Bradley, PAWAC host ambassador for conference

By Angela Weck

Costa Rica ambassador Román Macaya Hayes visited Bradley in March to participate in the 45th annual Central Illinois World Affairs Conference and to discuss opportunities for student and faculty exchanges. The Peoria Area World Affairs Council (PAWAC) and Bradley University co-sponsored the event.

The conference theme this year addressed "Central America and the United States: Partners and Partisans in Development and Security." This year, Bradley professors played a strong role in the panel discussion, "From Colonization to Globalization: Obstacles to Development in Central America." Associate Professor of History Dr. Aurea Toxqui analyzed the origin and impact of migration within and from the region, and Professor of International Studies Dr. Charles Bukowski moderated the panel. Dr. Peter Siavelis, a Bradley alumnus now at Wake Forest University, explained the colonial legacy that affects development patterns in Central America.

Bradley students from international business, international studies and Spanish language classes joined students from ICC and Eureka in engaging the conference speakers in discussions relevant to their studies and their career goals. The conference speakers made themselves accessible to the students, and several students approached them with additional questions about making connections following the conference.

While in Peoria for the conference, Macaya Hayes also met with a variety of administrators and faculty at Bradley to discuss a broad range of educational opportunities for student and faculty exchanges.  Some of the areas that attract study abroad students include environmental science and engineering, bio-diversity and climate change, political science, economics and health sciences, among others.  Several faculty members approached the ambassador with ideas for exchanges in the near future.

The meeting with Macaya was attended by Dr. Chris Jones, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Professor of Political Science; Dr. Joan Sattler, Dean of the College of Education and Health Sciences and Professor of Education; Dr. Sherri Morris, Department Chairperson and Professor of Biology; Ms. Michelle Edgcomb Friday, Lecturer of Biology; Dr. D. Antonio Cantu, Chairperson of the Department of Teacher Education and Professor of Education; Dr. Cecile Arquette, Associate Professor of Teacher Education; Dr. Carlos Del Rio, Director, Online Counseling Program; Dr. Deborah Kessler, Lecturer of Spanish; and Ms. Angela Weck, Adjunct Instructor of International Studies and former Executive Director of PAWAC .

From left to right: Kristin McHugh, Executive Director of PAWAC; Román Macaya Hayes, Costa Rican Ambassador; Dennis Triggs, PAWAC Board of Directors; Rick Swan, East Peoria Chamber of Commerce; Mike Unes, Illinois State Representative