Dr. Ann Lutterman-Aguilar,

Mexico Site Director and Global Faculty

lutterma@augsburg.edu 

Ann (she/her/hers) is passionate about intercultural and global education and has over 30 years of experience designing and facilitating community-based courses and programs using critical, experiential, feminist, and decolonial and postcolonial pedagogies. She is proudly a dual citizen of Mexico and the U.S.A., who has been working in Cuernavaca, Mexico with Augsburg's Center for Global Education & Experience (CGEE) since August 1993. The primary fields that Ann teaches in are Religion; Gender, Sexuality, & Women's Studies, and Intercultural Communication.  Ann is also involved in the overall administration and curriculum development for the CGEE-Mexico site.

Ann has been very fortunate to have received scholarships that enabled her to pursue these formal studies, but her greatest education has always come from people working at the grassroots and from students and colleagues. Her formal education has included a doctorate from UC-Berkeley's Graduate Theological Union (2011), a masters degree from Yale Divinity School (1992), and a B.A. from Earlham College (1985) after one year at Oberlin College and Music Conservatory (1981-1982).

Ann cares deeply about immigration, women's rights, and LGBTQ+ rights, along with many other social justice issues. She loves walking with her black lab, reading, and music, among many other things. 

Prior to joining the CGEE-Mexico staff in 1993, Ann worked as a campus minister at Penn State University and in a refugee camp in El Salvador during the revolution there.  Her experience also includes anti-war activism and volunteer work with HIV/AIDS patients, in homeless shelters, battered women’s shelters, and a rape crisis center.

Antonio Ortega,

Global Faculty and Program Coordinator

ortega@augsburg.edu 

Antonio (he/him/his) completed the coursework for his doctorate in History at the Colegio de Morelos. He earned his Masters degree in History at the CIDEHM, the Centro de Investigacion y Docencia en Humanidades del Estado de Morelos in 2010 and his Licenciatura in Accounting at La Salle University in Mexico City. in 1985. Antonio is a Certified Public Accountant who worked for several years in the Mexican stock market.  However, he wasn’t happy wearing a suit and tie or living in Mexico City.  He then went to Oxford, England, where he studied English, but after a year he felt homesick, so he moved to Cuernavaca, where he has lived happily ever after since 1990.  

Prior to joining CGEE in January of 2003, Antonio spent several years teaching English and working at CETLALIC Alternative Spanish School, where he promoted the school and coordinated the Gay and Lesbian Studies Program.  In 1999, Antonio received a Teaching Certificate from the Anglo American School.  

Antonio is also a founder and active member of Grupo CD4, a non-profit organization devoted to fighting AIDS through sexual education.  His primary academic interests are LGBT issues, literature, and history.  He enjoys traveling, movies, reading, and writing.  

He is happy to report that after 22 years with his partner Eduardo, they were married in Mexico City in the summer of 2014, as new laws providing social security for same-sex couples were passed earlier the same year.  

Antonio teaches the HIS/WST course "Queer Histories in Latin America" and the POL/WST course "(Im)Migration, Gender, & Social Change. He also sometimes teaches the Internship Seminar. He maintains and develops close relationships with community partners in order to help arrange fieldwork, internships, and student teaching opportunities for our  students.  He also works with short-term faculty-led courses to Chiapas, Mexico City, Oaxaca, and other locations.

Fatima Mendoza,

Program Coordinator & Global Faculty

 mendoza@augsburg.edu  

Fatima Mendoza (she/her/hers) is the newest member of Augsburg's CGEE-Mexico team. She will be coordinating your urban homestays, setting up most of the internships, fieldwork, and student teaching placements, teaching BIO 118 (Environmental Biology), and assisting with a variety of other tasks.

Fátima was born in Mexico City. When she was ten, she moved to Cuernavaca, where she grew up surrounded by beautiful green spaces with lots of ecological diversity.

She attended a Montessori school, where aside from the usual school subjects, she was introduced to a very conscious education, developing vegetable gardens, learning how to compost, developing habits such as waste separation, cultivating interest in these subjects, that endure until now.

She decided to study a degree in Environmental Science because this career had a social and interdisciplinary approach. She completed her Master’s degree in the Teaching of Science (2016) at the UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico) campus in Morelia, where she also completed the equivalent of a B.A. in Environmental Science.

In 2016, she had a great opportunity to do an internship with Dr. Peter Mclaren at Chapman University in Orange, California, where she included the Critical Pedagogy perspective in the Ecopedagogy framework of her master’s thesis project.

Fatima has focused on developing projects related to Education for Sustainability and the divulgation of science. She has also worked at a children’s museum in Guadalajara where she was in charge of the science divulgation and content development area.  In 2018 she won a fellowship to do an intensive internship at Pavilhão do Conhecimento Science Museum in Lisbon Portugal.

She is also the mother of an 8-year-old very active child, and she’s very passionate about exploring landscapes and new places with him. She recently came back to Cuernavaca and joined the CGEE team. She is very excited to join the place where she can do what she enjoys the most and collaborate towards building transformative and significant education processes. 

She teaches the Environmental Biology course, the Internship Seminar, and she coordinates the urban homestays and fieldwork/internship placements.

Violeta Jaramillo

Office Manager

Violeta completed her Master in Business Administration (M.BA.) at the Tecnológico Nacional del México campus Zacatepec (2002), where she also completed her Industrial Engineering degree with a specialization in Quality and Productivity (1998). Violeta worked in private manufacturing industry companies such as Burlington Performance Wear, Casimires Burlmex and Gemplus from 1998 until 2005, when her son Iñaki was born and she decided to leave the industry to dedicate more time for her baby´s care. In 2006 she began as a professor at the Universidad Politécnica del Estado de Morelos, teaching subjects such as Administration, Strategic Planning, Business Skills, Quality in the Business Administration, and Industrial Engineer Faculties.

During this time Violeta also collaborated with Augsburg University’s CGEE Mexico as an adjunct professor, teaching International Business, International Marketing, and co-teaching the Business Keystone course.

Her most recent academic work was as a thesis advisor for undergraduate senior students in Administration and Industrial Engineering, as well as teaching Finance, Accounting and Entrepreneurship courses at La Salle High School in Cuernavaca. After her divorce from Iñaki's father, she has lived with her partner Carlos for 18 years in the city of Cuernavaca and currently works full time at CGEE Mexico as athe Office Manager, a job she loves!

She collects dolls, miniatures, she really enjoys traveling, watching movies and spending time with her family and the people she loves.

Valerie Cruz

International Resident Assistant

Valerie is from Southern California and is joining CGEE after completing her M.A. in International Relations at University College Dublin in Ireland. She first studied abroad in Dublin in 2023 while earning her B.A. in International Studies with a minor in Political Science at the University of California,

 Irvine. Her study abroad experience ultimately shaped her academic and personal trajectory and inspired her to pursue a career in international education centered on intercultural engagement, student accessibility, and student support. Since then, Valerie has worked in study abroad mentorship and equitable application review in efforts to help expand global learning opportunities for students from all backgrounds. Her background has led her to become especially passionate about helping students navigate unfamiliar spaces with curiosity, confidence, and a strong sense of belonging. Academically, her interests focus on social change, education, student engagement, and civic engagement, all of which continue to shape how she approaches global learning and intercultural exchange. She believes that international education can not only be a transformative tool for critical reflection, but also a tool that encourages personal growth and exploration. She is deeply committed to building her career, fostering supportive communities where students feel encouraged to challenge themselves while engaging meaningfully with the world around them. Valerie is extremely excited to be joining the CGEE team in Mexico this upcoming fall to support students through one of the most formative experiences of their academic journeys!

Irma Salazar,

Director of the Spanish Language Program, Universal Center for Language and Social Communication

isalazarmillan@yahoo.com

My name is Irma Salazar Millán, and I live in Cuernavaca, the city where I was born and raised. I have a Bachelor of Science in Education (1991) and have also completed my Master's degree in Business, or MBA (1994), both at the Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM). My specialty is teaching Spanish. I have taught students from all over the world for many years. Throughout my years as a teacher I have met people with different cultures, languages and life experiences, which has helped me to broaden my mind and knowledge, while allowing me to teach and share my own language, culture and traditions. I love what I am -  a professor - and what I do:  teach. 

Dr. Chistopher Thyberg

Visiting Social Work Professor

Christopher Thyberg, PhD, LGSW (he/him) is an Assistant Professor in the Social Work Department at Augsburg University. He is the visiting professor at Augsburg’s CGEE-Mexico site and will be teaching the three social work courses offered in the spring.

Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Christopher is a proud graduate of the Pittsburgh Public Schools. His early experiences there—witnessing how inequities and exclusion shaped the lives of young people—sparked his interest in social work and education, setting him on a lifelong trajectory of social justice and community care.

Christopher earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from Calvin University and the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work. During his undergraduate studies, he completed two study abroad experiences—one in Jamaica and another in Liberia. These experiences profoundly shaped his worldview, his social work practice, and his understanding of intersectionality and justice on a global scale. He is excited to be a part of the CGEE-Mexico study abroad program, where he hopes to help students experience the same kind of transformational experiential learning that influenced his own path.

Christopher began his social work career as a child and family therapist, working with youth and families navigating trauma, mental health challenges, and systemic barriers. He also spent nearly a decade coaching high school soccer—an experience that reinforced his belief in the importance of relationships, mentorship, and joy in helping young people thrive.

Motivated by a desire to improve school systems through transformational policy, Christopher completed his PhD at the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, focusing on restorative practices, trauma-informed care, and educational equity. His current research focuses on the intersections of restorative justice, anti-racism, and trauma-informed practices in schools, as well as issues of mental health disparities and structural inequalities among youths.

At Augsburg, Christopher primarily teaches clinical skills courses in the Anti-Oppressive Clinical Practice concentration of the MSW program—including Couples and Family Therapy, Group Therapy, and Trauma Theory and Treatment. He has also taught a Global Social Work course at the University of Pittsburgh, where he encouraged students to examine how global contexts shape individual and collective well-being.

Christopher lives in Minneapolis with his two dogs, Milo and Lucy. Outside of teaching, he enjoys playing soccer and volleyball, reading (with a goal of finishing 26 books each year), and participating in community events and activism. Whether in the classroom, the community, or the field, he strives to equip young folks and future social workers with the tools to foster healing, advocate for equity, and build systems rooted in care and dignity for all.

Dr. Mariana Pérez-Cabello

Global Faculty

perezm1@augsburg.edu

Mariana (she/her/hers) completed her doctoral studies in Journalism and Communication, as well as her master's degree in Communication Studies at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) in Spain after having completed her bachelor's degree in Communication Science at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She was born and raised in Mexico City, where she attended a bilingual school. She spent every vacation break and summer near Cuernavaca, in Temixco, Morelos, during her childhood. Once she had the chance to travel on her own, she took her backpack and spent a summer In Europe and never stopped. At 21, she spent a year as an Au pair in Baltimore, Maryland, an extraordinary cultural experience for her.  After a couple of years of professional practice in journalism at different radio networks (public and private), Mariana decided to expand her horizons and earned a full scholarship to study abroad in Spain.

Mariana lives near Mexico City, where she loves to walk around, visit museums, attend cultural festivals and watch films at the National Film Archive. In addition to teaching in Augsburg's CGEE program, Mariana teaches Communication Studies at the UNAM and the Universidad Iberoamericana. She also works at a public radio station in Mexico City called Radio Educacion.

Karla Vargas, 

Adjunct Professor of Latin Dance

In 2009 Karla completed the equivalent of her Bachelor's degree in Physical Education from the Universidad Americana  de Morelos (UAM).  She then began teaching Physical Education in public schools as well as private settings.  She has been teaching Latin Dance for Augsburg University in Mexico since 2010.  Karla has been spending time with CGEE students since she was a small child because her extended family hosted CGEE students.

Adriana Montoya, 

Cook and Driver

Adriana has been working at Casa Augsburg in the kitchen for almost nine years, cooking and organizing the menus pertaining to student ́s diet restrictions and allergies. She has substantial experience preparing meals for vegans, vegetarians and any other food diets students may have.

 She has recently started driving for Casa Augsburg and has been enjoying her time transporting the students to their excursions or any other activities they have. 

Previously, Adriana received students at her house for almost 17 years before she started working as a cook at Casa Augsburg. She creates a warm, comfortable environment for students. 

Karla Castillo is a bilingual consultant who helps translate and assist with health issues from time to time. Her number is +52 777 214 5802 (also WhatsApp). She will occasionally be on call during the semester, particularly on weekends if regular staff are unavailable. Your schedule will always list who is on call at the top of any given day, but if you don’t reach that person, try Ann at +62 777 215 6296 or Antonio at +52 777 191 1876.  You can always call the CGEE emergency phone first (+52 777 137 2109), but please recognize that it is sometimes easier to reach staff on their own cell phones. Thanks! 

Dora Luz Figueroa, 

Cleaning Staff

Dora has been working with us for 10 years, and works hard to make sure that our living spaces are clean an presentable. She is married to one of our night watchmen, Mario.

 Diego Rios Sanchez,

Night Watchman

I am loyal, honest, persevering a little sarcastic. I consider myself to have a strong character, unwavering, I do not give up in the face of adversity.

I am a worker, I offer my help and support when needed. My greatest motivation is and will always be my family.

Mario Queda Lagunas,

Night Watchman

I am a simple person. I like to respect people and be responsible in what I do.

Laura Castro, 

Cook

Laura started working at CGEE in 2018. She enjoys cooking meals for the students and accommodating students with any diets they may have! She lives in the Nahua indigenous village of Amatlan de Quetzalcoatl and has previously cooked in hotels.

Moisés (“Moi”) Aguilar Vargas, 

Grounds and Maintenance Manager

Moisés started working at CGEE in June of 2007, just a week before he and his wife Monica had their first child, Jatniel. He enjoys learning new things, 

dancing, and music

Ismael Canúl

Driver

You might meet Ismael at the airport when he picks you up! Ismael has been working with us for over twenty-five years and is a valued member of our team.