The U’s Brazilian Studies Program is expanding through fundraisers, community support, student pressure and new Brazilian professors.
The Brazilian program is part of the Latin American studies program that started at the U in 2001. Students who served missions to Brazil for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints pressed the Latin American studies program coordinators to create a study program that emphasizes Brazil.
Most universities with a Latin American program have an emphasis on either Central America or Mexico, said Heidi Camp, assistant dean of the College of Humanities.
“There are 15 or less universities with a Latin American study program that focuses on Brazil,” she said.
David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue and Azul airlines, endowed the Brazil program last year with $1 million for a chair in Brazilian Studies in honor of his father, Gary Neeleman, the Honorary Consul of Brazil for Utah.
The endowment can only be used for the program when it is able to match the donations. The program has hosted several fundraisers, lectures and sent out letters to the community asking for donations to help make the match.
Camp works closely with fundraising, and so far $250,000 has been raised. She said she hopes the rest of the money will be raised in the next six months.
Students studying in the program come from across campus and study different aspects of Brazil, including the Portuguese language and culture. Many consider Brazil one of the emerging economic powers in the world.
The U does not offer a minor or major in Brazilian studies, but a minor is offered in the Latin American studies.
The U hired two new Brazilian professors for the program. Alessandra Santos will start teaching this fall in the department of languages and literature and Elena Shtromberg is a new art history professor who studies and teaches about Brazilian art.
A major for Latin American studies has been written and could be running by Fall Semester if the Utah State Board of Regents approves the curriculum, Horn said.
The program is still fairly new but will apply for National Resource Center Title VI funding in 2011 or 2012. The U Middle East Center receives Title VI funding and is reapplying for it this year. The Asian Center is also applying for funding this year.
The U could be one of the few schools in the nation to have three centers receiving Title VI funding if the Latin American Studies Program and Asian Center receive support.
Programs and centers must have other activities that make it competitive, reach out the community and campus, create ties with all Utah institutions and spread their studies across campus into different colleges and studies in order to apply and receive Title VI funding, Horn said.
On April 1, Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, ambassador of Brazil to the United States, will come to Utah to meet with U President Michael Young about the Brazilian program. Patriota will also speak in the Hinckley Institute of Politics Caucus Room, OSH 255, at 1:30 p.m.