Gladys McCormick, associate dean and professor of history, has been awarded the 2026 Howard F. Cline Book Prize in Mexican History from the Latin American Studies Association for her book The Last Door: A History of Torture in Mexico's War Against Subversives (University of California Press, 2025).

The prize recognizes outstanding scholarship in Mexican history published in English or Spanish and will be formally presented in May 2026, at the Latin American Studies Association’s 44th International Congress in Paris. McCormick plans to attend and will present her book during a special congress panel. The Latin American Studies Association is the largest professional organization in the world for individuals and institutions engaged in the study of Latin America.

The Last Door: A History of Torture in Mexico's War Against Subversives examines how the Mexican government used torture to suppress dissent in the 1970s. As the guerrilla movements spread, torture became central to Mexican policy. McCormick uses interviews and declassified documents to detail the abuse and systemic failures that have contributed to today’s security crisis in Mexico.

McCormick is the Jay and Debe Moskowitz Endowed Chair in Mexico–U.S. Relations. She also served a six-year term as a senior associate at the Center for International and Strategic Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C. Her work has been recognized with multiple Syracuse University honors, including the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Award for Teaching and Research in 2017 and the Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Teaching Recognition Award. Her scholarship centers on the political and economic history of Latin America and the Caribbean, with particular attention to political violence.

By Mikayla Melo