Cheryl Ana Jimenez Frei

Dr. Cheryl Ana Jimenez Frei is an Associate Professor of History and Co-Director of the Public History Program at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC), affiliated with the Latin American and Latinx Studies Program. She holds a Ph.D. in Public History & Latin American History from the University of California, Santa Barbara, alongside an M.A. in Latin American & Iberian Studies and a B.A. in International Studies & Journalism from Northern Michigan University.

Her research focuses on memory studies, monuments, visual/material culture, and Argentina/Southern Cone history. Current projects include leading the Wisconsin Latinx History Collective’s digital archive (funded by National Archives/Mellon Foundation), co-founding the Western Wisconsin COVID-19 Archive (awarded Archival Innovation), and directing Voces Del Campo, documenting rural Latinx experiences. She serves on the Contested Histories Initiative’s Academic Advisory Committee and boards of the Chippewa Valley Museum and Wisconsin Federation of Museums.

Dr. Jimenez Frei curates exhibits like Marching Beyond the Kitchen (SPAM labor history) and Our Natural Wealth: Irvine Park, while developing a book manuscript on Argentine monuments. She leads annual student immersion programs to Puerto Rico/Argentina and engages public audiences through podcasts, media, and forums discussing monument controversies and collective memory.