Dr. Mark Hoff has been appointed as the Assistant Director of the Center for Latin American Studies, starting February 1.

Dr. Hoff will assist in the overall vision and leadership of CLAS programing and outreach efforts, develop linkages with partner institutions, oversee Center grant activity, and create positive synergy among Latin American Studies scholars and students, related units on campus, and the community.

Dr. Hoff comes to us from Ghent University in Belgium, where he worked as a postdoctoral researcher and supervised several doctoral students. He holds a PhD in Hispanic Linguistics from The Ohio State University, having taught Spanish language and linguistics for several years in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese.

Dr. Hoff has significant professional experience and personal connections in Latin America, having led a study abroad program in Chile and spent extensive time living, studying, and conducting research in Argentina. He is a fully fluent speaker of both Spanish and Portuguese, and has published a large body of peer-reviewed research on both languages, with a particular focus on their Latin American varieties. As Assistant Director, Dr. Hoff especially looks forward to promoting programming on indigenous communities, racial justice and representation, and LGBTQ+ issues as they pertain to Latin America.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Mark Hoff in his new role as CLAS Assistant Director!