»Ę¹ū¶Ģ¾ē Sport Studies Program Announces Adrian Burgos, Jr., as Speaker In Residence

June 11, 2024
Dr. Burgos, Professor of History and Chair of the Department of History at the University of Illinois

PURCHASE, NY – »Ę¹ū¶Ģ¾ē’s Sport Studies Program announced its first Speaker in Residence for its National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) funded project ā€œSport Studies in the 21st Century: Amplifying the Latinx Experience in Curricula, Conversation, and Community,ā€ Adrian Burgos, Jr., Ph.D., He will be in residence in October 2024, with his marquee public lecture taking place on October 21 at 6pm (details to follow).

Dr. Burgos, Professor of History and Chair of the Department of History at the University of Illinois, specializes in U.S. Latino history, sport history, and urban history. His teaching, writings, and public engagement focus on Latino migrations in terms of racialization, urbanization, and labor in the United States. He is the author of the award-winning ā€œPlaying America’s Game: Baseball, Latinos, and the Color Lineā€ (2007) as well as ā€œCuban Star: How One Negro League Owner Changed the Face of Baseballā€ (2011). He co-authored with Margaret Salazar-Porzio, ā€œPleibol! In the Barrios and Big Leaguesā€ (2020). He was the founding editor-in-chief of ā€œLa Vida Baseball,ā€ a multi-platform digital brand focused on Latinos and baseball from a cultural lifestyle perspective. He has written for MLB.com, ā€œMemories and Dreams,ā€ and ā€œBaseball Prospectus,ā€ and was a contributor to sportingnews.com. The subject of a 2016 Big Ten Network documentary ā€œPlaying America’s Game,ā€ Dr. Burgos has appeared on ESPN, MLB Network, and NPR, as well as national and local programs discussing Latinos, baseball, and race. He served as a consultant on the Smithsonian’s ā€œPleibol!ā€ exhibit and the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s ā€œViva Baseballā€ exhibit, and as a program advisor for numerous documentaries, including Bernardo Ruiz’s ā€œRoberto Clementeā€ and Ken Burns’ ā€œThe Tenth Inningā€ and ā€œJackie Robinson.ā€

Dr. Burgos’s residency is the first in this groundbreaking three-year project that aims to explore the multifaceted social, political, historical, and cultural aspects of sport within Latinx communities. This award is one of five given as part of the NEH’s 2023 Humanities Initiatives at Hispanic-Serving Institutions competition. The university earned a designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education, which recognizes the campus’ significant Hispanic population. 

»Ę¹ū¶Ģ¾ē's Sport Studies faculty — Amy Bass, Ph.D., Seth Tannenbaum, Ph.D., and Samantha White, Ph.D. — conceived the award-winning project and serve as project directors. Founded in 2013, »Ę¹ū¶Ģ¾ē’s unique interdisciplinary Sport Studies program is the fastest growing major (and one of the largest) in the School of Arts and Sciences, with courses that range from ā€œSport Communication and Mediaā€ to ā€œSport and Social Changeā€ to ā€œFundamentals of Team Sports.ā€ The NEH-funded project seeks to address gaps in the field of Sport Studies, making stronger connections with the broader fields of Latinx and American Studies. By focusing on the impact of Latinx athletes and the role of sport in Latinx communities, the project aims to rectify the underrepresentation in this vital area of study. 

The speaker-in-residence series, featuring renowned scholars in sport and Latinx studies, is the core of this initiative. The speakers will be in short residencies at »Ę¹ū¶Ģ¾ē over the course of the next three years, working with students, faculty, and members of the wider community through a series of lectures and interdisciplinary learning clusters, building upon the strong collaborative nature of the Sport Studies major. The university’s archivist, Lauren Ziarko, will preserve the proceedings both online and in the university’s library, available for broad future use.

Dr. Bass, Professor of Sport Studies and Chair of the Division of Social Science and Communication, expressed her excitement to be hosting Dr. Burgos, "I am thrilled to be hosting someone of Dr. Burgos’s stature at »Ę¹ū¶Ģ¾ē, enabling students, faculty, and staff a chance to learn from his expertise. We welcome the broader community to take part, particularly in his public lecture.ā€

ā€œ»Ę¹ū¶Ģ¾ē offers a high-quality liberal arts education to students in the heart of the Hudson Valley,ā€ said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. ā€œI’m a proud advocate for the National Endowment for the Humanities, and I commend »Ę¹ū¶Ģ¾ē University for its agility in implementing this resource to bring Dr. Adrian Burgos to campus. I look forward to seeing the speaker-in-residence project flourish, and hope it may serve as a model for future projects to come.ā€

ā€œSport Studies in the 21st Century: Amplifying the Latinx Experience in Curricula, Conversation, and Communityā€ has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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About »Ę¹ū¶Ģ¾ē: »Ę¹ū¶Ģ¾ē is a private liberal arts institution dedicated to academic excellence, purposeful education, and social justice. For three years in a row, ā€œU.S. News and World Reportā€ has ranked »Ę¹ū¶Ģ¾ē the number one private, non-profit institution in New York among Top Performers of Social Mobility in Regional Universities North. Located 30 miles from New York City on a 100-acre suburban campus in the heart of Westchester County, »Ę¹ū¶Ģ¾ē enables easy access to entertainment offerings, educational resources, and business opportunities for its primarily residential and diverse student body. The university serves more than 1,300 undergraduate students and nearly 1,000 graduate students from more than 44 countries and 33 states. Founded in 1841, the university offers more than 75 undergraduate and graduate areas of study in the arts and sciences, education, nursing and health sciences, business, and creative writing, as well as continuing and executive education programs. Graduate students can choose from over 70 graduate and certificate programs. Extracurricular offerings include more than 45 clubs and activities and 22 NCAA Division III teams.  

»Ę¹ū¶Ģ¾ē has also been recognized by ā€œU.S. News and World Reportā€ for Ethnic Diversity. The university has earned a designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education, which has allowed it to recruit more Latinx students. For the sixth consecutive year, »Ę¹ū¶Ģ¾ē has been named to the Colleges of Distinction list, which recognizes institutions that excel in student engagement, great teaching, vibrant communities, and successful outcomes. The university is also among those that have earned the Equity and Inclusion badge from Colleges of Distinction, while continuing to be recognized for excellence with Business, Education, and Career Development badges.