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Orlando Lara

olaraza@nyu.edu

www.orlandolara.com

315 Avenue C, Apt #4E

New York, NY 10009

(281) 948-9383

Education:

8/04-Present

New York University, NY

               PhD Candidate, 2nd year

Program in Cultural and Media

               Department of Anthropology

9/99-7/03

Stanford University, CA

Bachelor of Arts with Honors

Major in Chicana/o Studies: Borders and Migration

Minor in Cultural and Social Anthropology

Honors Thesis Title:

Arte, Tierra y Dignidad: Art Intervention in a Subaltern Community Context

8/95-5/99

Klein Oak High School, TX

4th in a class of 675

 

Work Experience:

Freelance Photojournalist for Houston Chronicle (Sum 2004)

            Wrote and provided photography for nightclub and cultural venue reviews.

Sales and Marketing for Maggie’s Cleaning and Painting Co, Inc. (01-02, 03-04)

             Developed and executed advertising and sales strategies. Served as liaison between MCP and legal advisors with regard to delinquent debt collection and contractual agreements. MCP is a family operated cleaning and painting service, which serves apartment complexes in the Greater Houston area.

Contributing Artist for FotoFest H2004 in Houston, TX (03-04)

             In collaboration with Delilah Montoya, digital artist, photographer and Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Houston, produced a photo/digital media installation about water, thirst and migration on the U.S.-Mexico border, Sed: The Trail of Thirst displayed at Talento Bilingüe de Houston. Delivered an Artist Lecture at Stanford University on 2/12/2005 for the Chicana/o Studies Program.

Student Fellow / Program Assistant for the Institute for Diversity in the Arts (01-03)

             As one of four Stanford students selected, helped develop and implement an artist of color educational program. Winter 2002, served as Teaching Assistant for bassist Mark Izu and helped produce a student art and performance exhibit titled First Person Plural. Autumn 2002, coordinated a conference, Just / Art: A Community Dialogue on Art and Social Change. Winter 2003, served as Dramaturg for Daniel Valdez’ theatre workshop. Summer 2003, produced a print catalogue of student artwork as part of a two-year report on the progress of the program. Served as the institute’s web designer during the duration of employment. The program has now become a major concentration within the Comparative Studies for Race and Ethnicity Program at Stanford University.

Undergraduate Assistant for Chicana/o Studies Program at Stanford (02-03)

             Helped advise Chicana/o Studies majors and minors as well as encourage prospective majors/minors. Also helped organize A Tribute to Prof. Renato Rosaldo that included a panel of his former students and leading Chicana/o Studies scholars.

Artist/Scholar-In-Residence for the Border Arts Workshop at San Diego, CA (Sum 2002)

             Researched the role the BAW/TAF has played in the land struggle of the Maclovio Rojas Township in Tijuana, MX. Helped set-up a computer center for the community’s middle-school and collaborated with the BAW/TAF in their annual Border Realities art exhibit, Art Defends, a show based on the community. This experience was the subject of my Honor’s Thesis.

Student Coordinator of a Student Initiated Course and Alternative Spring Break (01-02)

             Designed and taught a Student Initiated Course at Stanford University through the Human Biology Dept., Documenting the Undocumented: “Illegal” Migrations Across the US-Mexico Border which was advised by Prof. Renato Rosaldo and culminated in an Alternative Spring Break Trip to Nogales, Sonora. Upon return, coordinated a Conference on Labor and Migration at Stanford.

Intern and Web Artist for Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their Say (Sum 2001)

             Helped program and organize their monthly showcases, redesigned their website and added an online bookstore function to help sell books of invited authors.

Research Assistant for Psychology Department, Stanford University (00-01)

Collected, conceptualized, and drafted experimental surveys in the field of social psychology. Entered data and trained new RA’s in the Race and Social Justice Psychology Laboratory.

Camp Instructor at ACE Computer Camp (Sum 2000)

Taught groups of 6 to 8 kids with ages ranging from 11 to 15 introductory True BASIC, JavaScript, C++, and HTML.

 

Academic Recognition:

Dean’s Fellowship, New York University (2004)

Henry M. MacCracken Program, New York University (2004)

Dean’s Award for Academic Accomplishment at Stanford (2003)

Chicana/o Studies Achievement Award (2003)

Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity Senior Honors Thesis Prize (2003)

Stanford Institute for Diversity in the Arts Student Fellowship (2001-03)

Mellon-Mays Minority Undergraduate Fellowship (2001-present)

Philip and Jennifer Arnold Sartre Undergraduate Scholarship Award (2000-03)

Jesse H. Jones Houston Endowment Scholarship Award (1999-2003)

National Hispanic Recognition Scholar (1998)

Gold Key Scholastic Award in Creative Writing (1998)

 

Extracurricular Activities:

Student Advisory Committee on Departmentalization for the new

Dept. of Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University (2004-Present)

Associated Students at Stanford University Art Grants Board member (2003)

Salsa! Los Salseros de Stanford, Co-Founder (99), President (00-01)

Latinos en Onda at Klein Oak High School, Co-Founder (96), President (98)

 

Skills Summary:

Language: Fluent in English and Spanish, some French and Italian, basic K’ichee Maya

Verbal: grant writing, literary non-fiction, playwriting, and ethnographic writing

Visual: drawing, digital media, web design, photography, printmaking, and layout design

Academic: ethnographic research skills, curriculum design and implementation

Technical: (PC/Mac) MS Office, HTML, JavaScript, iMovie, Flash MX, DreamWeaver MX, Adobe PhotoShop CS, ImageReady CS, InDesign CS, and Illustrator CS