METOYER, Cynthia Chavez 1965-

PERSONAL: Born May 6, 1965, in Albuquerque, NM; daughter of James M. and Florela (Chavez) Metoyer; married Lee W. Standley, April 10, 1999; children: Caleb James. Ethnicity: "Latina/French creole." Education: New Mexico State University, B.A., 1987; Northern Arizona University, M.A., 1990, Ph.D., 1994. Politics: Democrat. Religion: Christian. Hobbies and other interests: Travel.

ADDRESSES: Offıce—Department of Political Science, California State University—San Marcos, 333 South Twin Oaks Valley, San Marcos, CA 92096-0001.

CAREER: Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, instructor, 1992, 1994; California State University—San Marcos, assistant professor, 1994-2000, associate professor of political science, 2000—. University of San Diego, visiting professor, 1997. Center for Global Education, observer of Nicaraguan presidential elections, 1996, 2001. Participant in symposia and other professional gatherings; public speaker; guest on media programs.

MEMBER: International Studies Association, American Political Science Association, Latin American Studies Association, Western Political Science Association, Latin American Faculty and Staff Association of California State University—San Marcos (president, 1996).

AWARDS, HONORS: Travel grants for Canada, El Salvador, Guatemala, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, and Nicaragua, California State University—San Marcos.

WRITINGS:

Women and the State in Post-Sandinista Nicaragua, Lynne Rienner Publishers (Boulder, CO), 2000.

Contributor to books, including Democracy and U.S. Politics: A Supplemental Reader and Workbook, edited by David E. Camacho, Kendall/Hunt Publishing (Dubuque, IA), 1994; and The Undermining of the Nicaraguan Revolution, edited by Gary Prevost and Harry Vanden, Macmillan Press (London, England), 1997. Contributor of articles and reviews to periodicals, including World and I, Political Science Quarterly, and International Studies Perspectives.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Research on the political conditions in Nicaragua.

SIDELIGHTS: Cynthia Chavez Metoyer told CA: "Shortly after graduating from high school, I took my first trip abroad. As a youth volunteer with Amigos de las Americas, I had the opportunity to work in the barrios of Caracas, Venezuela, administering ear and eye care to impoverished children. It was an eye-opening experience to see firsthand how the world's majority live. This experience marked the beginning of my personal and career interests in Latin America. One of my majors in undergraduate school was Latin-American studies, an interest that would deepen in graduate school. As a Christian, the issues of poverty and hunger weighed heavy on my heart, and I was driven to explore answers to the broad question, why are some countries desperately poor while others are abundantly rich?

"My specific interest in Nicaragua began early in my doctoral studies at Northern Arizona University in 1990; Nicaragua had just experienced a transition of state power from the revolutionary Sandinista government to the U.S.-backed Chamorro government. As a student of political science, I was intrigued by the host of questions this transition raised and the possible lessons one could learn from it. My first trip to Nicaragua came in 1991 and confirmed what I had read: it is a land of dire poverty. (At the time Nicaragua was the third-poorest country in the western hemisphere; it currently ranks second). Despite the impoverished conditions, it seemed to me that there were many important untold stories of struggle, survival, and hope yet to be uncovered.

"My research approach to studying Nicaragua utilizes a feminist approach that explores the 'genderedness' of the given issue. For me, this is a matter of practicality. The literature on development confirms the importance of women's work in the global economy, while ironically marginalizing gender analysis. It makes sense to me that if I am to understand the puzzle of poverty and hunger, I have to explore how it relates to women who are generally poorer, earn less income for equal work, hold fewer leadership positions, and own less property than their male counterparts, yet perform two-thirds of the world's work.

"Over the years, the specific topic of my research in Nicaragua has varied with the changing political situation, but I have continued to maintain a women-centered analysis. In the last couple of years, I have strived to connect my research with participation in humanitarian relief work."