Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Pedro Pateo Pedro

Meet Pedro Mateo Pedro, the Executive Director of the Guatemala Field Station. This week he's busy with the first Winter Language School at the field station! https://languagescience.umd.edu/winter-school

Pedro is a Research Assistant Professor at UMD and has been the Executive Director of the Language Science Center's Guatemala Field Station since it first launched in 2015. He completed a PhD and postdoc in Linguistics in the U.S. before returning to Guatemala. His work focuses on the documentation and acquisition of Mayan languages, with a currenty emphasis on contact between two mayan languages: K'iche' and Awaketoko. Pedro works with local community organizations such as Wuqu' Kawoq , the Maya Helath Alliance, which provides healthcare in Mayan languages. Through the Field Station, Pedro connects students to families and organizations and provides opportunities for students to not only learn ande study the langauges, but also engage with the community and epxerience Guatemalan culture. When he is not teaching or doing research, he enjoys spending time with his family and playing marimba with his two sons.