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The William A. Douglass Center for Basque Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno was established in 1967 as part of the Desert Research Institute that was creating new programs to reach various aspects of the area’s inhabitants and history.  The idea to study Basques was proposed due to the Basques being a prominent minority in the region who had contributed greatly to its development.  Fifty years later, the Center has evolved and become the largest Basque Studies program outside of the Basque Country.  Its past, present and future were all celebrated on November 8^th.

Reno, NV.   The William A. Douglass Center for Basque Studies celebrated its 50^th anniversary on November 8^th with a reception that was attended by university authorities, Center Advisory Board members, its faculty, staff, and students, past and present, along with a large number of the local Basque community and friends. The reception that began at 4:30pm, was held in the Jon Bilbao Basque Library located in the Knowledge Center and included addresses by University President, Marc Johnson, former Center director, William A. Douglass, as well as the current chair, Xabier Irujo.  After the remarks, local Bertsolari, Jexux Goñi delighted the crowd with a couple of bertsos to mark the event.

Since its inception, the primary mission of the Center has been “to conceive, facilitate, conduct, and disseminate the results of interdisciplinary research on the Basques to a local, regional, national, and international audience, and by extension to draw attention to the human experience of small ethnic groups.”  The Center seeks to maintain excellence in all its endeavors and to achieve its goals through high-quality research, publications, conferences, and active involvement in scholarly networks throughout the world, as well as through service and teaching.  The Center’s current faculty includes: Joseba Zulaika, Sandy Ott, Xabier Irujo, director, and new-comer this year, Mariann Vaczi.  Center staff is comprised of Kate Camino, administrative assistant and Basque instructor, and Dan Montero who serves as its Publications Editor.  They are also supported by undergraduate student workers, as well as the Center’s Ph.D. students.

As a research center, the Center administers a minor in Basque Studies, and a Tutorial Ph.D. Program. The Center currently has six Ph.D. students, three of which are ABD (all but Dissertation).  Amaia Iraizoz (Nafarroa) will defend her dissertation in December, while Ziortza Gandarias (Bizkaia), and Horohito Norhatan (Indonesia) will both defend in the spring of 2018.  Kerri Lesh (US) will now begin the process of writing her dissertation to defend next fall, and Edurne Arostegui (US) plans to defend in the spring of 2020.  This year, the Center also welcomed Marsha Hunter who had recently finished her Masters Degree at Boise State University.

The Center has also made huge strides in publishing through the CBS Press that has published 140 books since its inception, on a myriad of Basque topics by respected academics and Basque authors in the US and abroad.  To learn more about these publications, visit the Center’s bookstore, here.

Local media also covered the event.  Video available here.  Zorionak CBS!