Martha Mantilla

A native of Colombia, Martha Mantilla oversees the Eduardo Lozano Latin American Collection at the Hillman Library of the University of Pittsburgh, where she also completed a Master’s Degree in Library Science, a PhD in Administrative and Policy Studies in Education, and a Graduate Certificate in Latin American Studies. She considers herself fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Eduardo Lozano, a pioneer in establishing Latin American Studies Collections in United States. His legacy as a librarian is unsurpassed. For her, Eduardo was not only a mentor but also a friend who shared his professional wisdom and his philosophy of life. Martha is honored to continue his remarkable work.

Martha is Co-Editor of the Bolivian Studies Journal, a peer-reviewed electronic and print publication that responds to the growing interest in understanding the past and present of historical and cultural processes in Bolivia. She has published articles and book chapters in the field of education, mainly on the Nueva Escuela Unitaria.

One of her greatest satisfactions has been sharing her knowledge of Latin American culture with the Pittsburgh community through radio and film. Founder and host of the show Barrio Latino, Martha broadcasted this weekly radio program in Spanish on WRCT 88.3FM. With the help of student volunteers, she interviewed Latinos and friends of Latino culture, and shared Latin music, news and events. Barrio Latino is still being broadcast at WRCT.

Another accomplishment of note was her work formalizing and expanding the Amigos del Cine Latinoamericano, an informal organization of volunteers that highlighted contemporary visual culture of Latin America and made it available to the public in the Pittsburgh area. The film series included short films, documentaries, videos, and media art, representing a wide variety of perspectives on the region's culture, politics, art and social issues.

Information on the Eduardo Lozano Latin American Collection at: https://pitt.libguides.com/latinamericanstudies/lozano