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Blanco, Public Policy Students Present Research on Latin American Studies

Pepperdine University School of Public Policy students will be featured speakers at the annual conference of the Pacific Coast Council of Latin American Studies (PCCLAS), which will take place on Friday, Nov. 6 at El Camino College in Torrance, California. Led by Luisa Blanco, assistant professor of economics at Pepperdine, the students will offer an analysis of current public policy issues in Latin America.  

Blanco chose six panelists based on their work in her Latin American Economic Development class. "These students have done an outstanding analysis of a current policy issue in Latin America and are excited about participating and presenting their work at the conference," says Blanco, who, in addition to moderating the student session, will present her own work on the rise of the political left in Latin America and chair a session on international relations.

The students are: Mitchell Anan, who gives a policy analysis of Ecuador's recent dollarization to combat inflation; Morgan Beach, who explores the civil unrest that results from displaced populations in Colombia; James Bieber, who discusses alternative poverty reduction strategies in Bolivia, one of the poorest countries in Latin America; Violeta Duran, whose paper examines the lack of equitable and appropriate education that exists for indigenous groups in Mexico and some of the social and economic consequences of this inequity; Erik Hurtado, who investigates Mexico's recent policy of decriminalizing narcotics; and Lindsay Young, who discusses the implications of the Honduran military's removal the President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales from power on June 28, 2009.

Founded in the 1950s, PCCLAS is an interdisciplinary organization composed of academics, professionals, students and other persons interested in promoting scholarly research and dialogue between the U.S., Latin America, and the Caribbean.
The annual conference is the organizations biggest initiative for addressing Latin American life, ranging from art and culture to pressing socioeconomic, political and environmental issues. This year's conference, "Latin America: Change and the Visions of Hope," includes two days of panels, beginning at 9 a.m. on Nov. 6, through 11 a.m. on Nov. 7. Other Panel topics include a comparative social perspective on Mexican and African American cultures, Hispanic folklore and colonial literature, and the economy. There will also be a Latin music concert held from 7 to 9 p.m. on Nov. 6 at the Hague Recital Hall.

Pepperdine University will serve as host of the PCCLAS annual conference in November 2010. For more information on the organization, click here.
Visit publicpolicy.pepperdine.edu for more information on the Pepperdine School of Public Policy.