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John Tofik Karam, Director

John Tofik Karam is a Professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and Director of the Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies at the University of Illinois. His first book on Arab cultural politics in neoliberal Brazil (2007) won awards from the Arab American National Museum and the Brazilian Studies Association. It was translated into both Arabic and Portuguese by Centre for Arab Unity Studies and the Editora Martins Fontes, respectively. His current book project is titled, “Manifold Destiny: Arabs at an Exceptional Crossroads of the Americas.” As part of that project, his 2013 article, “The Lebanese Diaspora at the Tri-Border and the Redrawing of South American Geopolitics, 1950-1992,” was awarded the best article prize by the Brazil Section of the Latin American Studies Association. His work appears in both the Journal of Latin American Studies and the International Journal of Middle East Studies.

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Elis Gomes Artz, Senior Program Coordinator

Elis Artz is the Lemann Senior Program Coordinator. She manages Center programs and projects under the direction of the Faculty Director. She is from the northeast of Brazil, where she received her professional degree in Psychology.

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Lucas Cavoli, Administrative Aide

Lucas Cavoli serves as the Administrative Aide at the Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies, overseeing daily operations under the director's supervision. With a degree in accounting and specialization in financial products, Lucas is eager to contribute his expertise towards achieving the center's objectives. Though originally from the interior of Minas Gerais, Brazil, his time in Rio de Janeiro has endowed him with a distinctive "carioca" accent.