The LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Collections Spanish Paleography + Digital Humanities Institute provides participants with practical training in the reading and visualization of Early Modern (16th- to 18th-century) manuscripts in Spanish using the extensive holdings of the Benson Latin American Collection. Selected participants obtain and hone paleography skills for the accurate reading and transcription of these materials. They also receive specialized training on several free and open source tools that can be used to facilitate collaborative research and visualize data in colonial texts. The call for applications for the Spring 2026 online and the Summer 2026 onsite institutes will open and be available through this page Monday, September 1, 2025.
“The institute was undoubtedly fundamental for those taking their first steps in paleography. It also provided a valuable opportunity to connect with scholars and students in the field and to build a professional network.”
“Fun, engaging and inspiring!”
2025 June 4-6 (UT-Austin)
- Austin James Almeido, History, Texas Christian University
- Zachary Klaus Cho, History, Michigan State University
- Dr. José Guillermo De Los Reyes, Hispanic Studies, University of Houston
- Chloe Elizabeth Foor, History, University of Texas at Austin
- Juan Pablo Gómez, Latin American Library, Tulane University
- David James Gowey, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University
- Juan Sebastián Macias, History, University of Texas at Austin
- Dr. Lauren Peña, Benson Latin American Collection, University of Texas at Austin
- Dr. Roseli Rojo, Modern Languages and Literatures, State University of New York at Oswego
- Filadelfia Soto, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, University of Virginia
2025 January 27-March 14 (Remote)
- Tamara Bartl, Department of Romance Studies, University of Vienna (Austria)
- Francisco Javier Galaso Ronco, Departamento de Literaturas Hispánicas y Bibliografía, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (España)
- Jorge Garcia, Historia, University of Texas-Austin (United States–Texas)
- Dr. Gaby Greenlee, History of Art and Visual Culture, University of California, Santa Cruz (United States–California)
- Gilson Mateus Pinto Júnior, Departamento de História, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (Brasil)
- Dennis Marcovick Pérez Bernabé, Biblioteca Histórica José María Lafragua, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (México)
- Geannini Ruiz Ulloa, Facultad de Letras, Universidad de Bielefeld (Costa Rica)
- Valeria Solís Lemus, Lingüística, Universidad de Costa Rica (Costa Rica)
- Dr. Alicia Torres, Antropología, Historia, FLACSO Sede Ecuador (Ecuador)
- Dr. Paloma Vargas Montes, Estudios Humanísticos, Tecnológico de Monterrey (México)
- Georgina Wilson, Spanish and Portuguese Studies, University of Florida (United States–Florida)
- Eunyoung Yang, Spanish and Portuguese, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (United States–Illinois)
2025 January 15-17 (UT-Austin)
- Lizette Arellano, Romance Languages and Literatures, University of Chicago
- Kennedy Antony Castillo, School of Information, University of North Texas
- Mónica Cerda Campero, Latin American and Iberian Cultures, Columbia University
- Emily Elise Harnach, History, University of Texas at El Paso
- Carol Marchante, Latin American and Iberian Studies Master’s Program, University of California, Santa Barbara
- Dr. Song Il No, Spanish and Portuguese, Purdue University
- Shelsea Rodriguez, History, City College of New York
- Dr. Felipe Esteban Rojas, English and Modern Languages, West Liberty University
- Dr. Giovanni Francisco Salazar-Calvo, Languages and Literatures, Oklahoma State University
- Dr. Sabrina Earlene Smith, History & Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, University of California, Merced
Spring 2023 COHORT (Remote)
- Claudia Berrios-Campos, Romance and Classical Studies, Michigan State University
- Gabriela Cruz Volio, Escuela de Filología, Lingüística y Literatura, Universidad de Costa Rica
- Alejandro Enriquez, Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Illinois State University
- Mariana Escalona, LLILAS, University of Texas, Austin
- Eden Ewing, Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies, University of Texas at Austin
- Martha Naybeth Fernández García, Instituto Tecnológico Superior de la Sierra Negra de Ajalpan
- Carla Estefania Flores Ortiz, Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, Binghamton University
- Adriana Guadarrama Sosa, Escuela de Doctorado de Humanidades, Ciencias Sociales y Jurídicas, Universidad de Granada
- Juan Vicente Iborra Mallent, Posgrado en Estudios Latinoamericanos, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
- Ann de Leon, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, University of Alberta
- Milton Ricardo Antonio Machuca-Gálvez, University Libraries, University of Kansas
- Valeria Sofía Mantilla Morales, History, University of Toronto
- Rocío Moreno Cabanillas, Departamento de Historia de América, Facultad de Geografía e Historia, Universidad de Sevilla
- Rauf Saud Neme Sánchez, Escuela de Posgrado, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
- Aysha Pollnitz, Department of History, Rice University
- Martina Pineda, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Buenos Aires
- Lucia Querejazu, Art History Institute, University of Zurich
- Maria del Pilar Ramirez Restrepo, Historia, University of California-Santa Barbara
- Yaret Sánchez, Historia del arte, ENES, MORELIA, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
- Saúl Sánchez González, Departamento de Historia, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla
- Luisina Silva Blanc, Humanities, Universitat Pompeu Fabra
- Teresa Silva Guzman, Gestión de Proyectos Archivísticos Interinstitucionales, Archivo General de la Nación
- Adam Rajendra Singh, Spanish and Portuguese, Indiana University
- Monica Danielle Styles, World Languages and Literatures, Howard University
- Paola Uparela, Spanish and Portuguese Studies, University of Florida
- Maria Guadalupe Vallejo, Social Transformation Studies, Kansas State University
- Michaela Yvonne Ziemendorff, Institut für Archäologie und Kulturanthropologie, Abteilung für Altamerikanistik, Universität Bonn
FAll 2022 COHORT
| Alarcon Olivos | Marcos Gildemaro | University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign |
| Arbulú Zumaeta | Priscila | Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú |
| Bernilla | Herbert José | Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos |
| Carvajal Regidor | Jose Ignacio | University of California San Diego |
| Coldiron | Katie Lynn | Florida International University |
| Díaz Serrano | Ana | Universidad de Murcia |
| Jacquot | Olivier | Bibliothèque Nationale de France |
| Mamani-Fuentes | Francisco | Université Paris Sciences et Lettres/École Normale Supérieure, Universidad de Granada |
| Martínez Gramuglia | Pablo | Universidad de Navarra |
| Mejia Garcia | Rocio Irene | University of Texas at El Paso |
| Monta-Jameson | Maria Feliza | University of New Mexico |
| Montero Sobrevilla | Iris | Brown University |
| Oyola Valdez | Daniela Isabel | LMU |
| Russel y Rodriguez | Monica | Northwestern University |
| Sánchez | Silvia | Linnéuniversitetet |
| Sánchez-Mora | Javier | Universidad de Costa Rica |
| Sisneros | Samuel | University of New Mexico |
| Teglia | Vanina Maria | Universidad de Buenos Aires/CONICET |
Spring 2022 COHORT
| Aguilar Pérez | José Ángel | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México |
| Barragán-Álvarez | José Adrián | The Bancroft Library |
| Cabrera Pons | Juan Carlos | University of Massachusetts Amherst |
| Catepillán | Tomas | Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso |
| Derby | Lauren (Robin) | University of California, Los Angeles |
| DiMartino | Caitlin Irene | Northwestern University |
| Fernández Rivera | Francisco Javier | Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo |
| Garzón Mantilla | Juan Carlos | Columbia University |
| Gharala | Norah | University of Houston |
| Hayashi | Michiyo | University of Kansai Gaidai |
| Holman | Tabithia | Florida International University |
| Kane | Eleanor | University of New Mexico |
| López-Parada | Esperanza | Universidad Complutense de Madrid |
| Manitas | Francisco | City University of New York |
| Matsumoto | Mallory | University of Texas at Austin |
| Molina Bautista | Angelica María | Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia |
| Navarro | Gustavo Urbano | Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral |
| Pérez Gámez | Daniel | University of British Columbia |
| Pupo Pernet | Guillermo | University of Arkansas |
| Richards | Keith | Tulane University |
| Rojas Leiva | Alejo | Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú |
| Ruiz | Daniela | Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú |
| Sánchez Pozos | Christian | Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla |
| Sanchis Álvarez | Robert | University of Virginia |
| Scarcella | Romina | Universidad de Buenos Aires |
| Serratos García | Brayan | Vanderbilt University |
| Turley | Samantha Emma | Vanderbilt University |
| Urteaga Araujo | Enrique Napoleón | Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú |
| Varela | Juan Carlos | University Texas at El Paso & Texas General Land Office |
| Wasserman | Mira | University of California, Los Angeles |
FAll 2021 COHORT
| Ambrosi de la Cadena | Marco | Universita Vita-Salute San Raffaele |
| Aravena Zamora | Abel Marcelo | Universidad de Playa Ancha |
| Arias-Zelidón | María Elena | University of California, Merced |
| Azuaje Capielo | Ronny Adelcrin | University of Alabama |
| Campos-Muñoz | German | Appalachian State University |
| Chávez Leyva | José | University of Texas at El Paso |
| Dawson | Eduardo | University of Notre Dame |
| De León | Ann | University of Alberta |
| Doherty | Tiarna | University of Delaware |
| Egan | Caroline | Northwestern University |
| Elías Lequernaque | Jorge Pavel | Universidad de Piura |
| Favila Vázquez | Mariana | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México |
| Gómez-Zamora | Mario | University of California, Santa Cruz |
| Green | Bryan | Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso |
| Ibáñez | Henrry | Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú |
| Kolpakova Pérez | Natalia | Pontificia Universidad Javeriana |
| López Aguirre | Diego Felipe | University of Notre Dame |
| López Andraca | Arisbel | University of Texas at Austin |
| Maccarone | Rahma Leila | Georgetown University |
| Márquez | María Victoria | CONICET/Universidad Nacional de Córdoba |
| McKinley | Michelle | University of Oregon |
| Medelius Olcese | Yole Mónica | None |
| Newman | Mary Katherine | University of Oxford |
| Rivas | Diomelca | City University of New York |
| Sandoval | Mercy | CIESAS – Peninsular |
| Silva | Yamile | University of Scranton |
| Stauffer | Brian A. | Texas General Land Office |
| Torres-Gutiérrez | Cristian Miguel | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México |
| Valverde Molina | Luis Tadeo | Universidad de Salamanca |
| Zegarra Moretti | Carlos Benjamín | Universidad de Bonn |