Mission Statement

The Academic Advisory Committee (AAC) of the Cuban Heritage Collection (CHC) supports the growth, longevity, and success of the Cuban Heritage Collection in pursuit of its principal mission: collecting, preserving, providing access to, and supporting research in primary and secondary sources of enduring historical and artifactual value related to Cuba and the Cuban diaspora. The Cuban Heritage Collection serves as a center for knowledge preservation, creation, and dissemination for the Cuban diaspora, the scholarly community, and the broader public. In that spirit, the CHC aims to strengthen its position as a leading site for the promotion and discussion of research in Cuban Studies.

To these ends, AAC members 1) provide feedback and advice on CHC academic programs, public events, collections strategies, and other strategic initiatives, 2) participate in application review for the CHC’s various fellowship, grant, and other application-based scholarly programs, and 3) help promote wider use and awareness of the CHC and its academic programs within scholarly, professional, community, and student networks.

AAC deliberations are advisory in nature and support the work of the Esperanza Bravo de Varona Chair and Director of the CHC, and the Emilio Bacardí Moreau Chair in Cuban and Cuban-American Studies and CHC Director of Academic Programs.

Current Membership

University of Miami

1. Victor Deupi, Senior Lecturer, School of Architecture (2023-2025)
2. Sallie Hughes, Professor, Department of Journalism and Media Management, and Associate Dean for Global Initiatives, School of Communication (2023-2025)
3. Alejandro Portes, Professor of Law and Distinguished Scholar of Arts & Sciences (2023-2025)
4. Helena Solo-Gabriele, Professor of Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering (2024-2026)
5. Christina Civantos, Professor, Modern Languages and Literatures, College of Arts & Sciences (2024-2026)

Outside Members

1. María de los Ángeles Torres, Distinguished Professor of Latin American and Latino Studies, University of Illinois-Chicago (2023-2025)
2. Lisandro Pérez, Professor, Department of Latin American and Latinx Studies, John Jay College, City University of New York (2023-2025)
3. Rafael Rojas, Professor, Centro de Estudios Históricos, Colegio de México (2023-2025)
4. Danielle Clealand, Associate Professor, Department of Mexican-American and Latina/o Studies, University of Texas-Austin (2023-2025)
5. Daylet Domínguez, Associate Professor, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, University of Calfornia-Berkeley (2024-2026)

Representing the CHC and Ex Officio

1. Michael Bustamante, Emilio Bacardí Moreau Chair in Cuban and Cuban-American Studies and Director of Academic Programs, Cuban Heritage Collection
2. Amanda Moreno, Esperanza Bravo de Varona Chair and Director of the Cuban Heritage Collection
3. Elizabeth Cerejido, Curator for Cuban Collections, Cuban Heritage Collection
4. Juan Villanueva, Cuban Heritage and Spanish Language Collections Archivist, UM Libraries
5. Elizabeth Fish, Associate Dean for Collections Strategies, UM Libraries (ex officio)
6. Andy Gómez, Senior Advisor to the President’s Office for Cuban Affairs (ex officio)