The High Impact Scholars Digital Repository (HISDR) is a digital archive that preserves and amplifies the knowledge and experiences of at-risk and exiled Latin American and Caribbean scholars, artists, and journalists.
The Mellon Fellowship for High Impact Scholars, Artists, and Journalists initiative aims to address the urgent need for support among scholars facing adversity. One of our objectives is to provide a digital repository that showcases the work of our fellows, a platform to share their research, art, and stories with the world.
By leveraging digital tools and collaborative networks, we strive to amplify the voices of those who are often marginalized or silenced, ensuring that their contributions to knowledge and culture are recognized and celebrated.
The High Impact Scholars Digital Repository (HISDR) is a collaboration between The University of Texas at Austin and the UPR Caribe Digital Project, ascribed to the College of General Studies of the University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras Campus (UPR-RP).
The repository showcases video, audio, transcripts, and images documenting Cafecitos, a series of conferences with students held at the UPR-RP with scholars, artists, journalists, and activists from Latin America and the Caribbean participating in the fellowship.
These high impact scholars have faced political repression and censorship in their home countries. Therefore, it is crucial to document, store, and disseminate these valuable exchanges. Our mission to coordinate and preserve these conferences is based on a desire to expand the conversations about the scholars' work and experiences and disseminate their research and creative work.
HISDR is a collection of voices that defy censorship, hardships and political repression, and bravely rise to inspire change. It is also conceived as a valuable learning tool that can be integrated in classes and scholarship. We promote conversations that empower and document knowledge that endures.
The HISDR is a collaboration between The University of Texas (UT) at Austin and the UPR Caribe Digital Project, ascribed to the College of General Studies at the University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras Campus (UPR-RP). The initiative is dedicated to supporting scholars whose work and voices are at risk. Through mentorship, research opportunities, and community engagement, it fosters an environment where creativity can thrive, regardless of borders or barriers.
The College of Fine Arts at the University of Texas at Austin is a proud institutional partner, offering a vibrant academic home and creative community for our scholars.
UPR Caribe Digital at the University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras Campus is an initiative that promotes digital humanities in Puerto Rico. It is the link between the Río Piedras Campus and the University of Texas at Austin.
The Mellon High Impact Scholars Fellowship is led by a multidisciplinary team comprised of faculty, researchers, and higher education professionals from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras Campus committed to empowering at-risk scholars, artists, and journalists by supporting their research and creative work through academic mentorship and community engagement.
Principal Investigator (PI)
University of Texas at Austin
Dr. Rivera-Servera serves as Dean and Professor in the College of Fine Arts at the University of Texas-Austin, where he has produced award-winning scholarship. His work has focused on how Queer, Latinx, and Afrodiasporic art contributes to social transformations. As PI, Dr. Rivera-Servera oversees all aspects of the project, ensuring its mission to empower at-risk scholars.
Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)
University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras Campus
Dr. Ríos Villarini Co-Directs the UPR Caribe Digital project, ascribed to the College of General Studies of the UPR-RP, where she has been a professor in the Department of English at the since 2008. She earned her Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin and contributes with her expertise in Digital Humanities (DH).
Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)
University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras Campus
Dr. Albert Trinidad is a journalism professor at the College of Communication and Information and a mentor in Digital Humanities projects at the UPR-RP. Her teaching incorporates her 20-year professional journalism background, bringing expertise in digital visualizations and database and investigative journalism.
Web Development & Design
UPR-RP
Dr. Ramírez Sánchez was responsible for designing and programming the HISDR, ensuring high-impact communication and a seamless user experience.
DH Documentation and Content Strategist
UPR-RP
García Ortiz is a graduate student responsible for recording conferences, editing audiovisual material, and curating the scholars’ resources to highlight their stories and research.
DH Content and Outreach Strategist
UPR-RP
Ramos Báez is an undergraduate student creating audiovisual content, assisting in the curation of resources, managing social media outreach, and supporting the fellowship’s mission to amplify our scholars’ voices.