Please contact our Chairperson if interested.

Name:  Myrven Caines, M.B., B.S. London; M.D.,
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, F.C.A.P.
Specialization:  Anatomic and Clinical Pathology

Nationality:  Trinidadian

Field/Research Experience:
Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, St. Kitts

Language Competence:  Spanish (4) French (2)

Extracurricular activities:  Latin American Literature,
Caribbean Women Writers, Caribbean Literature, Music.

Founder and Coordinator of the Caribbean Book Club of Pittsburgh, founded in 1990.

Avid Ham Radio Operator, Photography.

Volunteer Activities:  Board Member- (FLM) Functional Literacy Ministry of Haiti which is involved with Improving literacy and Improving health and living conditions in Haiti.

ADOPT-A-SCHOOL-PROGRAM IN MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA

Myrven Caines has been involved the the Latin American and Caribbean Heritage Classroom project since 1999.

My name is Deena N. Alansky, and I'm a freelance web developer living and working in Pittsburgh, PA.

I graduated in 2002 from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh with a degree in Multimedia & Web Design. My first degree was in Child Development & Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh.

That experience ignited my desire for travel, and since then, I have visited Mexico 7 times, Puerto Rico once, Costa Rica once, and Spain once. I also took 2 semesters of Spanish at Pitt, and I hope to one day actually be fluent in Spanish. Visiting Latin countries and studying Spanish have increased my appreciation for Latin Culture.

I first learned about the Latin American & Caribbean Heritage Room project from e-mails posted by Catherine Bazán-Arias to the Latinet Mailing List around 2002. I was immediately drawn to this project by my fascination with Latin culture and the Spanish language. Before I knew it, I was volunteering to be the webmaster.

I became involved in the National Marrow Donor Program & Amy's Army in 2004, when my only brother was diagnosed with Leukemia. A bone marrow transplant was his last hope of survival, but no matching donor could be found. My brother lost his battle with Leukemia on February 18, 2004. I continue in my efforts to educate the public about the importance of the Marrow Registry in his honor.

This is an issue that affects the Latin Community, since Latinos are vastly under-represented in world-wide Bone Marrow Registries. This makes it more difficult for a Latin person to find a find a matching donor, since people are most likely to find a genetic match from people of their own ethnic background.

Recursos e Información en Español  ·  How to Join the Marrow Registry
Icla da Silva Foundation, the Largest Latino recruitment group for Marrow Donors
The National Marrow Donor Program

I am proud to be a member of the Latin American & Caribbean Heritage Room Committee. We are all part of history in the making. Together, we can turn the dream into reality! Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
Deena N. Alansky, Web Design Chair
The Latin American & Caribbean Heritage Room
www.heritageroom.org  ~  
www.deenasportfolio.com  ~  deena@deenasportfolio.com

Brent G. Rondon is currently the Manager of International Programs for the Export Trade Development Program (EX-TRADE) at the Duquesne University Chrysler Corporation Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

His work is in the area of export promotion for Pittsburgh area companies who want to sell their products overseas. He offers one-to-one international trade consulting, international market research, and export seminars for small businesses with emphasis in long-term export planning and strategies.

In addition, he organizes and leads overseas trade missions, manages the CITRA -CE Mark Center for European Technical Standards-, and coordinates the Global Trade Institute programs. As a success story, one of his client-companies won the “exporter of the year” award nationwide.

Brent also teaches International Business and Business in Latin America at the undergraduate level at Duquesne University.

Outside the work environment, Brent is very active in working with International Students in the Pittsburgh area to use them as a resource for export companies. Brent is a board member of a local non-profit organization, the Latin American Cultural Union (LACU) whose primary mission is to promote the Latin American culture through the artistic manifestation of its members. He performs traditional dances from Latin America.

He was awarded the 2001 Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs in Pennsylvania, in the category of Arts and Culture. Also, he serves in the Board of Chatham College-International Students programs, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania, Global Connections, and is an advisor at the Latin American Students Association (LASA) at Duquesne University. He also leads and plays the guitar at the Spanish mass at St. Hyacinth Church in South Oakland.

Brent was born in the U.S., and raised in Peru where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering. Upon returning to the United States, Brent enrolled in the English as a Second Language program at the Mt. Pleasant Hispanic American Center and at the Harrisburg Area Community College in Harrisburg, PA. Brent has worked for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the International Registration Plan in the NAFTA regulations office. He earned a Masters Degree of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. His native language is Spanish.