Dr. Tara Daly, assistant professor of Spanish, and Dr. Stephanie Rivera Berruz, assistant professor of philosophy, both in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, have been named co-directors of the Race, Ethnic and Indigenous Studies (REIS) program.
The REIS program is an interdisciplinary endeavor that promotes critical academic scholarship on the workings of racial and ethnic identity, the persistence of racism and other forms of social oppression, and the enduring struggle of Native American and indigenous communities in light of centuries of domination and exclusion.
“The REIS program has been a tremendous addition to Marquette, as it has made a major impact on the diversity in both existing academic programs and new areas of study, our faculty and the educational experience for all students,” said Provost Kimo Ah Yun. “We are excited by the leadership and direction that Dr. Daly and Dr. Rivera Berruz will bring as co-directors. Their dedication to the mission and scholarship in this area make them ideal candidates to take this program forward, expanding its offerings and roster of affiliated faculty.”
Fueled by recent cluster hiring and bringing together individuals from numerous departments and colleges, REIS provides various forms of support through mentorship, a sense of community and leadership opportunities alongside opportunities for faculty to obtain feedback on research projects within its purview. As such, this program promotes ethical, embodied scholarship that allows Marquette to realize what faith, excellence, service and leadership mean when these ideals courageously transcend internal and external borders here on campus or in Milwaukee, the Midwest and beyond.
The cluster hire approach of bringing in diverse scholars who study and teach about race, ethnicity and intersectionality — the ways in which systems of power and institutions affect marginalized populations — has infused the curriculum quickly and created a better environment for new faculty on campus.
Daly joined the faculty in 2015. Her research and teaching focuses on contemporary Latin American literary and visual cultures in the Andean and Amazon regions of Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. She is a faculty adviser for Sigma Delta Pi, Chapter Gamma Gamma, the Spanish Honor Society, and previously served on boards for the Center for Gender and Sexualities and the Raynor Memorial Libraries.
Rivera Berruz was a part of the first of three cluster hires of REIS faculty that have been recruited to Marquette since 2018. She joined the faculty after receiving the Woodrow Wilson Career Enhancement Fellowship for her work on Latin/a American Philosophy. Her main research interests lie in Latin American Philosophy and Latinx feminisms; Caribbean and Latin American philosophy, as well as the philosophy of race, gender and sexuality.
The REIS Program supports interdisciplinary majors and minors in a number of fields including Africana Studies (major and minor), Latinx Studies (minor), Arab and Muslim American Studies (minor), Literatures of Diverse Cultures (minor) and Culture, Health and Illness (minor).