Newsletter Writing Kellogg Institute Kellogg Spring '07 The First Fellows
In the spring semester of 1983, the Kellogg Institute hosted its first class of Visiting Fellows. Back then, the goals of the program were very much as they are today: to support scholarship related to Kellogg's research agenda, while enriching the academic life of the Institute.
On Kellogg's 25th anniversary, we look back at what happened to several of those first Visiting Fellows.
Catalina Romero
Since her first Kellogg visiting fellowship, the Peruvian scholar Catalina Romero has gone on to become Dean of the Social Sciences Faculty at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.
She has visited the Institute many times and collaborated on a number of projects, most recently on one concerning the democratic crisis in the Andean region, which resulted in an edited volume, The Crisis of Democratic Representation in the Andes (Stanford, 2006). In 2001, she returned as a Visiting Fellow and Title VI Professor in the Department of Sociology. She also contributed to a conference on "Contemporary Catholicism, Religious Pluralism, and Democracy in Latin America," which will yield an edited volume in 2007.
Among other activities, Romero has participated in comparative research projects such as the World Values Survey and the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems, served as chair of her department, and helped create a master's degree and an undergraduate program in political science at La Católica.
"I have accompanied in some way the process of institutionalization of the Kellogg Institute, following it through the different buildings where it has been located," says Romero.
"I have kept in touch with members of the staff, and with the associate members, professors, and fellows that I have had the opportunity to meet.
"Today the Kellogg Institute is an academic reference for scholars in Latin America," Romero reflects.
"The Kellogg Institute contributes to building a Latin American space for scholars from around the world, where one can find the literature on each country, engage in comparative analyses, and enjoy multicultural encounters with colleagues and friends.
"Academic resources, such as the Latin American section in the library, and the special attention to the fellows are invaluable for the scholar that aims to get involved in intense research and writing in a short time."