By Robert Munrayos
At a time when Latinx students continue to reshape higher education through scholarship, leadership and cultural advocacy, two members of UC Irvine’s School of Humanities are recognized for their individual achievements and contributions to their communities.
This year, the School of Humanities was represented by two individuals at the annual Latine Excellence and Achievement Dinner (LEAD) Awards: History Department Graduate Program Coordinator Aryana Valdivia received a Distinguished Staff Leader Award, and first-year Visual Studies Ph.D. student Gabriela Urtiaga received a Graduate Student Excellence Award.
“I'm honored by this campus-level recognition, but it means even more that so many colleagues, faculty and students nominated me,” says Valdivia on her award win.
While Valdivia and Urtiaga are elated at the praise for their individual work, they both recognize how their LEAD Awards equally celebrate the UCI communities from which they come. Reflecting on this, Urtiaga expresses, “I’m happy to receive this recognition and accept it as both an honor from, and a commitment to, the community that welcomed me.”
Community as key to success
Valdivia, a first-generation university student, graduated from UCI in 2017 with a B.A. in political science. She explains, “It’s really common for first-generation students to feel alone on a college campus, and I was fortunate to have folks in my circle that believed in me and everything that I was capable of accomplishing.” When it came time to choose a college, Valdivia recognized the importance of support. “I first came to UCI in 2013. At the time, financial aid was a key factor in determining where I’d go to college. I was accepted to 11 institutions, and UCI was the only place that promised me a full ride. I’m lucky to say I graduated debt-free, with an immense number of memories made on campus.”
Valdivia took full advantage of the many opportunities available to her at UCI, and brings an impressive set of skills developed through diverse professional experiences to her work in the history department. While at UCI, for example, she co-founded the Chicana/Latina sorority Sigma Pi Alpha on campus, worked in the Student Center and was a student assistant in the Registrar's office. After graduating from UCI she participated in the UCDC program and interned for Voto Latino in Washington D.C. She also worked as an academic advisor for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast and then as a clinical scheduling coordinator with UCI’s School of Medicine.
Drawing upon many of these professional experiences, Valdivia notes that she “strives to create an inclusive, empathetic environment for both students and faculty members in my department.” For Valdivia, the support she received during the LEAD nomination process “reflects the community” that first supported her while a student at UCI.
Valdivia received 26 LEAD Award nominations, with colleagues consistently highlighting the impact of her mentorship and advocacy. Professor and Chair of History Alex Borucki praised the “ability, care and mentorship” Valdivia demonstrates in supporting Latine and Latin American students, including identifying funding opportunities for collaborative research projects and providing immigration guidance for students conducting research abroad. Borucki also noted her efforts to highlight the pressures first-generation Latinx students face, “which is sometimes not immediately apparent to their mentors.”
Department manager Marc Kanda emphasized Valdivia’s commitment to students from the start, sharing that “Aryana’s dedication and attention to each student starts when they apply to our program. She goes out of her way to make sure each and every student feels welcome.”
For Valdivia, community remains her driving force. “Community, togetherness and resiliency is a key component of Latine culture, and I think I apply this mindset in my work as a Latina,” she explains. “I definitely did not get to where I am now alone, and I think it’s important to remind folks of the power of community and seeking help.”
The powerful storytelling of art
Gabriela Urtiaga is a passionate art historian finishing her first year in the Visual Studies Ph.D. program. Her path to the Ph.D. has been unique; with over 15 years of experience working in the professional art world, she began her studies in art history at the University of Buenos Aires and then completed a master’s degree at the University of Barcelona. “I have been fortunate to travel around the world and learn from remarkable leaders across diverse fields, embracing a multidisciplinary approach,” she shares.
Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, her perspective as an immigrant and as a Latina woman in California continues to shape both her scholarship and curatorial practice. “Since childhood in Buenos Aires, I have been deeply passionate about crafting compelling visual narratives that honor our cultural heritage. I believe strongly in art as a catalyst for social change, and I have committed my work to bridging knowledge and communities,” Urtiaga explains. Remarking on what drives her work, “I think that early fascination shaped everything that came later like my research, my curatorial work and my belief that culture carries memory.”
Today, Urtiaga’s work does not end with her academic coursework and research, as she currently works as the chief curator at the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) in Long Beach. Both at MOLAA and in her research, Urtiaga is dedicated to Latinx visual storytelling, and her “commitment to diversity, equity and the visibility of Latin American, Latino/a/x and Chicanx artists in the United States” has driven her curatorial work Ph.D. research.
Kendall Da Silva, a fellow UCI visual studies graduate student and curatorial fellow at MOLAA, reflects on Urtiaga’s investment in mentoring other curators and art historians: “Gabriela is a hard-working and determined curator and art historian, and working with her at MOLAA has inspired me to become a better researcher. She is also an incredible mentor who has helped me grow both professionally and personally. We are so lucky to have her at UCI!”
Pursuing a Ph.D. at UCI is an opportunity for Urtiaga to deepen conversations around Latin American studies and engage with diverse perspectives through community and collaboration. Through both her scholarship and curatorial practice, Urtiaga hopes to continue “bridging knowledge and communities” while fostering greater visibility for Latin American and Latinx artists. “I don’t see my career as a fixed destination,” Urtiaga says. “I see it as an ongoing intellectual journey, and one that continues to evolve through research, collaboration and community.”
Robert Munrayos is a second-year Ph.D. student in UC Irvine’s Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures. His research explores the intersections of science fiction, gothic literature, indigenous studies and queer studies, with a particular focus on how these genres envision futurity, the posthuman and alternative conceptions of identity. He is especially interested in how speculative storytelling challenges cultural norms and expands the possibilities for collective imagination and social transformation.
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