Director: Nigel Encalada

Nigel is a newcomer to the NICH family.   He holds a MEd in Instructional Leadership from the University of North Florida.  He also holds a BA in Global Studies from Rockhurst University. Prior to joining the ISCR he was the Director of the Belizean Studies Resource Center and the editor of the Journal of Belizean Studies at St. John's College.  Over a 12 year career at St. John's College he taught and lectured in subjects such as: Belizean History, Caribbean History, Political Science, Economics, and Literature.

In his role as Director of the ISCR, Nigel will be organizing various programs and publications geared towards capturing aspects of Belizean social and historical life.  These programs are designed firstly, to educate Belizeans both inside and outside the formal educational context and secondly, to educate the international audience about Belize's cultural diversity and historical richness.

Research and Education Officer: Lauren Burn

With a passion for history and appreciation for culture, Lauren has worked at the secondary and tertiary level teaching various subjects such as Belizean History, Literature and English.  She attained her first degree in History and Archaeology from the University of the West Indies and later worked as archivist at the Belize Archives and Record Service.

As the Research and Education officer she brings a desire to empower future generations of Belizean with the knowledge of their country's development. She plays an important role in working with schools to enhance the learning experience as it pertains to Belizean history and aspects of our culture. Additionally, she works closely with the Director to chart the growth, direction and development of ISCR.

Research Assistant: Phylicia Pelayo

Having joined the ISCR staff in October 2009, Phylicia brings 5 years of experience working with various archaeologists on projects in Belize such as the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project (BVAR) and the UCLA Maya Archaeology Project (UMAP) spearheaded by Dr. Jaime Awe and Dr. John Morris respectively.  As a recent graduate, she attained her Bachelor's degree in Archaeology from the Galen University/ University of Indianapolis.

As part of the ISCR staff her role involves providing information to the general public on the social and cultural history of Belize; gathering information from different institutions for various research projects, inventory and cataloging of articles, journals, books etc. as well as working hand in hand with the Research and Education Officer and Director in fulfilling their duties.

Secretary: Melitza Denis

Melitza was the first to join the ISCR staff in September 2009.  She is currently pursuing her associate degree in Business Science at the University of Belize.  She brings over 9 years experience in the work force where she worked as a branch manager and customer sales representative in the insurance industry.

As secretary at ISCR, she plays a critical role as liaison with other NICH departments and GOB ministries; assisting in educational & exhibition projects sponsored by the ISCR and is the coordinator of the Director and Research / Education Officer schedules amongst other secretarial duties.