Cristobal Borges

Courses

• Spring 2025
• Summer 2025

Personal Statement

Teaching is a life-long passion for me. I pride myself in providing students with a stimulating, diverse learning experience, and an environment where all students can succeed through hard work. I have instructed history for over six years, and been an educator at multiple levels for over a decade. Originally from Puerto Rico, I earned my Bachelor of Communications and International Studies degree from the University of Washington in 1999, and received a Master of Science degree in Radio, Television and Film in 2003 from the University of North Texas. In May 2014, I graduated with a Ph.D. in History from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). I study U.S., Latin American, and Borderlands history with a particular interest on identity formation, race, gender, and Pan-Americanism. While pursuing my doctoral degree, I worked with the Oral History Institute at UTEP in the Bracero Archive Program, the H-Borderlands website and list serve, and as an Assistant Instructor. I have presented my research at regional, national, and international conference meetings. In 2009, I participated in the Society of Latin American Studies conference held at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. In 2012, I took part in the Puerto Rican Studies Association conference at the University of Albany in New York. After my graduation in May 2014, my family and I moved to the Seattle area and have spent as much time as possible enjoying the Pacific Northwest and this beautiful city. I regularly teach the Intro U.S. History series (HIST& 146, 147, 148), Humanities courses (HUM 150, HUM 105, HUM 110), and Spanish language courses for the Early Childhood Education program. My educational approach is to introduce students to different perspectives on the past, explore the importance of place and space to understanding history, continually position the centrality of Native peoples to history, and use group learning to deepen comprehension. Additionally, I have served as a mentor for the Reimagining the Humanities PhD and Reaching New Publics program through a fellowship from the The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation at the Walter Chapin Simpson Center for the Humanities at the University of Washington. 

Degrees & Certificates

Borderlands History, Ph.D., University of Texas at El Paso Radio, Television and Film, MS, University of North Texas Communications and International Studies, BA, University of Washington