Kathleen Staudt

Dr. Kathleen Staudt is a retired Professor of Political Science and Endowed Professor of Western Hemispheric Trade Policy Studies at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), within the College of Liberal Arts and the Department of Political Science and Public Administration. She joined UTEP's faculty in 1977 and has had a distinguished career in academia, civic engagement, and border studies.

Dr. Staudt earned her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 1976. Her academic contributions include teaching courses on public policy, borders, democracy, leadership, civic engagement, and women and politics. She has supervised numerous interns and mentored students, including Manuel Gutierrez, now pursuing a PhD at Arizona State University.

Her research focuses on borders, gender in international development, immigration, education, activism, and violence. She has authored or edited over 20 books, including seminal works like Violence and Activism at the Border (2008), Human Rights Along the U.S.-Mexico Border (2009), and Border Politics in a Global Era (2017). Her latest book, Hope for Justice and Power (2020), explores community organizing.

Recognized for her teaching and community contributions, Dr. Staudt received the UT Chancellor's Innovation in Teaching Award (2008) and the prestigious "Border Hero" Award (2011). The Texas House of Representatives honored her with Resolution No. 1564 (2009) for her social justice work and civic engagement initiatives, including founding UTEP's Center for Civic Engagement (1998–2008).

Beyond academia, she has collaborated on cross-border governance studies, environmental health projects, and transnational civil society research funded by organizations like the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Her current projects include a study on local governments at the U.S.-Mexico border and transnational organizing with Carleton University’s Laura Macdonald.