Student Highlight: Rocío Morres Tora
Meet Rocío Morres Tora, a second-year student in the MPA program. The MPA program asked her a few questions
about her experience:
What is your academic/professional background?
I graduated from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in archaeology. Additionally, in order to receive my license to practice archaeology (licenciatura), I was required to complete an undergraduate thesis for which I studied a sample of colonial ceramics that were excavated from an archaeological site in the lower Zaña Valley, north coast of Peru. Since then, I have tried to stay involved in one way or another in the fields of historical archaeology and historic preservation.
Currently, I am a second-year student in the MPA program and a first-year student in the Historic Preservation Certificate Program offered through the College of Architecture + Planning.
How have your MPA studies helped you in your academic/professional pursuits?
As a Peruvian archaeologist, I closely interacted with the local bureaucracy with all of its cultural nuances. This provided me with a glimpse of an organization overwhelmed by the seemingly endless task of understanding and preserving the rich cultural heritage of Peru. This confirmed within me a strong desire to pursue an advanced degree in Public Administration so that I could be more involved in the development and implementation of policies regarding cultural heritage and its manifestations.
What type of career would you like once you graduate?
Once I graduate, I hope to join a governmental organization that advocates for the preservation of historic sites such as the Utah State Historic Preservation Office and/or the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
I am particularly interested in the process in which a site is determined to be historic (aka worth protecting) and the way(s) in which preservation ordinances and policies are implemented across culturally different sites. One of my main research interests is to determine if certain histories are being preserved at higher ratios over others, and what the reasons for that are or may be.
What advice would you give to current or incoming students?
We all come from different backgrounds, and it is that diversity that allows us to have healthy debates in class. It is our own different personal experiences that enrich the program and make it unique. And while at times it can be challenging, the exposure to different points of view will allow us to become more well-rounded public servants.
Finally, one of my favorite parts about the MPA program at the University of Utah is that it allows you to develop your own concentration. So, if you are interested in something a little different than what the program offers, the staff is more than happy to help you find your path.
I graduated from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in archaeology. Additionally, in order to receive my license to practice archaeology (licenciatura), I was required to complete an undergraduate thesis for which I studied a sample of colonial ceramics that were excavated from an archaeological site in the lower Zaña Valley, north coast of Peru. Since then, I have tried to stay involved in one way or another in the fields of historical archaeology and historic preservation.
Currently, I am a second-year student in the MPA program and a first-year student in the Historic Preservation Certificate Program offered through the College of Architecture + Planning.
How have your MPA studies helped you in your academic/professional pursuits?
As a Peruvian archaeologist, I closely interacted with the local bureaucracy with all of its cultural nuances. This provided me with a glimpse of an organization overwhelmed by the seemingly endless task of understanding and preserving the rich cultural heritage of Peru. This confirmed within me a strong desire to pursue an advanced degree in Public Administration so that I could be more involved in the development and implementation of policies regarding cultural heritage and its manifestations.
What type of career would you like once you graduate?
Once I graduate, I hope to join a governmental organization that advocates for the preservation of historic sites such as the Utah State Historic Preservation Office and/or the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
I am particularly interested in the process in which a site is determined to be historic (aka worth protecting) and the way(s) in which preservation ordinances and policies are implemented across culturally different sites. One of my main research interests is to determine if certain histories are being preserved at higher ratios over others, and what the reasons for that are or may be.
What advice would you give to current or incoming students?
We all come from different backgrounds, and it is that diversity that allows us to have healthy debates in class. It is our own different personal experiences that enrich the program and make it unique. And while at times it can be challenging, the exposure to different points of view will allow us to become more well-rounded public servants.
Finally, one of my favorite parts about the MPA program at the University of Utah is that it allows you to develop your own concentration. So, if you are interested in something a little different than what the program offers, the staff is more than happy to help you find your path.
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