Mexico today is a diverse and dynamic country often misrepresented as full of sleepy, rural villages or dangerous, drug-ridden deserts. Yet Mexico is a critically important country within North and Latin America. What are the major challenges facing Mexico today? Why do so many people migrate away from Mexico—and why do even more Mexicans return home?  What historical and contemporary forces have shaped contemporary Mexico? You will gain a far better understanding than most North Americans have of the peoples, environments, cultures and regions of Mexico, and of the complex political, economic and social structures that influence the region and its international relations, especially with the United States.

In this class, each of you will develop a research proposal as a semester-long project. To this end, you will identify a proposal advisor from the faculty (who may well be or become your faculty advisor for your thesis or dissertation).  Each class we will discuss successful sample proposals from SGD and beyond, and you will evaluate one of them in writing. We will read intensively in the literature on proposal writing and research design. Each week we will workshop each element of the research proposal, and we will promote and develop peer review and input as we go along. 

EVS 260 Online explores key ideas, individuals, and institutions that have shaped environmental policies in the US and globally in a 7.5 week format. We study the key thinkers and issues that have shaped our understanding of the environment, and examine the most important policies and organizations that have shaped management of the environment. The online course culminates in a Final Project in which you develop in-depth research on a real-world environmental issue you choose. 

EVS 260 explores key ideas, individuals, and institutions that have shaped environmental policies in the US and globally. This course introduces core environmental issues and how these have been debated over time. Through extensive exposure to environmental issues, solutions, and institutions, the course will help prepare you for a professional career relating to environmental management and policy. The course culminates in a real-world water issue simulation Final Project in which students form coalitions and seek to avoid win-lose legal outcomes in court!

The American immigration system and border enforcement systems have undergone radical changes in the last several decades and have become flashpoints of controversy across the political spectrum. This class will take a critical look at the discourses of the border and development of these policies and the ways in which they have impacted immigrants and their families. We will explore reasons people migrate and examine the conditions of the migrant journeys within the context of a dynamic borderlands region.