The School for Cross-faculty Studies are hosting visiting scholar and historical cartography expert Professor Jordana Dym, who will also be running two events for Warwick staff and students on mapping and their significance in South American history.

Jordana Dym, a Professor of History and the Kenan Chair of Liberal Arts at Skidmore College in New York State, specialises in the history of cartography with a specific focus on the mapping of Central America (particularly Guatemala) and the intersection between Western travel and cartography. She served as chair of trustees of the International Society for the History of the Map (2019-2023) and is a founding editor of H-Maps as well as co-editor of the journal Imago Mundi.

Professor Dym’s visiting professorship is funded by the IAS Visiting Fellowship Scheme, which was secured by GSD Assistant Professor Dr Elizabeth Chant, who commented:

"We are delighted to be hosting Jordana here in SCFS. Her work in map history is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary scholarship to bring researchers together and forge novel approaches. We look forward to sharing Jordana’s expertise with the Warwick community over the coming weeks as we advance our joint research on the contemporary legacies of travel in Latin America."

Professor Dym will be joining us from 17^th Feb until 25^th April, during which she will be hosting two fascinating events based on her research:

• What is Lost and Gained in Translation: The Traveling Maps of Antonio de Ulloa's Relación del Viage Histórica a la America Meridional (1748-1772) (27^th February, 12-2pm) There is much to be learned by studying the afterlives of images, focusing specifically on how geographic material created for a specific travel account either reinforces preconceived visions or takes on new significance when edited and republished in a foreign edition. The talk both considers what it means to ‘translate’ maps, plans, coastal views and landscapes (or any work) – and particularly, how translation affects text, image and the relationship between them from manuscript to print, and from national to international contexts.

• What Kinds of Questions Can Maps Answer? (4^th March 12-2pm) This workshop will offer advice on how to work with maps, including their interactions with other texts and how to successfully engage them in scholarship. This will be of particular interest to scholars working on Latin America owing to Jordana’s extensive work in map history, including co-editing the landmark volume Mapping Latin America (2011). Anyone working on maps at any level is welcome.

Registration for these events is now open. You can find out more about Jordana and her research here.