Outstanding Achievement Award Recipient
UMD Swenson College of Science and Engineering, October 19, 2023
Cristina Coc earned a bachelor of science degree in biology from the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) in 2008. She returned to her native community in southern Belize following her graduation and co-founded the Julian Cho Society (JCS) in honor of her late brother-in-law in order to continue his work dedicated to the conservation of environments and rights of Indigenous peoples. As a Q’eqchi’ Maya, she is also one of the key organizers and co-spokespersons for the Maya Leaders Alliance (MLA). Coc notably led a grassroots effort to support a landmark Maya land rights case, which, following a decade of hard work, culminated in the Belize national government recognizing that the Maya hold legal rights to their traditional lands. This case set an international precedent for Indigenous human rights, and Coc received the prestigious Equator Prize at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in recognition of her tireless efforts. Through JCS, she also established an initiative to promote Maya cultural heritage through education programs in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and southern Belize. Coc also maintains ties to her alma mater through speaking engagements on Maya land right protection and economies and collaborating with UMD faculty to guide several study abroad groups in Belize through a partnership with the Center for Engaged Learning Abroad. She is a strong role model, especially for Indigenous women; a sought out and engaging speaker who has brought media attention to the rights of the Maya people; and, thanks to her leadership, she has reenergized an Indigenous rights movement and changed thousands of lives for the better.
Biographies are as-of time of award presentation.