Staff

Jordana Mendelson is the Director of NYU’s Espacio de Culturas @KJCC since September 2020. She is also Associate Professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and affiliate faculty in the Department of Art History and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at New York University. Prior to coming to NYU, Professor Mendelson taught at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and served as a visiting professor at the Universidad de Navarra, the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and in the independent study program of the Museu d’Arr Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA).

Marina Garde is the Assistant Director at NYU’s Espacio de Culturas @KJCC since August 2023. She holds an MA in Political Science from Universidad Complutense in Spain, pursued post-graduate studies at the Diplomatic School in Madrid, and completed a Certificate in International Relations from New York University.

Sasha Hull is the Administrative Aide at Espacio de Culturas @KJCC. Before joining Espacio de Culturas, Sasha spent over two years as a Program Associate at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), a nonprofit organization that strengthens democratic institutions worldwide through partnerships with local organizations.

Jimena Llamas leads Communications and Social Media at Espacio de Culturas. She holds a degree in Business and Management from The University of London and has also studied Spanish Literature at la UNED. With over six years of experience, she has helped shape the editorial and audience development strategies of prestigious publishers like Libération and Le Monde.

Currently an MA Scholar in the MFA in Creative Writing in Spanish, Jimena is writing her first novel while hosting the podcast Servicio Público, where she engages writers in discussions on humanistic issues that resonate with society at large.

Luisa Marinho is an artist and Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at GSAS/NYU. She has an M.A. in Performance Studies from the Tisch School of the Arts/NYU and an M.A. in Scenic Arts from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

Camila Tiburcio is this year’s Friday’s on the Patio coordinating intern. She is a senior studying Social and Cultural analysis with a minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. She is also part of the accelerated Master’s program for Latin American and Caribbean Studies with a strong focus on the Spanish speaking Caribbean. For this year’s events she is looking to highlight student organizations on campus and women’s issues in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Aspen Woods serves as the Espacio de Culturas Undergraduate Assistant for the Fall Semester. Currently pursuing a major in Political Science with a minor in Sociology, Aspen is dedicated to gaining hands-on experience in government and public service, working across various sectors to build practical knowledge. Through this role, Aspen seeks both personal and professional growth while strengthening relationships within the community.