Latin America Alumni Network
About
The Latin America Alumni Network connects alumni in Latin America – including North, Central and South America.
Association events
Meet the leaders of our LATAM Alumni Network chapters
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Rodrigo Ronald Gumucio Escobar
Rodrigo was born in Cochabamba, Bolivia. After graduating from his home university, he pursued an MSc in Sweden, where his thesis received the Best AI MSc Thesis Award (SAIS, 2012). He later completed a Master of Philosophy at the University of Melbourne in 2015, followed years later by a one-year research scholarship at ETH Zurich.
Professionally, Rodrigo has contributed to greenfield-projects in entrepreneurship and financial inclusion. For example, he developed the App-Credit web-app, which led the company to become a LatAm finalist in the 2018 MIT Inclusive Innovation Challenge. He looks forward to contributing to Bolivia’s development and welcomes collaboration.
Connect with Rodrigo via LinkedIn.
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Lívia Bisol Menezes (Fortaleza, Brazil)
Livia was an exchange student in the University of Melbourne for one year in 2016, during the middle of her graduate course of Architecture and Urbanism in Brazil. The experiences and learning that took place at Unimelb changed and shaped how she views architecture and the impact that it can have on people’s lives and well-being. Livia currently works as partner at her father’s architecture office, focusing mainly on residential projects.
Connect with Livia via LinkedIn.
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Marcelo Alarcón
Marcelo Alarcón is a Chilean lawyer (Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of Melbourne. He is a partner at Dentons Chile, where he leads the Dispute Resolution practice. Marcelo focuses on civil and commercial litigation and arbitration. He regularly acts as counsel and arbitrator in complex disputes. He is a law professor at different law schools and is a member of CEIA, Red Procesal, and the Chilean Bar Association. He is also listed as an arbitrator in Chilean appellate courts and CAM Santiago. He has been recognized by Chambers and Legal 500, among other legal guides.
Rafaela Merino-Bianchi
Journalist and history major from Finis Terrae University, Master's degree in International Relations from the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain; Diploma in European Union and Literature from the University of Chile; and Diploma in Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne, Australia.
Rafaela has years of experience in press management, communications outreach, event production, and recording the activities of organisations, companies, and universities.
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David Guinard
David Guinard is a public sector expert lawyer focused on strategic legal risk management, public procurement nuances, government regulations and policy. With more than 15 years’ experience in government agencies, litigation, law firms and research, David currently works at McKinsey & Company as an Associate General Counsel leading the Latin America regional legal team advising engagements with clients in the Public, State Linked, Multilateral, Social and Health sectors.
David is a COLFUTURO scholar (scholarship awarded by the Colombian government based on academic merit), and member of the Colombian thinktank Corporación para el Estudio de la Regulación y la mejora Regulatoria – Coregulación. David participated as panelist in the Annual Conferences of ALACDE (Latin American and Iberic Law and Economics Association), years 2014 (Guatemala) and 2015 (Dominican Republic) and taught the course "Diploma in Energy Regulation" in EAN University, Colombia, in 2015.
David has published several papers, including: i) "Rethinking ‘compound elections’ from an interest-based negotiation approach"; ii) “Economic Regulation as an instrument of State Direction of the Economy”, and; iii) “Discussing the tension between states’ right to regulate and foreign investment protection in recent Colombian cases”.
Connect with David:
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Emmanuel Rodriguez-Chaves
Emmanuel Rodríguez Chaves is a visual artist interested in reflecting on the use and interpretation of images through an expanded notion of painting and the creation of installations that he calls "scenarios." His work employs found images that he subsequently manipulates to question the traditional use of the archive as a control device.
Emmanuel completed his PhD at the University of Melbourne, Australia, studied at the Kunsthochschule Berlin, Germany, and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis in Painting from the University of Costa Rica.
From mid-2023, together with fellow artists Montserrat Mesalles and Luciano Goizueta, Emmanuel founded abra.espacio. An independent art project in San José, Costa Rica. Located in the iconic building: Condominio Las Américas.
Emanuel’s work is part of private and public collections in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Germany , United States, Australia, Czech Republic. Lives and works in San José, Costa Rica.
Connect with Emmanuel:
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Mario Cuvi
Mario Cuvi is a distinguished Ecuadorian lawyer, academic, and entrepreneur with a robust background in international law, digital law and investment arbitration. He is also a happy father of 2 that loves to travel. Mario earned his Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of Melbourne, Australia and his Ph.D. from the University of Córdoba, Spain, and has held significant roles such as Dean of the Faculty of Law and Governance at Universidad ECOTEC in Ecuador. In February 2023, he was appointed Vice Minister of Government of Ecuador. He is currently Dean of Postgraduate Studies, and Director for Regulatory Affairs and Digital Law at Bodero y Asociados Law Firm. Mario also serves as a mediator and arbitrator in national and international affairs.
As a Unimelb Alumni, Mario aims to foster a dynamic network that promotes collaboration, professional development, and the university's values among alumni in Ecuador and LATAM.
Connect with Mario via LinkedIn.
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Teresa Samantha Manzanares Rodriguez
A professional with an interdisciplinary background, combining a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Contemporary Music Drum Performance, complemented by a Master of Arts and Cultural Management from the University of Melbourne. Her continuing education includes specialized courses such as "The Cycle: Managing Successful Arts and Cultural Organizations" from the University of Maryland, and she is certified by the National Council for Certification of Workplace Skills in the EC0301 standard for training course design. Her career includes roles as a teacher and academic coordinator at music education institutions, as well as developing curricula and coordinating educational programs.
Her commitment to the cultural sector is reflected in her volunteer work at the National Museum of Art (MUNAL) and the Melbourne Festival.
Firmly convinced of the relevance and importance of art in the development of healthy societies, she focuses her professional work on creating spaces that foster cultural exchange and access to diverse artistic expressions.
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Tania Insfrán
Tania is a development professional with over seven years of experience in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. She has led and supported initiatives in social development, economic inclusion, and infrastructure with a strong focus on impact and community needs. Known for her ability to organize, connect the dots, and move projects forward, she brings energy and structure to complex processes.
Tania has worked with organizations including USAID and the Inter-American Development Bank. She holds a Master’s in Development Studies from the University of Melbourne and is passionate about creating systems that turn ideas into lasting outcomes.
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Alexander Amado Reyes
Alex Amado is an industrial engineer from Arequipa, Peru who had the opportunity to study and work in Australia from 2020 to 2021. He is currently working for a multinational company in the tech field based in Lima and is keen to connect with the local University of Melbourne alumni community in Peru and across Latin America.
Connect with Alexander via LinkedIn.
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Manuel Martinez Haedo
Manuel is an Agricultural Engineer with a Master’s in Agribusiness from the University of Melbourne and 15+ years leading projects in the agricultural sector. He specialises in sustainability, strategic management, and business development.
Manuel currently leads a dairy farming company and Satus Nova, a consultancy that helps entrepreneurs organize, regain control, and grow purposefully. He works with people facing complexity or uncertainty in their businesses, offering clarity, trust, and strategy to move forward.
Connect with Manuel via LinkedIn.
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