Research and Creative Activity in Latin America and the Caribbean
680+ students at UT Austin
845 UT Austin students studying, researching and interning
5,800+ alumni
400+ faculty research and creative endeavors
Our faculty, students, and alumni are connected, engaged in research, education, and service throughout the world. For more information about activity in Latin America and the Caribbean, view our Global Explorer interactive map.
Grants Awarded
With support from the numerous Texas Global funding opportunities available, UT Austin faculty have collaborated with their counterparts at universities and organizations across Latin America and the Caribbean. These partnerships cultivate faculty teaching and research, offer students international cultural learning opportunities, and strengthen the university's regional and global connections.
As of 2026, 59 professors from across the University have received 69 Texas Global grants to support academic activities throughout Latin America and the Caribbean:
Campus Internationalization Event Fund
- Brazil
Laura Rose Brylowski
College of Liberal Arts
“Theater of the Oppressed Symposium: Art-Based Political Activism from Brazil to UT Austin”
Awarded 2022–2023Adele Nelson
College of Fine Arts
“Social Fabric: Art and Activism in Contemporary Brazil”
Awarded 2022–2023- Mexico
Matthew Butler
College of Liberal Arts
“XVI International Meeting of Historians of Mexico”
Awarded 2021–2022Ricardo Ainslie
College of Education
“Puentes: Building a Bi-national Collaboration”
Awarded 2022–2023
Faculty Research Seed Grants
- Brazil
Yan Leng
McCombs School of Business
“Mapping Market Structure Evolution for Disadvantaged Businesses: An Application to a Brazilian Omnichannel Retailer”
In Partnership with Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Awarded 2022–2023- Chile
Joel Johnson
Jackson School of Geosciences
“Assessing Flood Risks and Controls on Channel Morphology in Earth’s Most Arid Environment: Atacama Desert, Chile”
In Partnership with Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Awarded 2020–2021Ilias Georgakopoulos-Soares
College of Pharmacy
“Establishing a U.S.-Chile Research Partnership in Genomics, RNA Splicing, and Gene Regulation”
In partnership with Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad de Chile
Awarded 2025-2026Ashley Moran
College of Liberal Arts
“Improving Constitutional Consultations in Polarized Contexts”
In Partnership with Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez
Awarded 2024–2025- Ecuador
Anthony Di Fiore
College of Liberal Arts
“Next-Generation Tropical Ecology: Leveraging Emerging Technologies to Study Biodiversity in a Hyperdiverse Forest Ecosystem”
In Partnership with Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Awarded 2020–2021- Guatemala
Sandro Sessarego
College of Liberal Arts
“Documenting Afro-Guatemalan Language Varieties and Cultures”
In Partnership with Universidad Mariano Gálvez de Guatemala
Awarded 2024–2025- Jamaica
Ashley Matheny
Jackson School of Geosciences
“From Land to Sea: An Assessment of Pollution Impacts on Coastal Ecosystems in Jamaica”
In Partnership with The University of the West Indies
Awarded 2021-2022- Mexico
Stephanie Grasso
Moody College of Communication
“Patterns of Language Recovery in Mexican-origin Spanish Speakers with Aphasia”
In Partnership with Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía
Awarded 2020–2021Fernando Llanos Lucas
College of Liberal Arts
“Documenting Neuroplasticity in Native Speakers of Endangered Languages in Latin America”
In Partnership with Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropología Social
Awarded 2020–2021Eugenio Arima
College of Liberal Arts
“The Guacamole Effect: Environmental Consequences of Trade Liberalization in Jalisco, Mexico”
In Partnership with Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
Awarded 2021–2022David DeMatthews
College of Education
“Examining Effective and Sustainable Community-Based Approaches to Improving Educational Outcomes in Marginalized Communities in Mexico: A Collaboration between Enseña por Mexico and the University of Texas at Austin”
In Partnership with Enseña por Mexico
Awarded 2021–2022Raissa Fábregas Robles Gil
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
“Integrating Scientific Evidence into the Public Sphere: Evidence from Mexico”
In Partnership with Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM)
Awarded 2021–2022Robin Moore
College of Fine Arts
“Collaborative Ethnomusicology and Digital Humanities of the Americas”
In Partnership with Universidad de Guadalajara
Awarded 2021–2022Sandro Sessarego
College of Liberal Arts
“Documenting the Afro-Hispanic Language Varieties of Mexico”
In Partnership with Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro
Awarded 2021–2022Benjamín Ibarra Sevilla
School of Architecture
“Guidelines of Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Heritage Buildings with Cutting-Edge Repairing Technologies and Methods”
In Partnership with Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
Awarded 2022–2023Sergio Castellanos
Cockrell School of Engineering
“Nearshoring and Sustainable Manufacturing: Techno-Economic Analysis and Its Impact in the United States and Mexico”
In Partnership with Tecnológico de Monterrey
Awarded 2023–2024Jonathan Yan Chen
College of Natural Sciences
“Improving Circularity and Functionality of Fashion Products Through a UTTEC Partnership”
In Partnership with Tecnológico de Monterrey
Awarded 2023–2024Kenneth Greene
College of Liberal Arts
"Political Polarization and the Health of Mexico's Democracy"
In Partnership with Tecnológico de Monterrey
Awarded 2023–2024Tom Devitt
College of Natural Sciences
“Species Discovery of Amphibians and Reptiles in Northern and Central Mexico: Identifying Key Biodiversity Areas for Conservation”
In Partnership with Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
Awarded 2024–2025Junfeng Jiao
School of Architecture
“Energy Poverty Maps Displayed on Digital Twins to Enhance the Resilience of Cities”
In Partnership with Tecnológico de Monterrey
Awarded 2024–2025Jun-Whan Lee
Cockrell School of Engineering
“Resilience in the Blue Economy: Hurricane Impacts on Coastal Tourism in the U.S. and Mexico”
In Partnership with Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
Awarded 2024–2025Wei Li
Cockrell School of Engineering
“Microfluidic-Assisted Synthesis of Bio-Based Nanogels for Photodynamic Therapy”
In Partnership with Tecnológico de Monterrey
Awarded 2024–2025Michael Webber
Cockrell School of Engineering
“Rethinking Wastewater Treatment Plants within the Water-Energy Nexus”
In Partnership with Tecnológico de Monterrey
Awarded 2024–2025Iyaxel Cojti Ren
College of Liberal Arts
“Civil Unrest During Times of Climate Crisis: New Lessons from the Ancient Maya Dead”
In Partnership with Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán
Awarded 2025-2026Xavier Fonoll Almansa
Cockrell School of Engineering
“Developing AI Predictors for Early Detection of Anaerobic Digestion Process Upsets”
In Partnership with Tecnológico de Monterrey
Awarded 2025-2026Stephanie Grasso
Moody College of Communication
“ComUNIDAD: Cross-national Innovation in Communication Intervention for Spanish Speakers with Aphasia”
In Partnership with Tecnológico de Monterrey
Awarded 2025-2026Filippo Mangolini
Cockrell School of Engineering
“Ionic Liquid-Based Bio-Lubricants/Greases for Electromobility Applications”
In Partnership with Tecnológico de Monterrey
Awarded 2025–2026Devleena Samanta
College of Natural Sciences
“Harnessing Nature and Nanotechnology to Overcome Drug-Resistant Colorectal Cancer”
In Partnership with Tecnológico de Monterrey
Awarded 2025–2026
Faculty Travel Planning Grants
- Brazil
Hirofumi Tanaka
College of Education
“Global research collaboration with Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul”
In Partnership with Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Awarded 2023–2024- Costa Rica
Aileen Bumphus
College of Education
“An Investigation of Future Global Leadership Opportunities for Students Engaged in Servant Leadership of Underserved Communities in Costa Rica”
In Partnership with Long Island University Global College
Awarded 2021–2022Edgar Gómez Cruz
School of Information
“Decolonizing Algorithmic Research. The case of Latin America”
In Partnership with Universidad de Costa Rica
Awarded 2021–2022Mercedes Hernandez
School of Social Work
“Establishing Partnerships in Costa Rica to Develop and Deliver a Faculty-Led Ecology Study Abroad Program”
In Partnership with La Selva Biological Station, Tortuguero National Park, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Guanacaste Region
Awarded 2025–2026Ann Thijs
College of Natural Sciences
“Establishing Partnerships in Costa Rica to Develop and Deliver a Faculty-Led Ecology Study Abroad Program”
In Partnership with La Selva Biological Station, Tortuguero National Park, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Guanacaste Region
Awarded 2025–2026- Mexico
Lisa Nardini
College of Fine Arts
“Cataloging, Indexing, and Digitizing Musical Archives in the Americas: A Collaborative Project with the University of Guadalajara”
In Partnership with Universidad de Guadalajara
Awarded 2023–2024Guido Olivieri
College of Fine Arts
“Cataloging, Indexing, and Digitizing Musical Archives in the Americas: A Collaborative Project with the University of Guadalajara”
In Partnership with Universidad de Guadalajara
Awarded 2023–2024Kate Catterall
College of Fine Arts
“Exploring Design and Culture in Mexico City”
In Partnership with Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
Awarded 2024–2025Keila Pérez Quiñones
College of Fine Arts
“Exploring Design and Culture in Mexico City”
In Partnership with Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
Awarded 2024–2025
Global Career Launch
- Brazil
David Eaton
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
“Environmental Quality Internships”
In Partnership with Portal Commerce & Logistics
Awarded 2020–2021Orlando Kelm
College of Liberal Arts
“Economic Development and Entrepreneurship Internship”
In Partnership with Portal Commerce & Logistics
Awarded 2020–2021David Eaton
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
“Global Career Launch – Brazil”
In Partnership with Câmara de Comércio do Rio de Janeiro
Awarded 2023–2024- Ecuador
María Luisa Echavarría
College of Liberal Arts
“Exploring local multidisciplinary solutions to global challenges in a time of transition.”
In Partnership with Fundación Imaymana
Awarded 2022–2023- Guatemala
Marilyn Felkner
College of Natural Sciences / School of Human Ecology
“Prevention through Empowerment”
In Partnership with Asociación Nuestros Ahijados
Awarded 2021–2022- Mexico
David Eaton
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
“Environmental Quality”
In Partnership with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Awarded 2019–2020Richard Amato
McCombs School of Business
“Business Impact”
In Partnership with Tejiendo Alianzas
Awarded 2020–2021David Eaton
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
“Mexico: Trans-Boundary Environmental Issues”
In Partnership with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Awarded 2022–2023Michael Romero
School of Social Work
“Oaxaca Social Hub”
In Partnership with Canica de Oaxaca, Tejiendo Alianzas, SiKanda
Awarded 2023–2024- Panama
Zachary Elkins
College of Liberal Arts
“Democratic Institutional Development”
In Partnership with International IDEA
Awarded 2021–2022
Global Virtual Exchange
- Argentina
Fernando Luiz Lara
School of Architecture
“Latin Urbis – History of the City”
In Partnership with Universidad de Buenos Aires
Awarded 2019–2020Wilfried Wang
School of Architecture
“International Students’ Architecture Award”
In Partnership with Universidad de Palermo
Awarded 2019–2020- Brazil
Alida Louisa Perrine
College of Liberal Arts
“Black Digital Feminisms in Brazil”
In Partnership with Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará
Awarded 2021–2022- Chile
Hugh Smyth
College of Pharmacy
“Written Scientific Communication Using Digital Tools”
In Partnership with Universidad de Chile
Awarded 2019–2020- Columbia
Michael Domjan
College of Liberal Arts
“Collaborative Teaching of Conditioning and Learning”
In Partnership with Universidad Nacional de Colombia
Awarded 2019–2020- Ecuador
Gabriela Polit
College of Liberal Arts
“Representing Human Rights”
In Partnership with Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Awarded 2019–2020David Heymann
School of Architecture
“Hot, Humid, Isolated, Urgent”
In Partnership with Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Awarded 2020–2021- Guatemala
Robyn Metcalfe
College of Natural Sciences
“Global Food Systems Design”
In Partnership with Universidad Francisco Marroquín
Awarded 2019–2020Marilyn Felkner
College of Natural Sciences
“Addressing Social Determinants of Health in Guatemala”
In Partnership with Asociación Nuestros Ahijados
Awarded 2022–2023- Mexico
Brandon Aiello
Dell Medical School
“Foundations of Global Health – Enrichment Elective”
In Partnership with Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP)
Awarded 2019–2020Rebecca Cook
Dell Medical School
“Foundations of Global Health – Enrichment Elective”
In Partnership with Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP)
Awarded 2019–2020Octavio Kano-Galván
Moody College of Communication
“Digital Social Media Production”
In Partnership with Anáhuac University / Iberoamericana
Awarded 2019–2020Orlando Kelm
College of Liberal Arts
“Business in Hispanic Life and Culture”
In Partnership with Tecnológico de Monterrey
Awarded 2019–2020Octavio Kano-Galván
Moody College of Communication
“Global Virtual Exchange Track 2 (360 Production)”
In Partnership with Universidad Iberoamericana
Awarded 2021–2022Stephanie Grasso
Moody College of Communication
“Preparing Speech-Language Pathology Students”
In Partnership with Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
Awarded 2022–2023
Texas Global Publication Fund
- Brazil
Bjorn Sletto
School of Architecture
“Committees on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and on the Rights of Migrants”
Awarded 2023–2024- Cuba
Robin Moore
College of Fine Arts
“Music and Revolution: Cultural Change in Socialist Cuba”
Awarded 2021–2022- Paraguay
Paola Canova
College of Liberal Arts
“Frontier Intimacies: Ayoreo Women and the Sexual Economy of the Paraguayan Chaco”
Awarded 2022–2023