Mary Roldán

Mary Roldán is the Dorothy Epstein Professor of Latin American History at Hunter College and holds a faculty appointment at the CUNY Graduate Center. She specializes in twentieth-century Colombian social and political history, with research focusing on violence, state formation, peace studies, urban history, and transnational Catholic Church dynamics. Her work bridges academic research with public engagement, including contributions to Colombia’s Museo Casa de la Memoria and collaborations with institutions like the U.S. Institute of Peace and Radio Nacional de Colombia.

Education: BA, MA, and PhD in Latin American History from Harvard University. Current research projects include Broadcast Nation: Radio, Culture and Politics in Colombia (1930–1962), Acción Cultural Popular: Radio, Development and Catholic Transnationalism in Colombia (1947–1994), and a co-edited volume on Colombian political history.

Key awards include the 2003 Fundación Alejandro Angel Escobar National Book Award for A Sangre y Fuego. Her publications analyze topics ranging from drug trafficking’s impact on Medellín to Cold War rural development strategies. Grants include Fulbright-Hays, COLCIENCIAS, and MacArthur Peace Studies support.

Teaching responsibilities include the Thomas Hunter Honors Program and the History Departments at Hunter College and the Graduate Center. She serves on editorial boards for Estudios Sociales and Trashumante, Revista Americana de Historia Social.