ILS, in collaboration with the Center for Latin American, Caribbean & Latino Studies (CLACLS), Center for Puerto Rican Studies, and Berkeley College, will bestow upon Dr. Bonilla a Lifetime Achievement Award – In Memoriam for his unparalleled contributions in education and to the advancement of Puerto Ricans, Latinos and US diverse communities.

The video includes statements by Edwin Melendez, current director of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies; a statement, distilled from research archives by Dr. Felix Matos Rodriguez, former director of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College.

In addition, Ginetta Candelario, Ph.D., gives testimonial about how Dr. Bonilla helped her and other Dominican women such as Dr. Ramona Hernandez, Ph.D., Nancy Lopez, Ph.D., Belkys Suazo Garcia, Ph.D. and the late Belkys Necos, Ph.D., realize their dream of earning Ph.D.s and other graduate degrees.

Dr. Candelario acknowledged that Dr. Bonilla modeled her academic pursuit from the beginning and created  the conditions for her to earn a Ph.D. in Sociology at the CUNY Graduate School.

“He let in Dominican women…a lot of us,” she stated to Nestor Montilla, Sr., who conducted the film/video interview for the Institute for Latino Studies.

The video ends with a list, some photos and brief videos of the 2018 Illustrious Award Recipients to be honored at the ceremony slated to take place on Friday, September 14, 2018 at 6pm at the CUNY Graduate School, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016 (34th Street and 5th Avenue, across the Empire State Building).

The Illustrious Awards Ceremony, a signature initiative of The Institute for Latino Studies, documents and highlights the contributions of Latinos to the advancement of the United States of America. The contributions of Latino icons are video-featured and honored in a professionally produced formal ceremony and Collectible Tribute Journal.

This year, the Institute for Latino Studies has partnered with the Center for Latin American, Caribbean & Latino Studies (CLACLS), Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Berkeley College and BabyLionProductions.org, for the last installment of the Illustrious Awards, a milestone in the history of Latinos in the United States.

The Illustrious Awards, honoring distinguished Latinos, is a signature research initiative of The Institute for Latino Studies whose motto is to produce quality research for better advocacy. www.instituteforlatinostudies.org