Tomas Crowder-Taraborelli

Tomás Crowder-Taraborrelli is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Latin American Studies at Soka University of America (SUA), specializing in documentary film, human rights, and media studies. He holds a PhD in Spanish and Portuguese from the University of California, Irvine (2003), and has taught at institutions including the University of San Francisco and Stanford University. His research focuses on the intersection of cinema, human rights, and political activism, particularly in Latin America. He co-founded the Stanford Film Lab and is an editor for Latin American Perspectives.

Research interests include media literacy, documentary film production, genocide studies, and renewable energy policy. He has published extensively on Latin American cinema, including works on documentary film’s role in addressing historical trauma and transitional justice. His recent projects include Documentary Film and the Condor Years, exploring state violence in Latin America.

Awards include Stanford’s Excellence in Service Award (2008) and a fiction contest victory in Buenos Aires (1998). He advises over 20 students, many focusing on environmental sustainability and social justice. He coordinates SUA’s Community Cinema project, partnering with ITVS to engage communities through documentary film.

• Education: PhD, UC Irvine (2003); MA, San Francisco State (1994); BA, Journalism and Film (1991)
• Key Roles: Modes of Inquiry Coordinator at SUA, Co-Director of Revista Cine Documental
• Grants: Stanford Humanities Fellowship (2005–2008), multiple conference organization grants

Labs/Teams: Leads the SUA Latin American Studies program and collaborates with global initiatives like the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF).