Manuel Montoya
Courtesy Photo
Las Vegas, N.M Highlands University presents New Mexican poet and professor Manuel Montoya March 22.
Montoya’s public talk and poetry reading titled, “Who Am I? – Exploring Cultural Identity,” begins at 3:30 p.m. in the Highlands Student Center Theater, 800 National Ave.
“I believe cultural identity is an important part of our world,” Montoya said. “Like our evolving world, so too does our identity change over time. It is a problem that we’re always trying to solve.”
Montoya said his interactive talk will also explore topics like who we are as a global society and what identity politics looks like today.
Montoya is a professor of global structures and international management at the University of New Mexico Anderson School of Management, where he also an endowed professor of creative enterprise. Montoya’s primary research focus is the global political economy.
“I’m concerned with how we make the planet a meaningful part of our social and political realities,” Montoya said.
Montoya, who earned his undergraduate degree in economics and English from UNM, is the university’s first native New Mexican Rhodes Scholar. He completed his Ph.D. from Emory University in foreign relations and comparative literature and also holds graduate degrees from New York University and Oxford University.
He is a published poet including his book, The Promethean Clock or Love Poems of a Wooden Boy. The audience will have the opportunity to discuss Montoya’s poetry with him.
Beth Massaro, a social work professor at Highlands, helped coordinate Montoya’s presentation in her capacity as the President’s Leadership Fellow at the university.
“We are honored Dr. Montoya has agreed to join us to share his work and life perspectives as a native of Mora, New Mexico, poet and professor,” Massaro said.
In addition, U.S. Department of State Ambassador Mark Asquino and Highlands University Relations Director Sean Weaver played roles in bringing Montoya to Highlands. Asquino will facilitate Montoya’s presentation.