Daniel I. Pedreira, Ph.D., is visiting assistant teaching professor in the Department of Politics & International Relations at Florida International University.
A proud Miami native, Professor Pedreira holds a Ph.D. and a master’s degree in political science, along with a graduate certificate in Latin American and Caribbean studies from FIU. He also earned a master's degree in peace operations from George Mason University and a bachelor's degree in international studies from the University of Miami.
Dr. Pedreira has previously taught at Miami Dade College, the University of Miami, and Jacksonville University. His Ph.D. dissertation, titled “Semi-Presidential Executive Branch Institutionalization and Personalization Under Cuba’s 1940 Constitution,” underscores his research interests in institutions, executive politics, democratization, international relations, and Latin American studies.
With extensive experience across the government, nonprofit, and academic sectors, Dr. Pedreira served as a congressional aide to Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen from 2007 to 2013, during her tenure as chairwoman of the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Foreign Affairs. He later worked as a program officer at the Center for a Free Cuba in Washington, D.C., and Miami from 2013 to 2016. Since 2020, Dr. Pedreira has been teaching courses on comparative politics, Latin American politics, Cuban politics, Cuban/American politics, and U.S. Government. Currently, Dr. Pedreira serves as president of the PEN Club of Cuban Writers in Exile, an affiliate of PEN International.
Dr. Pedreira is also a prolific author, having penned several important works, including An Instrument of Peace: The Full-Circled Life of Ambassador Guillermo Belt Ramírez (2019); and PEN Club of Cuban Writers in Exile: Foundation, Struggle, and Present (PEN Club of Cuban Writers in Exile, 2019); and El último constituyente: El desarrollo político de Emilio "Millo" Ochoa (2013).