Born in Seattle, Washington, Pam Murray lived abroad (Panama, France, Germany) and in several parts of the U.S. before becoming a professional historian and specialist in the field of modern Latin America.  She is the author of Dreams of Development: Colombia's National School of Mines and its Engineers, 1887-1970 (Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press, 1997) and  For Glory and Bolivar: The Remarkable Life of Manuela Saenz, 1798-1856 (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2008) and of scholarly articles in both English and Spanish. She is widely recognized as a "Colombianista" or expert in the history of modern Colombia and, in 2001, served as president of the Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies. Since joining the UAB History Department in 1990, she has taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses on Latin American, especially Spanish American, history. She also has contributed actively to UAB's International Studies Program, Women's Studies Program, and numerous other aspects of campus life.