Dear LACIS Community, Welcome to the beginning of the 2025-2026 Academic year! We hope you had a lovely summer that included time for adventure and relaxation. We are excited to see you at one of …
LACIS Blog
Latine Comic Collective—A Positive Force for Belonging and Cultural Expression with Latine Middle & High School Newcomers
Art projects can be a transformative force for Latine youth, offering a vibrant avenue for self-expression and cultural pride. In spring 2025, a group of LACIS-affiliated faculty and graduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison …
Meet LACIS’ Summer 2025 Tinker-Nave Field Research Award Recipients!
Liz Birkhauser is a Dual PhD student in Health Services Research in Pharmacy/Environment and Resources Project: “Plant Knowlege Networks in Altered States and the Ecological Self” Location: Napo Province, Ecuador Tomas Ignacio Pino Flores is …
Latin American Music/Instrument Workshop @ Northside Elementary
On Monday, April 7, LACIS had the pleasure of hosting a bilingual (Spanish and English) outreach workshop, guided by the talented musicians Raquel Paraiso and Francisco “Pancho” López-Méndez, with the enthusiastic 4th graders at Northside …
LACIS celebrates the career of Associate Director, Alberto Vargas
by Jacob Sorrells, LACIS M.A. student On Wednesday night, March 19th, LACIS came together with students and faculty from all corners of university life to celebrate the remarkable career of our beloved Associate Director, Alberto …
Artists-in-Residence with Benjamin Barson and Gizelxanath Rodriguez
by Jacob Sorrells, LACIS M.A. student In March, LACIS was pleased to welcome saxophonist and author, Dr. Benjamin Barson, and award-winning vocalist and guitarist, Gizelxanath Rodriguez to campus for a week-long artists-in-residency which featured a …
Documentary Film Screenings and Artistic Expression
Earlier this month, LACIS was thrilled to host over 150 Wisconsin middle school and high school students to watch the film “Home is Somewhere Else” and interact through creative drawing and writing activities with co-director …
LACIS Faculty Affiliate, Dr. Sarli Mercado, Becomes Full Teaching Professor
Author Karla Arenas Valenti Visits Local Schools
On Friday, October 18th, LACIS hosted children’s author, Karla Arenas Valenti, on two school visits. She visited Lodi Middle School, Lodi, WI, and Kromrey Middle School, Middleton, WI and shared details about her newly-published book, …
LACIS Assistant Director Presents at Lodi High School’s Annual Career Day
On Friday, September 20th, Sarah Ripp, LACIS’ Assistant Director, presented “High School…to College…to Career: Your Future in…Higher Education and Internationally Focused Employment” to nearly 75 students as part of Lodi High School’s annual “Career Day”. …