Corbatta honored with lifetime achievement award

The Center for Latinos/as and Latin American Studies (CLLAS) held their Gala Dinner on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015. In this special event, they honored three women for their lifetime achievements as cultural activists and educators. One of the awardees was CMLLC's Professor Jorgelina Corbatta who was recognized, among other things, for her relationship with students of the center who have taken her Chicano and Puerto Rican literature courses.

Professor Corbatta has served as a liaison between the CLLAS and our Department of Classical and Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures for many years. She was also lauded for her extensive contribution to the academy with many publications including her latest book "Borges y yo/Borges y los otros" (2015), as well as numerous awards.

In her acceptance speech, she traced her academic journey from Argentina, to her second country, Colombia, to the United States. With a smile, she received this lifetime award recognition as students and members of her family (her husband, Jim, her son, Luciano and daughter-in-law, Guadalupe) applauded her accomplishment.

Also present were the President of Wayne State University, Dr. M. Roy Wilson, Dr. Jack Sobel, Dean of the Medical School, Sandra G. Yee, dean of the library, Wayne M. Raskind, Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Marquita Chamblee, Chief of Diversity Officer, as well as important members of the Latin@ community, numerous professors, administrators and students. Professor Corbatta boldly closed her acceptance speech with a call for unity and then exclaimed, "¡Viva Latinos y Viva Latinoamérica!"