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. Ryan Mann-Hamilton received his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the CUNY Graduate Center with a concentration in Africana Studies and holds a Master’s in Environmental Systems and an undergraduate degree in International Studies from Humboldt State University. His areas of teaching and research focus on the Caribbean and Latin America and engage with multiple themes around displacement, nation-making, environmental justice, AfroLatinx social movements, and food sovereignty. He is currently an Associate Professor of Social Science at LaGuardia Community College.

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.

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
• 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
• Liesl Fores-Iza, Communications Director, Division of Adult and Continuing Education
• Belkis Gonzalez, Associate Professor, English Department
• John Hunt, Interim Assistant Dean for Pre-College Academic Programs, Division of Adult and Continuing Education
• Ryan Mann-Hamilton, Co-Director, Associate Professor, Social Science Department
• Rebecca Tally, Associate Professor, Social Science Department
• Ingrid Veras, Associate Professor, Natural Sciences Department

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.