Staff
Josiah Heyman
Director
Advisor, MA and Undergraduate Minor
jmheyman@utep.edu
Office Phone: (915) 747-8745
Ph.D., Anthropology, City University of New York, 1988.
List of publications:
For copies of any publications, please see the academia.edu page or email jmheyman@utep.edu . He is interested in all things that concern borders, and the processes that shape them and pass through them. His three most recent inquiries are regulation of spatial movement generally (building on, but going beyond borders per se), participant observation of engaged/activist anthropology (and lessons thereof), and unequal territorialization and political ecology of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, currently examining water. Much of his past work centers on the presence of and limits to state power at borders. This has connected to a specific focus on migration and mobility. It has also lead to a focus on state workers, bureaucratic work processes, societal power and bureaucracies, etc. His border and migration work in turn has lead to an active role in public policy, focusing on alternative migration and border policies for the United States. That, in turn, has lead to a long sequence of works on values, advocacy, and social science (applied or engaged anthropology). He is also interested in border cultures and complex/dynamic analyses of them, and how such approaches contribute to culture theory generally. He has also worked for many years on anthropology of work, of working classes, household economies (including unpaid/reproductive work within capitalism), and consumption. He has contributed modestly to the nascent field of political ecology, and to political economy within anthropology. He was a student of Eric Wolf, and remains an advocate of his legacy in anthropology.
Mark H. Jurado
Research Scientist-Associate
mhjurado@utep.edu
Office Phone: (915) 747-6192
Mark H. Jurado holds a Master of Education in Psychological Counseling from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Administration from New Mexico State University. His research interests are achievement motivation and educational resilience among first-generation, low-income youth. A student capacity-building approach is a critical aspect of his approach to ensuring highly individualized student support. Stressing motivation, self-assessment and goal clarification, his work with federal TRIO Programs has helped students from disadvantaged backgrounds to succeed in their higher education pursuits.
Silvia Torezani
Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology (half time appointment to Latin American and Border Studies)
satorezani@utep.edu
Office Phone (915) 747-6829
Silvia Torezani, a PhD in Anthropology (University of Western Australia), teaches on border studies, Latin American migration and global health. Participatory teaching and mentoring students are important aspects of her approach to teaching. Her research interests are in the areas of migrant elderly healthcare access in the U.S.-Mexico border, and Latin American migration in multicultural contexts, with a focus on Australia. She is currently finalizing data collection and analysis on a PIMSA-funded project on Mexican migrant elderly access to healthcare in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico.
Jeremy Slack
Associate Professor of Geography (half time appointment to Latin American and Border Studies)
jmslack@utep.edu
For further information, see:
Masters Research Assistants
Horacio Estavillo
Horacio Estavillo obtained a BA in Political Science with a minor in Latin American and Border Studies (LABS) from the University of Texas at El Paso. As an undergraduate, he held the position of President of Visión México, a student organization facilitating the successful transitioning of Mexican students at Â鶹¹ÙÍø. He is currently in the MA program in LABS. His goal is to continue studying the evolution of NAFTA and the binational politics of Mexico/United States. He is currently a research assistant examining the impacts of rapidly rising water prices on low-income households in El Paso, Texas.
Luis J. Quinones
Luis J. Quinones is currently in the MA program in Latin American and Border Studies (LABS). He holds a bachelor’s degree in law from the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (UACJ) and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua (UACH). He has experience in cultural management, mainly in film production and film exhibition. His research interests include the role of arts and cultural events at the border region, art and bilingualism, and border narratives. Luis is interested in the study, development, and support of the arts at the binational metroplex.
Vanessa Almada
Vanessa Almada is currently in the MA program in Latin American and Border Studies (LABS). She holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Washington with a minor in Labor Studies. She has experience with youth-oriented community organizations in Ciudad Juarez, especially those that work with migrant children. Her research interests include migration, labor, and themes of gender and sexuality in the context of these issues. She is particularly concerned with how academia can serve the communities impacted by global phenomena such as migration.
Felipe I. Martinez
Felipe I. Martinez is pursuing a MA in Latin American and Border Studies with a Graduate Certificate in Intelligence and National Security Studies. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Film and TV Production from The Los Angeles Film School, driven by his passion for telling Latino stories and exploring political issues across Latin American history. As a first-generation student from the South Texas border, Felipe's background has profoundly shaped his commitment to studying border dynamics and U.S.-Latin America relations. Prior to joining the Center for Inter-American and Border Studies, he served as the Community Engagement Manager for Latino Community Credit Union, where he advocated for economic equity among Latino and migrant communities in the Southeast. His research interests focus on China’s growing influence in Latin America and its implications for U.S.-Mexico relations, with a particular emphasis on economic and aid contexts.