Center for U.S.-Mexico Studies

U.S-Mexico Lecture Series 2004-2005

The Center for U.S. - Mexico Studies cordially invites you to its Lecture Series 2004 - 2005.

The Center for U.S. - Mexico Studies, seeking to foster greater understanding between our two nations, is pleased to host lectures on issues of interest to both Mexico and the U.S. Previous lectures have included such issues as the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), analysis of domestic politics and foreign policy, issues in science and technology, transborder population, and cultural development in both countries. The Center has hosted Carlos Fuentes, Ezequiel Padilla, Andrés Oppenheimer, Elena Poniatowska, Ana María Salazar, Ana Cervantes, Mónica Verea, Peter M. Ward, among others, under the frame of this series. Mario Moisés Alvarez, Arexi Urrutia, Adolfo Aguilar Zinser, Jacqueline Peschard, and José Luís Castillo are scheduled in this academic year. The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) students, faculty, and staff and those interested in U.S. - Mexico affairs from The University of Texas System (UT) and from the metropolitan area of Dallas - Fort Worth will benefit from the different perspectives presented by these scholars, regarding laminar mixing, human genome, U.S.-Mexico diplomatic relations, Mexican electoral system, and twentieth century Mexican classical music.

If you have questions or need further information, please contact Gabriela Carrera, U.S.-Mexico Lecture Series Coordinator.

We look forward to seeing you in this series.

Mixing in Bio-Reactors, Mario Moisés Alvarez
Co-sponsored with the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
September 24, 2004, School of Management 2.112, 2:00-3:00 p.m.

Mario Moisés Alvarez is the director of the Center for Biotechnology at Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM) in México. He is the coordinator of the Biotechnology Graduate Program at Monterrey Tech, and one of the youngest scientists in México ranked at high level by the Mexican System of Researchers. Dr. Alvarez has a Ph.D. from Rutgers University in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, a Master on Science in Chemical Engineering from Rutgers University, another Master on Science in Process Engineering from ITESM, and a Bachelor Degree in Biochemistry from ITESM. He did a postdoctoral stay at Bristol Myers Squibb, at the Pharmaceutical Research Institute, working in different projects related to the design and scale-up of Pharmaceutical Processes, particularly reactive and crystallization processes.
Dr. Alvarez main area of scientific expertise is laminar mixing (mixing operations at low speed or in high viscosity conditions). Currently, his group is working in the application of mixing knowledge on the design of bioreactors. These includes the design of novel high performance bioreactor systems for animal cell culture, the diagnosis of mixing performance in bioreactor by reactive methods, and the study of non-ideal mixing conditions in bioreactive systems.

Functional Optimization of Human Genome, Araxi Urrutia
Co-sponsored with the Institute of Biomedical Sciences and Technology.
October 18, 2004. Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building, South Wing 2.306, 12:00-1:00 p.m.

Araxi pursued her undergraduate studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico(UNAM). Dr. Urrutia focused her interest in research during the first years of her degree and collaborated in labs both in Mexico at the Institute of Cellular Physiology and in Canada at the Montreal Neurological Institute. After graduating in 1999 she started her doctoral studies at the University of Bath, England under supervision of Professor Laurence Hurst. She was supported by the Mexican National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) and the Department of Education from the United Kingdom. After her graduation she obtained a postdoctoral position under supervision of Dr. Sudhir Kumar at Arizona State University.
Araxi's research is in the field of Human Genomics. Through the use of bioinformatics tools she analyzes the genome to unravel the processes that have shaped it. Her results, published in Nature Genetics and other journals of the field, show that the order of genes in the human genome is not random as was previously thought but rather genes are sorted according to their levels of activity. For her research during her doctoral studies, among other awards, Araxi received the Biochemistry's Quayle and the Ede and Ravenscroft prizes in 2003. Dr. Urrutia was also the recipient of the L'Oreal - Royal Institution Award to the Science Graduate Student of the year.

Perspective on U.S.-Mexico Relations: Subordination or Interdependence? Adolfo Aguilar Zinser
Co-sponsored with the McDermott Library.
November 18, 2004. Cecil H. Green Hall 2.302, 12:30-1:45 p.m.

Mr. Adolfo Aguilar Zinser completed the studies for an undergraduate degree on International Relations at El Colegio de Mexico (1973-75) and has a Master degree from The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Mr. Aguilar has combined his career in the public service with various academic and research and teaching assignments on international relations and politics in both Mexico and the United States. He has worked for various academic institutions including the Center for Third World Studies (CEESTEM), the Center for International Affairs at Harvard, the Center for Teaching and Research on Economics (CIDE), the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico (ITAM), the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Foundation at Washington, DC, the Research Center for North America at the UNAM (CISAN), and the Political and Social Science College at the National Autonomous University at Mexico (UNAM). ). He was also a visiting professor at American University School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, Chicago University and the University of California at Berkeley.
Mr. Aguilar Zinser was Communications Coordinator and spokesman for Mr. Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano, presidential candidate of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD). Later on, he also was the National Security Adviser and Commissioner in charge of coordinating for the elected President, Vicente Fox, the implementation of security programs and reforms. He also served as Foreign Policy Co-coordinator in the Transition Team put together by President Fox after his electoral victory. From January 2002 to November 2003 he was Permanent Representative of Mexico in the United Nations, with an Ambassador title, holding a seat as Security Advisor in the Security Council.
Aguilar Zinser weekly writes for Reforma and other important newspapers such as Frontera from Tijuana, Diario from Yucatan, El Siglo from Durango, Noroeste from Culiaca, El Norte from Monterrey, AM from Leon, El Manana from Reynosa, Mural from Guadalajara, Palabra from Saltillo, Crónica from Mexicali, Imparcial from Hermosillo, La Opinión from Los Ángeles, y Éxito from Chicago. He has published articles in the following international newspapers: Los Angles Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Miami Herald and Le monde Diplomatique. Among his book publications are: Aun Tiembla; Vamos a Ganar, La Pugna de Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas por el Poder; and Compromisos por la Nación. Mr. Aguilar Zinser is currently in charge of a project at the Research Center for North America at the UNAM, where they study reforms for the United Nations.

Environmental Policy Styles in North America: A Survey of Current Issues
January 27, 2005. School of Management 2.902, 2:00-3:00 p.m.

Raul Pacheco Vega has an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from Universidad de Guanajuato in Mexico. He undertook both his Masters of Technology Management and his PhD in Resource Management and Environmental Studies at The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. He specializes in domestic, comparative and international environmental policy, particularly on pollution control.

He has published extensively on environmental affairs, sustainable development and poverty reduction. He also has presented numerous papers at conferences in Spain, Germany, USA and Canada. Currently, his research programme is focused on three main issues: innovative policy instruments for pollution control, the role of transnational civil society in addressing environmental challenges in North America and industrial restructuring under multiple stressors, including changes in land-use, environmental regulation and geographical concentration.

He is currently a full-time Researcher at the Center for Applied Innovation in Competitive Technologies (CIATEC), CIATEC belonging to National System of the Mexican Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT).

The Dilemmas of the Democratic Consolidation in Mexico, Jacqueline Peschard
Co-sponsored with the School of Social Sciences.
February 22, 2005. School of Management 2.902, 12:30-1:45 p.m.

Dr. Jacqueline Peschard held a seat as a council member in the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE), in which she oversaw electoral reforms in Mexico for over seven years. During her tenure as council member, Dr. Peschard promoted important reforms which helped ensure the transparency of the Mexican electoral system. Dr. Peschard is also a prominent journalist and political analyst who actively give her public opinion. She currently writes her own biweekly column for El Universal, and is also a member of the editorial board of the magazine Nexos.
Jacqueline Peschard received her PhD in Social Sciences from the University of Michoacan and has belonged to the National System of Investigators since 1998. She is a member of the Social Sciences Committee of the Mexican Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT). Dr. Peschard has taught in several prestigious Mexican institutions such as the Autonomous National University of Mexico (UNAM), Colegio de Mexico, and the Instituto Jose Maria Luis Mora. She is the author of several books such as The Democratic Political Culture, The Voice of the Votes, A Critical Analysis of the 1994 Electiones, Democracy and Political Representation, among others. Two of her most recent articles are "Political Education: An Agenda for the Young People" and "Elections 2003. Walking Away from the Ballot Boxes." In May of 2004, Dr. Peschard was elected by United Nations as one of the four specialists who will advise about the design of the electoral council of Iraq.

Neuromodulation in Cortex and Basal Ganglia, Jorge Flores Hernandez
April 20, 2005. Cecil H. Green Hall (GR) 3.402, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Dr. Flores Hernandez has been the director of the laboratory of Cellular Electrophysiology and Neuromodulation at the Autonomous University of Puebla since 2001. Dr. Flores Hernandez obtained his Ph.D. from the University Autonomous of Mexico (UNAM) and undertook his first Postdoctorate at University of Tennessee, at Memphis, where he conducted research in the modulation of ionic currents and calcium and Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA)-activated currents responsible for neuronal inhibition. He attended his second posdtoc appointment the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) to study the modulation of excitatory neuronal N-Methyl –D-Aspartate (NMDA) activated currents in rats and in brain tissue from infant patients with cortical displasia. Dr. Flores Hernandez has done specialized work on basal ganglia and Parkinson?s Disease, electroencephalography and epilepsy in rats and humans and published more than 20 papers.

Nano-Concrete Technology: Ductile Concrete, Konstantin G. Sobolev
International Scientist of the Year, International Biographical Center (IBC), Cambridge, England, 2004
Wednesday, June 1, 2005. South Engineering and Computer Science Building (ECSS) 2.203, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Professor Sobolev has been developing innovative and effective technologies for manufacturing high-performance cement and concrete for the last 15 years. The former head of the Civil Engineering Department of the European University of Lefke, Cyprus, Dr. Sobolev is currently a full-time professor of the Doctorate Program on Materials and Structures of the Civil Engineering Faculty at the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon, Mexico. He is the author and coauthor of more than 50 scientific and educational articles in various journals and conference proceedings. His research interests are in high-performance cement based materials, nano-technology of concrete and concrete admixtures.

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