Our mission
Founded in 1992, the Dolores Huerta Research Center for the Americas (Huerta Center) at UC Santa Cruz is the first research center in the UC system to put in conversation the historically disconnected fields of Chicanx/Latinx and Latin American studies. Named in honor of Dolores Huerta in 2022, the Huerta Center is a multidisciplinary research unit where we bring together U.S. and international scholars to advance cross-border research, and professionally mentor students to prepare them for future career success.
Propel your research to the next step
We provide and create many opportunities to advance our research mission by supporting faculty and students.
Publishing opportunities
We invite faculty and graduate students to contribute to our Open Forum and Research Report publication series, both of which promote community engagement with topics important to the Huerta Center. The Research Reports present accessible, data-driven research, while the Open Forum offers a space for commentary on research and current events in a less formal manner. We’d love to hear what you’re working on!
Lesson plans for K-12 educators
Explore our California state standards-approved resources for K-8 and high school educators about the life and legacy of Dolores Huerta, including lesson slides and handouts.
Get involved as a student or community member
We offer two undergraduate engagement opportunities, as well as a residency program aimed at bringing change-makers to our campus.
News
Lessons from a historic quest to heal spider bites are helping to fight neglected tropical diseases today
Associate Professor Lily Balloffet’s latest research traces successful early efforts to produce new antivenoms in Latin America and explores implications for modern public health issues, like snakebite and Chagas disease
New public archives will share wisdom, artifacts from Dolores Huerta’s lifetime of successful social change leadership
UC Santa Cruz received a $1 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to help establish new public archives documenting the legacy of social justice activist Dolores Huerta, through a partnership with the Dolores Huerta Foundation. UCSC will hire a project archivist and two new postdoctoral scholars to support development of Huerta’s archives and to produce related research and education materials.
Huerta Center naming inspires full-circle gift
The naming of the Dolores Huerta Research Center for the Americas hits close to home for a UCSC staff member with a family connection
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Events
Visit the UCSC events calendar for a list of all upcoming events