Coordination

Tomaz Amorim holds a bachelor’s degree in Literary Studies and a master’s degree in Literary Theory and History from the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp), with an exchange internship at the UzK. He holds a PhD in Literary Theory and Comparative Literature from the USP, with an exchange internship at Humboldt University. He completed post-doctoral internships at the Unicamp and at the FU Berlin (in the Excellence Cluster “Temporal Communities”). He worked as Pedagogic Coordinator at UNEAFRO-Brazil and Guest Coordinator at the São Paulo International Film Festival. He is a poet, literary translator and writes cultural criticism in several Brazilian media outlets.

tomaz.amorim@fu-berlin.de
Rua Morgado de Mateus, 615
04015-051 São Paulo, Brazil

Our Scientific Editor, responsible for the Working Papers Series and other publications, holds a PhD in Philosophy from the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp). He was chief editor of Novos Estudos Cebrap (2010-15), visiting researcher at the University of Chicago (2008), associate researcher at the Philosophy Department of Unicamp (2018), and postdoctoral researcher at the Philosophy Department of the Universidade de São Paulo (2019-20). He joined Mecila’s coordination office team in 2020.

+55 11 55740399 | 118
joaquim.toledo@fu-berlin.de
Rua Morgado de Mateus, 615
04015-051 São Paulo, Brazil

Our Events and Outreach Coordinator has a degree in Social Communication (2013) from USP, and a postgraduate (lato sensu) degree in Business Administration (2018) from the Fundação Getúlio Vargas. She worked in the publishing market before turning to corporate communications in 2017 when she joined the communications team of the Câmara de Comércio e Indústria Brasil-Alemanha. She joined Mecila’s team in São Paulo in 2018.

+55 11 55740399 | 118
melanie.metzen@fu-berlin.de
Rua Morgado de Mateus, 615
04015-051 São Paulo, Brazil

Marina, our project assistant, holds bachelor degrees in Chemistry and Social Sciences from the USP. She worked at Reporter Brazil’s educational program Escravo, nem pensar! (2010 – 2014) and was a project assistant at the Latin American Campaign for the Right to Education (2016-2020). Marina holds an international certification in Social Programs and Projects Management and has been part of Mecila’s team in São Paulo since 2021.

marina.falcao@fu-berlin.de
Centro de Difusão Internacional – USP
Av. Prof. Lúcio Martins Rodrigues, 310 – Butantã, São Paulo – SP, Brazil

Roberta Hesse, holds a Master’s degree in Social Anthropology from USP and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences also from USP, having carried out a research internship and an academic exchange year at UzK. She has also worked with project management at the Associação Anna Laura. Currently she is an associate researcher at the “Centro de Estudos Ameríndios (CEstA/USP)”. She has been part of Mecila’s team as fellow assistant since April 2022.

+55 11 55740399 | 118
roberta.hesse@fu-berlin.de
Rua Morgado de Mateus, 615
04015-051 São Paulo, Brazil

Émerson Leite Neves is an undergraduate student at USP, majoring in Social Sciences. He is currently focusing on urban anthropology and has been carrying out a research into contemporary consumer eating habits, with an emphasis on class issues and social markers of difference. His main interests include anthropological theory, urban ethnographies, contemporary society, and symbolic representations.

+55 11 55740399 | 118
emerson.neves@fu-berlin.de
Rua Morgado de Mateus, 615
04015-051 São Paulo, Brazil

Iris Brochsztain is an undergraduate student in Social Sciences at the USP. During 2023, she participated in the Etnographic Laboratory for Technological and Digital studies (LETEC-USP) and, in 2024, she joined the Global-South and East Anthropology group (CANIBAL-USP). Currently, Iris is developing a research abouth the relation between ethnic minorities and states. Since June 2024, she has been part of Mecila’s team.

iris.brochsztain@fu-berlin.de
Centro de Difusão Internacional – USP
Av. Prof. Lúcio Martins Rodrigues, 310
Butantã, São Paulo – SP, Brazil

Lucas da Cunha is a Social Sciences student pursuing a bachelor’s degree at USP. In 2023, he was a visiting student at the Université d’Ottawa in Canada for one semester. He worked as a research assistant in the “Religions in the Contemporary World” research nucleus at CEBRAP. In June 2024, he joined the Mecila team in São Paulo as an intern.

lucas.cunha@fu-berlin.de
Centro de Difusão Internacional – USP
Av. Prof. Lúcio Martins Rodrigues, 310
Butantã, São Paulo – SP, Brazil

Vitória Zandonadi is an undergraduate student in Social Sciences at USP. In the first semester of 2023, she had the opportunity to participate in an academic mobility exchange program at Sciences Po, on the Reims campus in France. Currently, Vitória is developing a research project in Urban Anthropology. Since June 2024, she has been part of the Mecila team as an intern.

+55 11 55740399 | 118
vitoria.zandonadi@fu-berlin.de
Rua Morgado de Mateus, 615
04015-051 São Paulo, Brazil