معرفی
Helen Burgos-Ellis is a Continuing Lecturer at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), specializing in pre-Columbian and colonial art. Her research bridges art history and science, particularly focusing on Mesoamerican studies, maize domestication, and early modern Europe. She holds a PhD in Art History from UCLA (2015), an MA in Latin American Studies (2009), and a BA in History (1998), all from UCLA.
- PhD, Art History, UCLA (2015)
- MA, Latin American Studies, UCLA (2009)
- BA, History, UCLA (1998)
Her research explores how pre-Columbian societies understood plant biology and agricultural practices, as detailed in her upcoming book Aztec Science: Plant Sexuality, Pollination, and the Origin of Maize in the pre-Columbian Codex Borgia. This work, supported by a Fulbright-Hays Fellowship, integrates ethnohistory, iconography, and scientific analysis to reinterpret Mesoamerican art.
Collaborating with Stanford University’s Natural Things Ad Fontes Naturae project, she examines early modern global knowledge exchanges, contributing an article on plant sexuality in Mesoamerica. Her scholarship also addresses Aztec representation in European contexts and reinterprets iconic figures like Coyolxauhqui through Chicanx perspectives.
- Awards: Fulbright-Hays/IIE Fellowship (2011–12)
Burgos-Ellis mentors students via UCLA ONE and engages in community service, including roles with the Association for Latin American Art (ALAA), Marlborough School’s Social Justice initiatives, and the Wayuu Taya Foundation supporting Indigenous communities in Latin America.
