1. News
  2. University of Arizona News
  3. Mexican University Collaboration With UA Gets New Leadership
February 11, 2019 / Modified feb 11, 2019 10:30 a.m.

Mexican University Collaboration With UA Gets New Leadership

Elena Centeno, a geology researcher from UNAM in Mexico City, is returning to the UA to head the Tucson office of the Mexican university. by Rodrigo Cervantes, Fronteras Desk

360 UA CAMPUS AERIAL An aerial view of the University of Arizona campus.
AZPM

MEXICO CITY — For three years, Mexico’s biggest university has had an office at the University of Arizona UA. The new leadership in the Mexican institution’s office in Tucson expects to have an impact in the community and bilateral relations.

Elena Centeno is a geology researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and was appointed as the new director of its Center for Mexican Studies a UA, where she obtained her Ph.D. in geosciences.

“I’m just so excited to go back to Arizona. I miss the desert!” Centeno said.

Centeno wants to strengthen the ties between both colleges and nations. She said she wants to build binational labs and centers to study the problems shared by Mexico and the U.S.

“We have the goal to strengthen student exchange programs, research collaborations and cultural events,” said Centeno.

Some of the multidisciplinary projects may address health, water or environmental mining.

“We need to provide our governments with information that is based on research and knowledge,” the researcher said.

Centeno said her office will also create social programs to help migrant Latinos integrate and develop a sense of belonging to Arizona.

Centeno expects UNAM-Tucson to benefit at least 100 students and to develop 30-40 cultural activities and four research projects.

Fronteras Desk
This story is from the Fronteras Desk, a collaboration of Southwestern public radio stations, including NPR 89.1. Read more from the Fronteras Desk.
MORE: Fronteras Desk, Mexico, News, University of Arizona, Higher Education
By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona