LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES

The Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center is designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a National Resource Center on Latin America, recognizing it as one of the top Latin American and Caribbean Centers in the country. The Title VI-funded center draws upon the expertise of one of the largest concentrations of Latin American and Caribbean Studies scholars of any university in the country.

Professors from FIU and the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, are looking at the impact energy security has on vulnerable populations who rely on electrical power for medical equipment. The National Institutes of Healthfunded study aims to demonstrate the positive health impact of energy independence through direct access to solar power. The professors seek to provide an evidencebased model of how to get “off the grid” and establish best practices for this work. Puerto Rico faces frequent power outages due to damage to its power grid caused by natural disasters like 2017’s Hurricane Maria.

FIU and U.S. Southern Command have collaborated for more than a decade, resulting in hundreds of student internships and a partnership where faculty, staff and students conduct primary research on topics related to Latin American and Caribbean security. The research provides data and analytic power to support U.S. Department of Defense and partner-nation decision-makers with real-time information and analysis.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested $105 million in FIU since 2004 — supporting global research in water sustainability, disaster-risk reduction, security and storm surge monitoring and warning in the Caribbean. As part of a recent agreement, the USAID will work with the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center to increase research opportunities, internships and jobs for students.