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I am Professor of Political Science at The Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Texas at El Paso. My research areas include political institutions, legislative politics, presidential and legislative coalitions, electoral systems, governance and accountability, democratization, political instability, and comparative and international political economy. My research seeks to shed light into these important questions by examining how various formal and informal political institutions and economic structures create different incentives and constraints for political actors, and how these differing conditions affect policy and generate varying social, economic, and political outcomes.

I teach graduate and undergraduate courses on democratization, political institutions, political development, political economy, developing countries, Latin American and Brazilian politics, and research methods. I am also a contributing faculty member for Latin American and Border Studies, Brazilian Studies, Asian Studies, and Intelligence and National Security Studies.

I serve as faculty advisor for the Epsilon Epsilon (UTEP) Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society. I believe that participation and involvement are an integral part of active learning. I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to help students develop leadership skills and public interest through grant proposal writing, event planning, student conferences, and community service. These skills and experiences are not only central to their lifetime success, but also crucial to be a good democratic citizen. Our chapter has won many Best Chapter Awards from the National Office.