» MAIS Core Faculty Members

Victoria Carty's research focuses on transnational social movements in the United States, Mexico and Panama and role of the internet in social mobilization. Her research has explored cross-border union organizing and anti-sweatshop movements in Latin America. Dr. Carty has written several journal articles and book chapters on this topic. Most recently, she published a book titled, Wired and Mobilizing: Social Movements, New Technology, and Electoral Politics(Routledge Press). She is also very interested in public sociology, specifically issues of immigration and homelessness in Orange County.

Professor Badrinarayana's areas of expertise include environmental law, public health law, international trade, and corporate social responsibility. She has served as a consultant with the United Nations Global Compact and on India-World Bank environmental projects.

Dr. Benitez specializes in comparative politics, with emphasis on public policy, territorial politics, political parties, and research methods. He has carried out extensive fieldwork in Mexico interviewing key political figures.

Dr. Hovsepian's research has explored Middle East politics, globalization, and democratization. His extensive professional experience includes journalism and service with the United Nations Conference on the Question of Palestine

Dr. Kanavou's areas of interest include peace and conflict, negotiations, security studies, and international relations theory. She has recently conducted fieldwork in Cambodia exploring the legacies of genocide.

Dr. Loustau's expertise includes Latin American literatures written in the United States as well as U.S. Latino/a literatures. Her research explores notions of border, de(re)territorialization, nomadism, and transculturation.

Dr. Murphy's research focuses on conflict and post-conflict development, political economy and sustainability topics, and promotes qualitative methods for policy oriented scholarship. She has recently worked in the Sudan exploring micro-credit programs in post-war societies.

Dr. Sfeir's areas of expertise include microeconomics, applied econometrics, statistics, and forecasting. His research explores operations research, capital asset pricing, and manufacturing sector performance.

Dr. Valenzuela's research focuses on Latin America, indigenous languages, and intercultural bilingual education. With funding from the National Science Foundation, she has documented endangered indigenous languages in the Amazon.

Dr. Will's research emphasis includes peace and conflict, comparative politics, and southern Africa. He has worked as a non-governmental observer at the United Nations and conducted courses and fieldwork in South Africa.

Dr. Woldemikael's areas of expertise include immigrants and refugees, racial identity, ethnicity and nationalism, language and public policy. His recent research has focused on the formation of Eritrean nationalist movements and religion.