Association of Harvard Latinx Faculty and Staff (AHLFS)

Association of LatinX Faculty and Staff at Harvard

The Association of Harvard Latinx Faculty and Staff (AHLFS) was founded in 2009, through grassroots efforts by a number of employees here at Harvard University. AHLFS was established to promote, support and advance the needs and goals of Latinx faculty and staff at Harvard University. Membership is free of charge and open to all faculty, administrators, fellows, and staff at all levels employed by Harvard University and its affiliates who support the mission of AHLFS.

4 pillars to our programming

Mission

The Association of Harvard Latinx Faculty and Staff is dedicated to articulating, supporting, and advancing the needs and goals of the Latinx community at Harvard University.

Vision

The Association of Harvard Latinx Faculty and Staff will establish itself as a channel of communication to address challenges and opportunities impacting the Latinx community at Harvard. 

Goals

  • Assist Harvard in the increased recruitment, retention, and promotion of Latinx faculty and staff.
  • Develop a nurturing and empowering community for Harvard’s Latinx faculty and staff through professional development and social networking activities.
  • Maintain an inclusive, supportive and dynamic system that addresses the needs of Latinx faculty and staff.
  • Increase the visibility of the work and accomplishments of Harvard’s Latinx's in the larger Harvard and Metro Boston community.
  • Establish partnerships with campus Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), programs, departments, faculty & administrators at all levels that support AHLFS mission to enhance access to Harvard resources.

The History Behind the Terms: Latino, Hispanic, Latinx, Chicano

Upcoming Events:

- 2023 Events - 

  • Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month Networking Social, Wednesday, October 11, 2023 | 2:00PM - 5:00PM, Cambridge Queen's Head Pub
    • We’re excited to share with you the details of our upcoming Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month Networking Social to celebrate the close of HMM! Along with our partners—the HBS Latinx ERG and Harvard University Campus Services—we want to bring together our community in a way we haven’t in a several years. Please share with your colleagues if you’d like as this event is open to all faculty and staff who would like to participate. RSVPs are encouraged so that we can plan accordingly for food and drinks, but they aren’t required if you aren’t able to access it. RSVP (if you are able): https://tinyurl.com/ERGlatinx

      • Registration deadline is Thrusday, October 5

 

- 2022 Events -

  • 2022 Harvard Arts Medal Ceremony Honoring Rubén Blades ’85 HLS, Thursday, April 27, 2022 | 4:00pmSanders Theatre, Cambridge
    • Musician, actor, and politician Rubén Blades LL.M. ‘85 is the recipient of the 2020 Harvard Arts Medal, which will be awarded by Harvard University President Larry Bacow at a ceremony presented by the Office for the Arts at Harvard and the Harvard University Board of Overseers. It will include a discussion with Blades moderated by Tony and Emmy Award-winning actor and 2017 Harvard Arts Medal recipient John Lithgow ’67, ArD ’05, and performances by the Harvard Jazz Band led by Yosvany Terry, Senior Lecturer on Music and Director of Harvard Jazz Ensembles. This is the official opening event for ARTS FIRST, Harvard University’s annual festival showcasing and celebrating the creativity and artistic expression of students, faculty, staff, alumni and affiliates April 28-May 1 at venues throughout campus. All are welcome. TICKETS. For more information, please visit the Office for the Arts.

- Events: 2019 - 2021 -

  • FIRESIDE CHAT WITH MANUEL CUEVAS-TRISÁN
    Vice President of Human Resources at Harvard University 
    Tuesday, November 23, 2021 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm (EST) via Zoom. RECORDING HERE.

    • Senior leadership plays a central role in defining the culture and direction of an organization, however, often at large organizations, they can sometimes become allusive figureheads. At Harvard, we want our Latinx community to experience that they work amongst and are seen by all levels of leadership.
      The Association of Harvard Faculty and Staff is excited to host Manuel Cuevas-Trisán—the new Vice President for Human Resources at Harvard University—for the kickoff of our virtual Fireside Chat Series. The event will be a moderated, one-hour-long conversation giving AHLFS members and affiliates an opportunity to hear Manuel's trajectory, ask him questions, and learn about ways to advance their own careers.

       

       Fireside with Harvard's VP of HR
       

  • Harvard Women of Color Staff Leadership Circle: Mentorship & Peer Support, Friday, May 14, 2021 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm
    • The Association of Harvard Latinx Faculty & Staff (AHLFS) continues to offer monthly leadership circles for women of color staff at Harvard University. The virtual 60 minute sessions will offer space for women of color in all positions to be ambitious, phenomenal and unapologetically authentic together. Participants will have the opportunity to expand their networks, sharpen their leadership skills, and help one another achieve their workplace goals.
       
  • Harvard Women of Color Staff Leadership Circle, Friday, April 16, 2021 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm
    • The Association of Harvard Latinx Faculty & Staff (AHLFS) is excited to announce that we will be offering monthly leadership circles for women of color staff at Harvard University. The virtual 60 minute sessions will offer space for women of color in all positions to be ambitious, phenomenal and unapologetically authentic together. Participants will have the opportunity to expand their networks, sharpen their leadership skills, and help one another achieve their workplace goals. At each meeting, participants will dive into a variety of topics ranging from how we navigate our workspaces as women of color staff at Harvard to how to pursue a degree while working full time.
      To help build a robust leadership program, please take a moment to fill out this survey.
       
  • Celebrating Women’s History Month: We Move Forward, Monday, March 29, 2021 | 12:00pm -1:00pm
    • Join the Association of Harvard Latinx Faculty and Staff for an engaging and thought provoking conversation with Marcela Aldaz-Matos, Chairwoman of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) National Board. ALPFA is the largest Latino Professional Association in the country with more than 95,000 members, 44 professional chapters and 150 student chapters across the US. Marcela will lead us in a discussion on how women can galvanize awareness and leverage action to regain their own space and power in the midst of Covid-19. She will also share how allies can be part of the ecosystem to support women empowerment. Amy Elizabeth Soto-Shed from the AHLFS leadership team will be moderating the conversation.
       
      • Marcela’s Biography:

Marcela is a business executive with extensive industry experience in financial services, healthcare, and non-profit organizations. She has managed numerous U.S. and international teams locally and internationally.

As a partner at Surfside Capital Advisors LLC, and Managing Director at MCBI Advisors, she is focused on helping business leaders address strategic business and operational issues to achieve sustainable advantage and success. Her work is anchored on implementing transformative human capital initiatives that directly impact core business strategies. Marcela’s expertise includes organizational design, values-based performance management and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Previously, Marcela was the Inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for Mass General Brigham (Formerly Partners HealthCare).

Marcela is a dedicated advocate for women and minorities. She was appointed by Massachusetts’ Governor Charlie Baker to serve on the State’s first Latino Advisory Commission where she is serving her third year. She is also the Board Chair of ALPFA’s National Board of Directors, a professional association with more than 90 thousand members and 150, chapters across the country. Marcela is a member of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Women’s Network Advisory Board. She is also the Co-chair of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Advisory Committee. In 2018, Marcela was recognized as one of the Top 100 Executive & Emerging Leaders in the USA by Diversity MBA Magazine. In 2015 she received the Women Leadership Achievement Award by the World Women Leadership Congress in India.

Marcela earned an MBA and post MBA from Simmons College School of Management in Boston.

- 2020 Events -

  • Boost Your LinkedIn, Tuesday, September 29, 2020 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm
    • Come and learn pieces of advice that you can use right now to boost your LinkedIn profile from Harvard's Center for Workplace Development, Roberto Martinez, Senior Talent Diversity Sourcer
       
  • How Can We Harness the Power of ERGs at Harvard?, Monday, September 21, 2020
    • Employee resource groups (ERGs) in higher education are groups formed based on a shared identity or experience with a focus on advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus. This panel will highlight the work that ERG leaders are doing across Harvard, identify their successes, barriers, and challenges, and explore how ERGs can work in collaboration to advance DEI at Harvard. This panel is hosted by Harvard Women In Tech + Allies and as the AHLFS's representation, don't miss our very own Angel Velarde, FAS Financial Associate, on the panel.
       
  • Addressing Mental Health Challenges in the Time of COVID, Tuesday, September 15, 2020 | 1:30pm - 2:30pm
    • Join All of Us as they share what makes some of us more vulnerable and how to enhance resilience. Featuring Dr. Jordan W. Smoller, Professor of Psychiatry at HMS, Professor in Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health, and Principal Investigator in the All of Us Research Program, and Dr. Luana Marques, Director of Community Psychiatry PRIDE at MGH, and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. The conversation will be moderated by the Association of Harvard Latinx Faculty and Staff Administrative Chair Jacobo Negron

         All of Us

- 2019 Events -

  • Latino Identity in the Workplace, Wednesday, November 20, 2019 | 4:00pm - 5:00pmForum Roon, Lamont Library
    • A facilitated session by Dr. Robert Rodriguez. he will be speaking about the Latino Identity in the Workplace and how to help Latinos at Harvard gain a better frame of reference on how to view our culture sense of identity and provide tools on how to better leverage our heritage as an asset and as a source of strength.
       
  • Harvard Latinx Heritage Month Celebration - Latinx Heritage Month PosterWednesday, October 09, 2019 | 12:00pm - 1:30pM, Harvard Law School, Wasserstein Hall, 2nd fl., Milstein East Room 2036
    • Join the Association of Harvard Latinx Faculty and Staff as they partner with HGSE and the Committee on Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at SEAS for a celebration of Latinx culture and history at Harvard. Our guest speaker will be Professor Andrew Crespo, first Latino to be promoted to a tenured position on the Harvard Law School faculty. There will be opening remarks by our Admin Chair Jacobo Negron as well as Alexis J. Stokes, Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at SEAS.Enjoy appetizers, music and creating community!
       
  • Putting Your Best Foot Forward: Tips for Internal Candidates, Thursday, September 26, 2019, Lamont Library, B30 (basement level, Cambridge Campus)
    • Thinking of a career shift? Need advice about internal mobility? The Association of Harvard Latinx Faculty and Staff is proud to team with the FAS Human Resources Recruitment Services and invites you to attend. Facilitated by Chris Keller, FAS Diversity Recruiter, this will be an hour-long professional development session for staff interested in how best to approach a job search at Harvard. In this session, FAS Lead Diversity Recruiter, Chris Keller, will provide practical guidance on how to navigate internal opportunities at Harvard.

Latinx Spring MixerThursday, March 28, 2019, 4:30pm - 6:30pm @ Cambridge Queen's Head Pub

Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging ConferenceTuesday, May 21, 2019, 9:30am - 4:00pmFarkas Hall, 12 Holyoke St. (Cambridge Campus) 

 

Adriana Gallegos - Administrative Co-Chair
Manager of Administrative Operations, Harvard Libraries

Jacobo Negron - Administrative Co-Chair
Police Captain, Harvard University Police Department

Dominique Bocanegra - Programs and Events Chair
Program Coordinator, FAS HR Programs and Professional Development

Hensley Carrasco - Communications Chair
Communications Coordinator, Harvard Business School

Brandon M. Tilghman - Community Outreach Chair
Academic Appointments Manager, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Amy Elizabeth Soto-Shed - Secretary
Assistant Director, Faculty Support Services, Harvard Business School

Angel Velarde - Treasurer/Membership Chair
Financial Associate,FAS Administrative Operations

OPEN POSITONS:

  • Corporate Relations and Sponsorship Chair
  • Events Chair
  • Volunteer Coordinator

 

HARVie Resources:

Other Resources:

  • The David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS) at Harvard University - Through programs, grants, fellowships, and activities, DRCLAS strives to provide support and resources for students, faculty, and scholars working in and on Latin America. Learn more and support today!

  • Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Beloning - Harvard University is committed to fostering a campus culture where everyone can thrive, a key to which is ensuring that we each experience a profound sense of inclusion and belonging. 

  • Office of the Assistant to the President, Institutional Diversity and Equity - The mission of the Office of the Assistant to the President for Institutional Diversity and Equity (H-OAP), originally established in July 1971, is to lead a sustained University-wide effort and to develop, coordinate, and advance inclusive excellence, diversity, and equal opportunity (EO) initiatives, programs and policies at Harvard University Final Report of the Task Force on Inclusion & Belonging, Pursuing Excellence on a Foundation of Inclusion

  • Office of Faculty Development and Diversity - The Office of Faculty Development and Diversity is Harvard’s central faculty affairs office. Our goal: to recruit and retain outstanding scholars and teachers as we continue to diversify the faculty. We are especially attentive to tenure-track faculty needs and the concerns of women and minority faculty at all academic ranks.

  • Harvard Latino Alumni Alliance (HLAA) - The mission of the Harvard Latino Alumni Alliance (HLAA) is to develop a network and sense of community among current and future Harvard alumni who self-identify as Latina/o and reside or work in the United States; to increase Latino representation throughout the University; and to encourage Latino alumni involvement in University alumni activities and affairs.

  • Amplify Latinx - Advancing the next generation of Latinx civically engaged and empowered leaders.

  • NextGen Collective - NextGen Collective is a movement for a new generation of Latino professionals. A digital and live community for up-and-coming leaders who are looking to connect and talk candidly about how to take their careers to the next level.

  • Hispanic Employee Resource (ERG) Group Study by the Hispanic Assocation on Corporate Responsibility - The HACR Research Institute’s first Hispanic Employee Resource Group (ERG) Study, funded by AARP and launched in late 2012, was created to benchmark Hispanic ERGs and ascertain what’s driving their growth, highlight best practices, and identify current and future challenges. Two dozen Fortune 500 companies participated in the Institute’s groundbreaking study which captures insights from Human Resources (HR) departments, ERG members and leaders, as well as their executive sponsors and champions. Only HACR Corporate Members were eligible to participate and a list of participating companies is included in the report. The two part study consisted of an online survey instrument completed by a company representative between December 2012 and January 2013. The Institute conducted focus groups and interviews with ERG members, their leaders, and executive sponsors and champions between February 2013 and July 2013.