Javier Duran

Javier Duran is a Professor of Latin American and Border Studies at the University of Arizona and founding director of the Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry. A native of the Arizona-Sonora desert region, his expertise spans U.S.-Mexico border studies, cultural studies, and interdisciplinary research. He holds a PhD and has taught at institutions including Michigan State University and the University of Michigan. He has held visiting roles at the Colegio de Sonora and Universidad Veracruzana in Mexico.

• Education: PhD (specific field unspecified)

His research focuses on border culture, necro-politics, human security, migrancy, Indigenous Humanities, and the impact of globalization on transnational identities. He co-leads major projects like Fronteridades (Mellon Foundation-funded) and Reclaiming the Border Narrative Archive (Ford Foundation-funded), fostering U.S.-Mexico collaborations. He previously served as President of the Association for Borderland Studies and Co-President of the Consortium for Humanities Centers and Institutes.

Advising & Grants: Principal Investigator for Mellon Foundation projects, Co-PI for Ford Foundation initiatives. His work emphasizes binational advocacy, as seen in his role on the Arizona-Mexico Commission Board.

Labs/Teams: Directs the Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry, leading interdisciplinary borderland research and transborder partnerships.