Brenda Nicolas

Dr. Brenda Nicolas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Global and International Studies at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). Her research focuses on Zapotec transborder communities, Indigenous sociopolitical organizing, and cultural practices across U.S.-Mexico borders. She holds interdisciplinary training in Chicana/o, Latin American, and Gender Studies.

Education:

• Ph.D., Chicana/o and Central American Studies, UCLA (2020)
• M.A., Chicana/o Studies, UCLA (2017)
• M.A., Latin American Studies, UCSD (2012)
• B.A., Sociology and Latin American Studies, UCR (2009)

Research Interests: Examines four generations of Zapotec communal practices, including hometown associations, traditional dances, and brass bands. Her book project, Pueblo Autonomy: Indigenous Communal Practices Across Settler Colonial Borders, emphasizes Indigenous knowledge systems from the global South, bridging Latin American, Latinx, and Indigenous studies.

Awards:

• Ford Foundation Fellowship
• UC Office of the President Award
• UCLA Dissertation Year Fellowship

Community Engagement: Founded the Oaxacan College Initiative (OCI) to support Indigenous students in higher education. Served on the board of directors for the Centro Binacional Para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño (CBDIO) and the Frente Indígena de Organizaciones Binacionales (FIOB). Co-host of Senderos de Oaxaca on Pacifica Radio KPFK.