor, Natural Sciences Department

La Casa’s Student Ambassador Program

The goal of the La Casa Student Ambassador Program is to provide mentorship, leadership, and civic opportunities to students of Latinx, Latin American, and Caribbean descent in order to enhance and support their experience at LaGuardia Community College. Throughout this fellowship, students will learn the moving parts of a college cultural center, which promotes academic, career, and personal development, and will prepare students for careers in multiple settings. 

Familiares de la Casa

La Casa will be supported by Familiares de la Casa, LaGuardia faculty and staff who will work on a volunteer basis to help the Co-Directors organize events and perform community outreach.

  • Pablo Avila, Associate Director, ePorfolio and Digital Learning (Working Group Member)
  • Anita Baksh, Associate Professor, English Department
  • Olga Calderon, Professor, Natural Sciences Department
  • Loretta Capuano, Director, Student Information Services (Working Group Member)
  • Cheri Carr, Associate Professor, Humanities
  • Soraya Ciego-Lemur, Interim Director, LaGuardia and Wagner Archives
  • Milena C. Cuellar, Professor, Math, Engineering and Computer Science Department (Working Group Member)
  • Hugo Fernandez, Professor, Humanities Department (Working Group Member)
  • Hector Fernandez, Professor, Business and Technology Department
  • Alcira Forero-Pena, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Social Sciences Department
  • Liesl Fores-Iza, Director of Communications, Division of Adult and Continuing Education (Working Group Member)
  • Belkis Gonzalez, Associate Professor, English Department
  • Ana Maria Hernandez, Professor, Education and Language Acquisition Department (Working Group Member)
  • Elsie Hernandez, Administrative Assistant, Marketing & Communications Department
  • Rosa Herrera-Rodriguez, Senior College Lab Tech and Adjunct Assistant Professor, Education and Language Acquisition Department
  • John Hunt, Interim Assistant Dean, Division of Adult and Continuing Education
  • Ian McDermott, Associate Professor, Library Department
  • Deborah Nibot, Admissions Manager, Office of Admissions
  • Wendy Nicholson, Executive Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Arianna Pina, Assistant Director, Student Financial Services
  • Joy Sanchez-Taylor, Associate Professor, English Department (Working Group Member)
  • Javier Serna, Lecturer, Business and Technology Department
  • Elizabeth Streich, Public Relations Manager, Marketing & Communications Department
  • Rebecca Tally, Associate Professor, Social Sciences Department (Working Group Member)
  • Nathan Tosh, Program Coordinator, Women’s Center and LGBTQIA Safe Zone Hub
  • Ingrid Veras, Associate Professor, Natural Sciences Department (Working Group Member)
  • Nayelli Valencia, Chief of Staff, Office of the President

Contact Us

  • To contact us, call (718) 482-7200
  • CUNY LaGuardia Community College
    31-10 Thomson Avenue
    Long Island City, NY 11101 USA

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