HUGO RENÉ OLIVA ROMERO

served the Ministry Foreign Affairs since April, 1980, as Analyst, Department Chief, Assistant Director and Deputy Secretary for the North America Division. In 1991, he became Deputy Consul General of Mexico in Panama and was promoted to Second Secretary. After being named Third Secretary in 1994, he was appointed Deputy Consul General of Mexico in Calexico (California); on June 20th, 2006, he became Deputy Consul General in Austin (Texas) and Deputy Consul General in the Consulate General of Mexico in Phoenix (Arizona) and was appointed to the Consulate General of Mexico in San Bernardino (California) afterwards He is the current Deputy Consul General at the Consulate General of Mexico in McAllen (Texas)

ERIKA RENDÓN-RAMOS, PHD

was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas She holds a Bachelor's degree from Southwestern University in History and Spanish and a Master's and PhD from Rice University in History. Rendón-Ramos is currently an Assistant Professor at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley with the Mexican American Studies Program. Her research interests include Mexico, immigration, U S Southwest Borderlands, and gender and women's studies.