05/20/2024
The connection between Indiana State University and Latin America goes back to 1983, when Dr. Donald Richards, a Professor of Economics at ISU’s College of Arts and Sciences, took part in a Junior Fellowship in Paraguay and Argentina. Since then, Dr. Richards has helped strengthen the connection with Paraguay and the institution.
The esteemed professor has brought other perspectives to the university through his lessons in Latin American Political Economy, as well as his support for students by working as an advisor for International Studies. He has also successfully hosted two Fulbright Visiting Scholars from Paraguay.
As Dr. Richards retires from the university this year, his legacy of internationalizing the Department of Economics and the organization is certainly expected to continue.
Part of this legacy will be strengthened through Marcelo Echague Pastore, former Director of Institutional Relations at Paraguay’s Securities and Exchange Commission. Prof. Pastore is the current Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence at Indiana State University, where he has spent the academic year co-teaching Latin American Political Economy with Dr. Richards, as well as Economic Development with Dr. Bassam Yousif.
Talking about his time in Terre Haute, Pastore said, “when we submitted the application for the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence program, there was only one place on my mind: Indiana State University. I was already aware of the university’s historical ties to my home country Paraguay, and working alongside the Department of Economics has allowed me to teach and research at the highest level while gaining a deeper understanding of the differences of the economies in our countries.”
He added: “Through collaboration with other organizations in the city and state, I have also been able to further explore the connections between Terre Haute and Paraguayan institutions. My favorite thing about this opportunity has been meeting so many fantastic people and the connections I have made. While I am certainly sad that my time here is soon coming to an end, I am confident that this is not a farewell and that the relationship between Paraguayan organizations and Indiana State University will continue to strengthen.”
In addition to teaching, Prof. Pastore has been involved in over 130 events and activities since his arrival at Indiana State in Fall 2023. These include workshops on financial literacy, collaborating with universities based in Paraguay, and working with local organizations such as Ivy Tech Community College, Indiana Council for the Social Studies, United Campus Ministries, St. Mary of the Woods College, and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, among many other institutions.
Prof. Pastore earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the National University of Asuncion – Paraguay and a master’s in public policy from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo, Japan. He is a former World Bank Junior economist for several Latin American countries, including Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay.
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international academic exchange program, supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. Participating governments, home and host institutions, corporations, and foundations worldwide also provide direct and indirect support to the Program, which operates in over 160 countries across the globe.
