Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Latin American and Caribbean History,
Expected June 2024.
The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY.
Dissertation title: “From Dispossession to Reservation: Indigenous Nations and the Colonization of Colombian Amazonia in the Twentieth Century”
M.Phil. and M.A., History
2020 and 2021
The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY
M.A., History
2018
Los Andes University, Bogotá, Colombia
B.A., Sociology
2016
National University of Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
FELLOWSHIPS AND GRANTS
External
- Mellon International Dissertation Research Fellowship, Social Science Research Council, 2021-2022.
- Beyond Borders Ph.D. Scholarship in the Humanities and the Social Sciences, ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius Foundation, 2021-2023.
Internal
- Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies Doctoral Fellowship, The Graduate Center, CUNY, 2023-2024.
- Paul C. Notari Environmental Studies Grant, The Graduate Center, CUNY, 2023-2024.
- Early Research Initiative Catalyst Grant, The Graduate Center, CUNY, 2020-2021.
- Provost’s Pre-Dissertation Research Fellowship, The Graduate Center, CUNY, 2020-2021.
- Doctoral Student Research Grant, The Graduate Center, CUNY, 2020-2021, 2022-2023.
- Latino Data Project Fellowship, Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies, The Graduate Center, CUNY, 2019-2021.
- Summer Research Travel Fellowship, Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies, The Graduate Center, CUNY, 2019, 2022.
- Research Travel Paul Naish Award, Ph.D. Program in History, The Graduate Center, CUNY, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023.
- Graduate Center Fellowship, The Graduate Center, CUNY, 2018-2024.
- Graduate Student Instructor Fellowship, Los Andes University, 2016-2018.
PUBLICATIONS
Peer-reviewed Articles
- Aponte, Oscar. “The Making of a Modern Newspaper: El Tiempo in Colombia, 1911-1940.” Palabra Clave 22 (4), 2020.
- Mosquera, Carolina; Aponte, Oscar; Garcés, Santiago; López, Santiago. “Trabajadores, recuperación de fábricas y neoliberalismo en Colombia (1995-2015).” Revista Colombiana de Sociología 40 (2), 2017.
Manuscripts in Submission
- Aponte, Oscar. “Connecting the Putumayo and Caquetá Rivers: Roadbuilding, State Formation, and Colonization in Colombian Amazonia (1900-1980).” The Journal of Transport History, Special Issue ‘Paths to Peace? Infrastructures, Peace and Conflict’ [selected for inclusion].
- Aponte, Oscar. “Escaping from Casa Arana: The Murui-Muina People after the Putumayo Rubber Boom.” Ethnohistory.
Manuscripts in Preparation
- Aponte, Oscar & Association of Traditional Authorities and Indigenous Cabildos of the Municipality of Leguízamo and Resguardo Alto Predio Putumayo (ACILAPP). El camino de regreso a la maloca: reseña histórica del pueblo Murui-Muina de Leguízamo. Puerto Leguízamo: Alcaldía municipal.
Web-Based Publications
- Aponte, Oscar. The Socioeconomic Background of the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York City: Latinos in Corona, Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights, 1990-2019. Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies, The Graduate Center, CUNY, 2022.
- Aponte, Oscar. Socioeconomic Conditions of Foreign-Born and Domestic-Born Latinos in New York City, 1990-2018. Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies, The Graduate Center, CUNY, 2022.
Documentaries
- Aponte, Oscar, ACILAPP & Cortés, Juan. The Way Back to the Maloca, 2023.
- Aponte, Oscar, ACILAPP & Cortés, Juan. In Search of the Ancestors’ Footsteps [in pre-production].
PRESENTATIONS
Presenter
- “The Constitution of Indigenous Resguardos in Colombian Amazonia,” Latin American Studies Association Congress, May 24-27, 2023, and The Legacy and Future of Ethnic Studies at CUNY Conference, April 27-28, 2023.
- “The Challenges of Research in Indigenous Frontiers,” keynote speaker, ZEIT-Stiftung’s Beyond Borders Student Conference, April 13-15, 2023.
- “Colombianizing the Amazon Rainforest: Roadbuilding and State Formation during and after the Colombia-Perú War, 1932-1940,” Annual Conference of the German Association for Historical Peace and Conflict Research, Roads to Peace? Infrastructure, Peace, and Conflict Workshop, June 15, 2022, and at Latin American Studies Association Congress, May 5-8, 2022.
- “Settling the Frontiers: Missionaries, Soldiers, and the ‘Indians’ in the Colombian Amazon,” ZEIT-Stiftung’s Beyond Borders Student Conference, April 7-9, 2022.
- “The Putumayo Road: Colonization, Roadbuilding, and State Formation in the Colombian Amazon, 1909-1934,” Latin American Studies Association Congress, May 26-29, 2021, and at Society for Latin American Studies Congress, April 15-16, 2021.
- “20 Years of El Tiempo. A Case Study of the Modernization of the Press in Colombia, 1911-1930,” Latin American Studies Association Congress, May 24-27, 2019.
Organizer
- “Internships, Research Fellowships, and estancias de investigación in the United States and Latin America (presidential session),” Latin American Studies Association Congress, May 5-8, 2022.
- “The Art of Publishing: A Roundtable with Editors on Academic Articles and Books (roundtable),” Latin American Studies Association Congress, May 5-8, 2022.
- “Dilemas éticos y metodológicos de la investigación en tiempos de pandemia: diálogos intergeneracionales (presidential session),” Latin American Studies Association Congress, May 26-29, 2021.
- “Career Diversity and the Post-COVID-19 Job Market (roundtable),” Latin American Studies Association Congress, May 26-29, 2021.
- “Emerging Issues in Latin American Environmental Research (roundtable),” Latin American Studies Association Congress, May 26-29, 2021.
- “Indigenous Frontiers in Latin America: Discursive, Productive, and Political Production from Independence to the Twentieth Century (panel),” Latin American Studies Association Congress, May 26-29, 2021.
- 11th Annual Ph.D. Program in History Graduate Student Conference, The Graduate Center, CUNY, April 9, 2021.
- “20 años de Uribismo en Colombia: dinámicas e impactos de un modelo de país,” Colombian Studies Group Conference, October 20, 2020.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Adjunct Lecturer (sole instructor)
2023-
Lehman College, CUNY
Courses taught: Colonial Latin American History, Modern Latin American History
Graduate Teaching Fellow (sole instructor)
2019-2023
The City College of New York, CUNY
Courses taught: World History – 1500 to the Present
Graduate Student Instructor (sole instructor)
2016-2017
Los Andes University
Courses taught: Academic Writing
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Quantitative Research Fellow
2019-2021
Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies, The Graduate Center, CUNY
Junior Research Fellow
2017
Center for Development Studies, National University of Colombia
ACADEMIC SERVICE
- Chair, Student Section, Latin American Studies Association, 2020-2022.
- Student Representative, Executive Committee, Ph.D. Program in History, The Graduate Center, CUNY, 2021-2022.
- Member, Curriculum and Examinations Committee, Ph.D. Program in History, The Graduate Center, CUNY, 2020-2021.
- Peer Mentor, Ph.D. Program in History, The Graduate Center, CUNY, 2018-Present.
- Co-Chair, Colombian Studies Group, The Graduate Center, CUNY, 2018-Present.
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
- Latin American Studies Association – member since 2018.
SKILLS
Languages
- Spanish (native speaker)
- English (fluent)
- French (nearly fluent)
- Portuguese (nearly fluent)
- Murui-Muina/Witoto
- Amazonian indigenous language (basic knowledge)
- German (basic knowledge)
- Italian (basic reading)
- Catalan (basic reading)
- Latin (basic reading)
Languages
- Spanish (native speaker)
- English (fluent)
- French (nearly fluent)
- Portuguese (nearly fluent)
- Murui-Muina/Witoto
- Amazonian indigenous language (basic knowledge)
- German (basic knowledge)
- Italian (basic reading)
- Catalan (basic reading)
- Latin (basic reading)
Software
- SPSS (advanced) Microsoft
- Office(advanced)
- ArcGIS (basic)