Young Scholars Symposium

The Young Scholars Symposium is an annual ILS initiative that convenes  scholars who are working on a dissertation, a book, or another research project related to Latinas and Latinos in the United States. Participants are chosen through a national call for applicants. 

Selected young scholars present a chapter or essay in advance of the symposium. The Distinguished Visiting Professor — who ILS also brings to campus annually — serves as mentor and commentator for symposium participants and their work. ILS faculty members and graduate students also participate in the symposium sessions. The goal is to create an enriching environment that provides mentorship in the profession and enhance scholarly work. 

Each scholar presents a completed essay, chapter, or manuscript up to 30 pages in length, previously reviewed by both the Distinguished Visiting and members of the Notre Dame faculty. All expenses are covered by ILS including an honorarium of $500 for up to eight participants selected from a broad national pool of applicants. Participants have two full business days of presentations and working group meetings. 

Applicants in their final year of graduate study of their doctoral program and junior faculty who have not yet published their first book are eligible to apply to the ILS Young Scholar Symposium. 

2026 Distinguished Visiting Scholar: 

Professor Chon A. Noriega, Distinguished Professor of Theatre, Film & Television at the University of California, Los Angeles. 

Past Distinguished Visiting Scholars 

• 2015 - David Carrasco, Neil L. Rudenstine Professor of the Study of Latin America at Harvard Divinity School/Harvard University
• 2016 - Manuel Pastor, Professor of Sociology and American Studies & Ethnicity; Director of the Program for Environmental and Regional Equity;  Director of the Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration at the University of Southern California 
• 2017 - Michelle Gonzalez Maldonado, Professor of Religious Studies and Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Education at the University of Miami 
• 2018 - José E. Limón, Professor Emeritus of American Literature at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Texas 
• 2019 - Vicki Ruiz, Distinguished Professor Emerita of History and Chicano/Latino Studies at UC Irvine
• 2020 - Charlene Villaseñor Black, Professor of Art History and Chicana/o Studies at UCLA 

Call for Applications: Submit by July 15, 2026

2026 Theme: Latinx Representation in Art and Media

University of Notre Dame – September 30–October 2, 2026

Application via google form

Annually, the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Latino Studies (ILS) convenes advanced graduate students and junior scholars from across the nation for a two-day Young Scholars Symposium to enhance their Latino Studies research in a given theme. This year’s theme is Latinx representation in art and media. We invite applications from early career scholars conducting research related to any aspect of this year’s theme.

The symposium is co-hosted each year by a visiting senior scholar and Institute for Latino Studies Director Jason Ruiz, Professor of American Studies and Editor of American Quarterly. The 2026 senior scholar who will cohost the Symposium is Professor Chon A. Noriega, Distinguished Professor of Theatre, Film & Television at the University of California, Los Angeles. Selected participants will present a completed essay that will be reviewed by Professor Noriega and members of the Notre Dame faculty affiliated with ILS. All expenses are covered by ILS including an honorarium of $500. Up to eight participants will be selected. 

The Institute for Latino Studies at Notre Dame fosters and develops research in Latino Studies from numerous disciplines, serves as one of the premier teaching and curricular institutes of its kind, and shapes the future of undergraduate and graduate students with a depth of understanding about the capacity of Latino communities to enrich all aspects of American society. We are pleased to re-launch the Young Scholars Symposium for 2026 after a multi-year hiatus and expect it to be a richly rewarding experience for all participants.

Applicants in their final year of graduate study of their doctoral program, postdocs, and junior faculty (tenure-track or non-tenure-track) who have not yet published their first book are eligible to apply to the ILS Young Scholars Symposium. The deadline to apply is July 15, 2026. Applicants should submit the following via this google form:

• Curriculum Vitae

• One letter of recommendation from a faculty advisor

• An application letter, under 2 pages, that presents

• a summary of the dissertation project and/or overall research program;

• a précis of the proposed essay submission for the symposium;

• a statement of progress to date on the overall project and on the proposed essay, and;

• a statement of how specifically Distinguished Visiting Professor Chon Noriega’s expertise and mentorship will enhance your research.

Questions may also be directed to jason.ruiz@nd.edu.