Maria (Nena) de Los Angeles Torres is Director, Latin American and Latino Studies Program, University of Illinois at Chicago. Her work has focused on Cuba and its exiles as well as on Latino politics in the U.S. She has authored two books, “In the Land of Mirrors: Cubans Exile Politics in the US” and “The Lost Apple: Operation Pedro Pan, Cuban Children in the US and the Promise of a Better Future.” She edited a volume of essays, “By Heart/De Memoria: Cuban Women’s Journeys in and Out of Exile,” and co-edited the book “Borderless Borders: U.S. Latinos, Latin Americans, and the Paradox of Interdependence.” She is currently working on two research projects: Children and Youth’s Politics in the Age of Globalization and Comparative Civic Engagement in three Latino Communities. Before joining the faculty at UIC, Torres was Professor of Political Science at DePaul University. She served as Executive Director, Mayor's Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs, City of Chicago from 1983-1987 and as Director, Bilingual/Bicultural Studies and Hispanic Liaison, Mundelein College, Chicago , Illinois in 1983. She holds the Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan; and M.S. and B.A. in Psychology/Political Science from St. Mary's University.