2020-2021 UTSA Mellon Humanities Pathways Program
Application Link: https://utsa.academicworks.com/opportunities/2904
About the
Mexico Center
The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Mexico Center was officially established in October 2005 to promote greater knowledge and understanding of Mexico and U.S.-Mexico relations. The Mexico Center is an umbrella organization that connects Mexico-related expertise within UTSA through cross-disciplinary collaboration on research projects and activities.
Mission Statement
The Mexico Center’s primary goal is to address and generate transnational dialogue and research on public policy issues that affect the people of Mexico and the United States in the hope that this dialogue will translate into bilateral and cooperative policy recommendations. The Center aims at shifting the emphasis in the discussion of key issues from political and unilateral to academic, analytical, and bilateral.
UTSA provides an outstanding location for a center that addresses crucial issues of how U.S. and Mexico policies and practices affect families and communities on both sides of the border. As one of the largest institutions in The University of Texas System, UTSA is a key border/South Texas center of education, prominent for its inclusion of Hispanic faculty, staff, and students. UTSA offers education opportunities for large numbers of historically underrepresented students.
Projects and Programs
With the objective of becoming a premier institute for social science research and teaching on Mexico and U.S.-Mexico relations, the Mexico Center has implemented a cluster of year-round projects and programs. To accomplish its goals, the UTSA Mexico Center collaborates with several Mexican or Mexico-related organizations and institutions both in Mexico and the United States.
Events
To complement the formal teaching in the classroom, the Mexico Center hosts numerous events throughout the year open to students, faculty, and the public. The conferences, panel discussions, seminars, lecture series, and screenings cover a wide range of topics such as U.S.-Mexico relations; economic development and global entrepreneurship; transnational family research; immigration and citizenship; and Mexican art, architecture, and culture.
Research
The Mexico Center has undertaken groundbreaking research on immigration, border issues, and transnational living, with a particular emphasis on the impact on families and children. Past Mexico Center research projects include:
- San Antonio as a Transitional Community
- DREAM Act Students and Political Activism
- Bilingual Baby Project
- Energy production and its impact on affordable housing in the Eagle Ford Shale
- Mellon Undergraduate Humanities Pathways Grant
Educational Research Fellowships
Every year in the fall semester, the Mexico Center gives out educational research fellowships to provide financial assistance for research projects on Mexico-related topics for faculty members and students who need time in Mexico to do field work or consultation at a university or research center. These grants not only provide opportunities for educational faculty/student exchanges, but also foster increased capacities for bilateral research and research-based policy recommendations on both sides of the border.
