Visiting Scholar Program

U.S.-Mexico Borderlands Visiting Scholar/Artist Program

The department’s U.S.-Mexico Borderlands Visiting Scholar/Artist Program offers established scholars, postdoctoral, and graduate students, as well as artists, the opportunity to spend time at SDSU for a period of two to twelve months and undertake independent research, writing, or artistic production. 

The program seeks scholars/artists whose research or artistic production addresses topics related to Chicana/o/xs, Mexicans, and other Latinxs on the U.S.-Mexican borderlands, as well as comparative borderlands and borders. Relevant projects address transnational/transborder processes and issues, especially as these relate to social justice and migration, health, education, violence, race, gender identities, community organizing, and cultural production. 

The purpose of the program is to support scholars/artists whose work is informed by the field of Chicana/o Studies and to foster intellectual exchange between the visiting scholar/artist and CCS faculty and students.

This program welcomes the following categories of Visiting Scholars/Artists:

1. An established scholar with a Ph.D. and solid research experience;
2. A postdoctoral scholar;
3. An advanced graduate student working on their research thesis; and
4. Artists/practitioners in the process of elaborating a final product that requires academic research.

Participation is limited to one visitor per semester. There is no application deadline. The application process requires that the interested person send the following, via email, to department chair, Dr. María Ibarra, at [email protected].

The completed application will be reviewed by a department committee. 

1. A cover letter, specifying reason for interest in the Visiting Scholar program in the department; also please indicate under which Visiting Scholar category you are applying and the proposed arrival date and period of stay;
2. A detailed research proposal of approximately 2000-2500 words that includes a:
   
   • Title
   • Research problem or thesis 
   • How the research is pertinent to the field of Chicana/o Studies and/or the research interests of tenured/tenure-track faculty members in the department
   • Background of study and literature review
   • Research questions and/or hypotheses
   • Methods
   • Significance of the research
   • Timetable
   • Phase of project/or part of the proposal that will be developed during visit
   • Products expected
   • References
3. A full curriculum vitae.
4.  A letter of recommendation from a scholar familiar with your work. 

Accepted Visiting Scholars/Artists will commit to give an on-campus presentation on their work during the period in which they are in residence and will submit a brief final report summarizing work accomplished. Accepted Visiting Scholars/Artists will be assigned a shared office space, an SDSU identification card, and access to the library/media center.  The department does not provide a computer or a phone line. During a Covid-19 semester, Visiting Scholars/Artists will not be assigned an office.