2024 SIPI Instructors
SIPI Instructor (301)
Letícia Barbosa (she/her)
M.A Student in Portuguese Literature, Department of Spanish and Portuguese
What is your educational background?
I hold a bachelor’s degree in social communication with an emphasis in Journalism from the Federal University of Pernambuco, in Brazil, which I earned in 2019. My educational background also includes a master’s degree in Portuguese Literature, which I completed in the Spring of 2023 at UW-Madison. Currently, I am still a badger, but now I am a Ph.D. student in Portuguese Literature. Additionally, I have been working as a Portuguese Teaching Assistant at UW-Madison since 2021.
During my undergraduate studies, I conducted research on Hollywood teen movies for my final course thesis, reflecting my keen interest in cinema studies and media studies. From 2018 to 2019, I had the opportunity to work as a research assistant for the Brazilian National Center for Science Research Program at the Joaquim Nabuco Foundation. This project focused on exploring the utilization of digital communication technologies by human sciences teachers in public high schools in Pernambuco.
How long have you been involved with SIPI?
This is my second Summer joining SIPI, and I am super excited about it!
What are you most excited for this Summer?
I can’t wait to enjoy the concerts by the square and hang out by the lake with my friends.
Any fun facts about yourself?
For a long time, I knew how to float but not to swim. I took swimming classes for the first time when I was around 20, and I am still unsure if I can swim! Also, I enjoy dancing and singing along to all the banger songs.
Portuguese SIPI Instructor (302)
Levi Cross
Ph.D. Student, Department of Spanish and Portuguese
What is your educational background?
As a born and raised Wisconsinite, I attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for both my undergraduate and graduate studies. In 2018, I received a B.S. degree with majors in Portuguese and LACIS (Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies) and earned my M.A degree in Portuguese in 2020. My passion for the Portuguese language and interests in Brazilian culture began my junior year of high school while living and studying in Itabira, Minas Gerais, Brazil as a student ambassador through Rotary Youth Exchange. My appreciation for the lusophone world grew while studying abroad in Coimbra, Portugal where I spent my final semester of undergraduate studies at the Universidade de Coimbra. I am continuing my studies at UW-Madison as a Ph.D. student in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese studying contemporary Brazilian literature and culture with research interests in gender, sexuality, race, disability and trans-Atlantic studies.
How long have you been involved with SIPI?
I have three years of experience teaching Portuguese as the instructor of record for Portuguese 101 and 102, and also have experience as a teaching assistant for LACIS 260: Introduction to Latin America under the guidance of Professor Kathryn Sanchez. Summer 2021 was my first year involved with SIPI and I am so excited to share my experiences in the lusophone world, appreciation of Brazilian culture and love for Portuguese with the Institute as Portuguese instructor.
What are you most excited for this Summer?
In my free time, I enjoy traveling, cooking (and eating) new foods and spending as much time outdoors as possible. I am most excited to play beach volleyball and watch sunsets with friends at the Terrace and at the beautiful parks around Madison this summer.
Any fun facts about yourself?
A fun fact about me is that I spent my childhood summers in Indiana training llamas for the Indiana State Fair and still love all things involving llamas.
2024 SIPI Staff
MEDLI, NORD, SASLI, & SIPI Program Coordinator
Kerry Uniyal (She, Her)
L50 Pyle Center
702 Langdon St.
Kerry Uniyal is the Wisconsin Intensive Summer Language Institutes (WISLI) Program Coordinator for the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Language Institute (MEDLI), NORDsummer: The Scandinavian Summer Language Institute (NORD), the South Asia Summer Language Institute (SASLI), and the Summer Intensive Portuguese Institute (SIPI). She holds an MA in French and Francophone Studies with a concentration in French Translation and Interpretation from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India. She has a BA from UW-Madison where she completed a double major in French and Languages and Cultures of Asia, and a Certificate in South Asian Studies. In 2011, she studied and interned abroad in India through UW and has been involved in international education ever since. Prior to her role as WISLI Program Coordinator, she worked as a Program Advisor at the Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA) for study abroad programs in Asia, Australia, and the Middle East, as well as for customized faculty-led programs worldwide. Kerry speaks Persian, Hindi, French, has studied some Spanish and Mandarin.
Katie Pratt (she/her)
Student/Program Assistant
Katie Pratt is a student/program assistant at the Language Program Office (LPO) specializing in MEDLI (Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Language Institute), MULTI (Summer Multilanguage Seminar), and SIPI. She is an undergraduate student majoring in International Studies with an emphasis on global security and Dance. Along with working at the LPO, Katie is the cohort representative for the 2026 Dance Department graduating class and teaches ballet at Storybook Ballet. She is also proficient in Spanish and hopes to become fluent at the end of her four years at UW-Madison. Outside of the university, Katie enjoys spending time outside by the lakes, discovering new places to eat, and travelling to her hometown in Houston, Texas.