Wayne State University’s Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies (WSU Latino/a Studies) will hold its 41st Anniversary Gala & Celebración on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012, at El Kiosko Banquet Hall, 7271 Dix, Detroit. This year’s event will honor María Torres-Guzmán, professor of bilingual education at Columbia University’s Teachers College. Torres-Guzmán, who lived in Detroit from a young age, served as the center’s director in 1973-76, during its early development. She has gone on to an illustrious academic career and has written and edited a number of books, including Freedom at Work: Language, Professional and Intellectual Development in Schools (Paradigm Publishers, 2010).

The master of ceremonies for the evening will be Ray Lozano, director, Racial Justice and Cultural Collaboration, New Detroit.

Afro-Puerto Rican dance and musical ensemble BombaRica will perform during the dinner portion of the event. Other entertainment highlights include a set by DJ Enrique Carrillo and a folkloric dance performance by Raices Mexicanas de Detroit.

This event kicks off Wayne State’s observance of National Hispanic Heritage Month and raises money for the center’s student retention programming. It is made possible through the charitable contributions of its many guests, as well as sponsors such as UAW-GM, Comerica, AARP, MGM Grand Detroit, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Rush Group, UAW-Ford, UAW-Chrysler, DTE Energy and Dalia García.

For more information, visit the event page at: www.specialevents.wayne.edu/las-41/.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering more than 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 31,000 students.