COLLABORATION across disciplines and across languages plays a significant role in the enrichment and advancement of any teacher/scholar’s projects. The fostering of ideas and dialogical exchanges leads to innovative research activities with numerous outcomes. From publications to external grant funding, to team-taught courses and the exploration of new teaching models drive the innovative development of UG and Graduate curriculum while preserving its core. Collaboration enables community engagement activities that intersect faculty research and/or pedagogical agendas.

I photographed the image above in 2005 while visiting an association (cooperativa) of Indigenous women weavers near Cuzco (Peru). I was drawn to this artifact because it shows its original elements, highlights the process and anticipates the outcome. Different colors and threads come together in the loom to design and produce an intricate, diverse and beautiful textile that yield multiple meanings. This image constitutes a visual metaphor for collaboration.

In this section, you will find samples of my collaborative initiatives and activities with colleagues and students who work in my field and in other areas of specialization (American Indian Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Education, History, Packaging, Visual studies, Writing and Rhetoric, among others). Our academic work should not only reach out to the non-academic community but also find  common ground with community members to develop initiatives which appeal to the interests of general audiences inspiring them to move to action.

Collaborative activities are organized as follows:
• Research collaborations
• Outreach or Engaging the Community
• Teaching and Learning

If you are interested in sharing ideas and discussing a possible collaboration, contact me to meet (in person, by phone, Skype or Zoom).