David R. Mares

David R. Mares is the Institute of the Americas Endowed Chair for Inter-American Affairs at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) and a Baker Institute Scholar for Latin American Energy Studies at Rice University’s James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy. Previously, he held professorial roles at El Colegio de México (Centro de Estudios Internacionales), Universidad de Chile (as a Fulbright Professor), and FLACSO-Ecuador. He earned his Ph.D. in International Politics and Comparative Politics from Harvard University in 1982, with a focus on Latin America.

His research focuses on Latin American energy politics, drug policy, defense strategies, civil-military dynamics, and the role of visual imagery in political communication. Mares has authored or edited 12 books and published widely in journals such as Comparative Politics, International Organization, and Security Studies. He has been a visiting scholar at prestigious institutions including the Brookings Institution, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, and Harvard’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. He also holds fellowships at Stanford’s Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences and the Japan External Trade Research Organization, alongside a Pew Faculty Fellowship in International Affairs.

• Awards: Alfred Stepan Lifetime Achievement Award (2021).
• Professional Affiliations: Associate Fellow of the Inter-American Dialogue, Member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Mares has contributed policy reports for organizations like the Carnegie Foundation, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, and the Arias Foundation. His work bridges academic research with policy analysis, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to contemporary global challenges.