MIla Burns, associate professor of Latin American and Latino Studies, has been honored with the GOLD Alumni Achievement award from the CUNY Graduate Center—her alma mater—for her accomplishments in the decade since she earned her doctorate.

The award recognizes Graduate Center (GC) alumni in any field who have distinguished themselves early in their careers. A panel of alumni peer volunteers selected two GOLD awardees for 2025; Burns was the only CUNY faculty member honored. 

"Being recognized by your alma mater is just incredibly special," Burns said. "It is a profound honor that affirms all the hard work and passion I've had for teaching and researching since graduation. It also reflects the enduring connection to the community that shaped who I am as an academic, especially the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies at the Graduate Center and the Department of Latin American and Latino Studies at Lehman College."

Burns, who also holds a teaching appointment at the GC and is associate director of the Center for Latin American, Latino and Caribbean Studies, is the author of Dona Ivone Lara’s Sorriso Negro and Nasci para Sonhar e Cantar: Dona Ivone Lara, a Mulher no Samba. Her forthcoming book, Dictatorship Across Borders: Brazil, Chile, and the South American Cold War, investigates the Brazilian influence on the military coup d’état in Chile in 1973.