Roberto Sánchez-Rodríguez, an international scholar with academic experience in both the University of California and Mexico, has taken over directorship of the University of California Institute for Mexico and the United States (UC MEXUS).

The Institute’s third director since its inception in 1984, Sánchez-Rodriguez takes over from anthropologist Juan-Vicente Palerm.

Sánchez-Rodríguez, whose multidisciplinary background spans environmental and urban studies, will also take on a faculty position at UC Riverside as professor of environmental studies. His research concentrates on the human impact of global environmental change, environmental issues in urban areas, sustainable development, U.S.-Mexican border environmental policies and practices, and ties between trade and environment.

“I’m delighted to be involved with a program that has contributed so significantly to improving understanding of topics affecting two such interdependent neighbors as California and Mexico,� he says. “The history of UC MEXUS is replete with examples of the benefits of the superb scholarship it supports.�

For the last four years, Mexico has been the premier trade partner for California, Sánchez-Rodríguez notes, outspending European countries and Japan. Mexican purchases alone support or contribute to almost a quarter million California jobs. In addition to being economically interdependent, the two entities share the same water, air, population and resources. Research, especially joint research, is vital for the mutual progress and development of two such interdependent neighbors.

Sánchez-Rodríguez’ long association with UC MEXUS has fostered a deep appreciation for the kinds of programs the Institute supports, he says.

“When I served on UC MEXUS grant review committees, I was impressed by the level of scholarship and by the stringent selection criteria the Institute adhered to,� he says.

The Institute, headquartered at the University of California, Riverside, fosters research ties between scientists and scholars from Mexico and the University of California in addition to supporting research in Mexican studies, U.S.-Mexico relations, Latino studies and critical issues of interest to both countries.

Through a cooperative agreement between the University of California and Mexico’s National Council for Science and Technology, El Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, UC MEXUS helps support more than 120 Mexican students enrolled in a variety of UC doctoral programs. In addition, the two institutions fund research exchange programs between UC campuses and Mexico, postdoctoral researchers and faculty.

Sánchez-Rodríguez particularly values the educational function of the Institute. “The students we help support are the leaders of the future,� Sánchez-Rodríguez says. “Mexican students in California and California students that pursue their education in Mexico will bring greater knowledge and insight to bilateral issues in the coming decades.�

Sánchez-Rodríguez brings a multinational and multicultural perspective to bear on the development and enhancement of research and academic collaborations between Mexico and the University of California.

After earning a bachelor of arts degree in architecture from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and undertaking postgraduate urban-planning studies in France, he later earned a doctorate in regional and urban planning from the University of Dortmund, West Germany.

After passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Sánchez-Rodríguez spent two years in Montreal as program manager for transboundary issues at the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (NACEC), created under NAFTA. Prior to his work in Canada, he was director of the Department of Urban and Environmental Studies at the Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF) in Tijuana, Baja California. He has held several positions in Mexican government and academia.