The Institute of the Americas welcomes a new Head of Department

With Prof Nick Witham taking up the post of Interim Dean for the Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences, the Institute of the Americas is pleased to welcome Dr Néstor Castañeda as Interim Head of Department for the next 11 months.

Dr Néstor Castañeda joined the UCL Institute of the Americas in 2015. He is a political scientist whose research focuses on the politics of inequality and redistribution in developing economies, with a particular emphasis on improving taxation systems to make them more efficient and equitable. Before taking over as Interim Director of the Institute, Dr Castañeda served in various departmental leadership roles, including Director of Research, Departmental Graduate Tutor, and MA Programme Director. He has also recently served as Deputy Director of the UCL Social Data Institute.

"I'm honoured to take on this role. I look forward to working with colleagues and students to strengthen the Institute's position as the leading Area Studies department in the UK. In the coming year, I'm keen to support our community's research ambitions, enrich our students' experience at UCL, and improve our public engagement activities, ensuring that the Institute remains one of the key places to study the Americas in the UK."

Links

• Dr Néstor Castañeda's staff profile