Prof. Uses Fulbright Grant to Teach in Latin America

April 3, 2012
BUFFALO, NY – Buffalo resident Ronald M. Rivas, PhD, associate professor of management at Canisius University, is a recipient of a Fulbright Senior Specialist Grant. The Fulbright Senior Specialist initiative is designed to provide U.S. faculty and professionals with opportunities to collaborate with overseas counterparts on a variety of projects including needs assessments and surveys, specialized academic programs, lectures, seminars and workshops, and faculty-training programs. It is one of several initiatives offered by the Fulbright Program, which is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Financial support is provided by an annual appropriation from the United States Congress to the Department of State and by participating governments and host institutions in the United States and abroad. Rivas received a similar Fulbright award in 2009. 

Rivas will use his Fulbright grant to teach for six weeks at the Universidad del Pacifico in Lima, Peru during summer 2012. Rivas will teach a course on international markets strategy of Latin American multinationals. He will also participate in faculty development work and continue his ongoing research on the globalization of Andean-grown multinationals. 

“The Andean region, in connection with the Southern cone of Latin America, is experiencing an extraordinary period of economic growth led by Brazil, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Colombia,” explains Rivas. “Peru is at the epicenter of such growth and has become an attractive ground for investment, in particular from Latin American homegrown multinational companies also known as multi-Latinas.” 

The Universidad del Pacifico is a Jesuit university and considered the top business school in Peru by a survey of 1,000 academic deans throughout Latin America. It is a private university that specializes in the areas of economics and business administration. At the undergraduate level, the university offers bachelor’s degrees in economics, business administration and accounting. At the graduate level, it offers a master’s of business administration, a master’s of finance and a master’s of economics. In selecting to teach at the Universidad del Pacifico, Rivas will help increase the number of English courses offered at the university. 

Canisius University is one of 28 Catholic, Jesuit colleges in the nation and the premier private college in Western New York. Canisius prepares leaders – intelligent, caring, faithful individuals – able to pursue and promote excellence in their professions, their communities and their service to humanity.