LVC Political Science Professor is Inaugurated as President of MACLAS

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ANNVILLE, PA (04/15/2014)(readMedia)-- After serving one year as vice president for the Middle Atlantic Council of Latin American Studies, (MACLAS), Lebanon Valley College's Diane Johnson was inaugurated as president this year.

MACLAS is composed of Mid-Atlantic region scholars, researchers, teachers, students, and interested professionals in all areas of study. The objective of the organization is to promote and develop interests in Latin American studies and affairs.

Originally from California, Johnson moved to Pennsylvania 10 years ago. She was anxious to get involved in an organization with other people who were studying Latin America. "I believe you need to have that kind of community that you get to interact professionally with people that are interested in the kinds of things that are professionally interesting to you," says Johnson. "So I really enjoyed it; it's a really nice organization, very friendly," she adds.

The organization meets annually, except for those who are on the executive committee, who meet twice a year. The committee meets once in the spring for the regular conference and once in the fall to visit the location of the next conference. This gives them the opportunity to ask questions and make plans. The annual meetings usually consist of about 100 people, not all members are always able to attend.

While Johnson has been highly involved with MACLAS, she has also been to quite a few conferences for the Latin American Studies Association, also known as LASA. LASA is a much bigger international organization with up to 5,000 people presenting papers on their research. The LASA conference alternates between locations in Latin America and North America, while MACLAS meets rather locally.

As a member of the executive council, Johnson has duties that include writing letters on behalf of MACLAS to deans, bosses, etc. congratulating them on the success of their colleagues. The organization also publishes an annual journal that features works that were presented at that year's conference. Johnson also helps recruit new people to get involved. "We want young scholars, we're always looking for opportunities to encourage and include people," says Johnson. The organization works to make sure the board is composed of individuals from different states. In doing so, there is a more regional representation.

Johnson has earned her Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara and is the chair of History and Political Science as well as an associate professor of political science at LVC. She teaches introduction to political science, research methods, and comparative politics, including Latin American politics, the politics of developing nations, and comparative political institutions. She specializes in the politics of Latin America.