Julieta Castellanos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Julieta Castellanos
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Castellanos in 2016
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| Born |
Julieta Gonzalina Castellanos Ruiz
8 January 1954 |
| Nationality | Honduran |
| Alma mater | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras University of Costa Rica |
| Awards | Martin Luther King, Jr. Award International Women of Courage Award |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Sociology |
Julieta Castellanos (born January 8, 1954) is a sociologist from Honduras. She is famous for her work to make her country a safer place. Since 2009, she has been the head of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), the country's main university.
Castellanos has bravely spoken out against crime and violence in Honduras. She has focused on problems caused by powerful criminal groups and issues within the police force. She believes that the country's laws and police need to be improved to protect people.
In 2004, she started the Violence Observatory at her university. This center studies crime information to understand and help solve the problem of violence. She was also part of a special group that looked into the events of the 2009 government crisis, when President Manuel Zelaya was removed from power.
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Early Life and Schooling
Julieta Castellanos Ruiz was born in the small town of San Francisco de Becerra, Olancho, on January 8, 1954. Her parents were Rafael Castellanos and Ernestina Ruiz. She spent her childhood in the countryside where sugar was grown.
When she was a teenager, her father encouraged her to take a test for a teaching school in the city of Tegucigalpa. She passed the test and graduated in 1973 with a degree in teaching. In 1974, she earned two scholarships. These allowed her to study Social Work and Social Sciences at the National Autonomous University of Honduras. She later earned a degree in sociology from the University of Costa Rica.
Career as a Professor and Leader
In 1978, Castellanos began working as a professor at the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH). She became an important leader at the university. She was the head of the Social Sciences Department and led the teachers' association from 1997 to 2001.
Over the years, she held many important roles. She was a consultant for groups working for human rights, like the Arias Foundation for Human Progress and the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA). For 13 years, she also wrote a regular column for a newspaper, sharing her ideas with the public.
Leading the National University
In 2009, Castellanos was chosen to be the Rector, or head, of the National Autonomous University of Honduras for a four-year term. People respected her for her work at the Violence Observatory and her efforts to promote peace and safety.
Soon after she started, Honduras went through a major political event when the president was removed from office in a coup. During a student protest, Castellanos tried to protect the students from the police. As Rector, she has worked to improve the university. She managed the building of a new sports center, an office building, and a clinic for the university community.
After her first term ended in 2013, she was chosen again to lead the university for another term.
Awards and Recognition
Julieta Castellanos has been honored with several major awards for her courage and hard work.
- In 2012, she received the first-ever Martin Luther King, Jr. Award. This award was given by the Martin Luther King Jr. Foundation to recognize her efforts to create a more peaceful society.
- In 2013, she received the International Women of Courage Award from the U.S. State Department. This important award was presented to her by the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and First Lady Michelle Obama.
See also
In Spanish: Julieta Castellanos para niños
- List of sociologists
- Women in government
