Tony Payan

Tony Payan, Ph.D., is a visiting Baker Institute Scholar for Immigration and Border Studies with the Latin America Initiative. He is an associate professor of political science at The University of Texas at El Paso. He also serves on the graduate faculty at the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez. Payan’s research focuses on the applicability of international relations theory to the U.S.-Mexico border and other border environments. His work theorizes on various topics regarding international borders, including border governability, foreign policy attitudes on the border and the manifestation of U.S. foreign policy at its borders. Payan’s publications include two books: “Cops, Soldiers and Diplomats: Understanding Agency Behavior in the War on Drugs” and “The Three U.S.-Mexico Border Wars: Drugs, Immigration and Homeland Security.” He has also co-edited three other volumes: “Gobernabilidad e Ingobernabilidad en la Región Paso del Norte,” “Human Rights Along the U.S.-Mexico Border: Gendered Violence and Insecurity” and “De Soldaderas a Activistas: La mujer chihuahuense en los albores del Siglo XXI.” A more recent co-edited manuscript, “A War That Can’t Be Won: Binational Perspectives on the War on Drugs,” is currently under review at The University of Arizona Press. He has also authored numerous book chapters and academic articles. Payan earned his B.A. in philosophy and classical languages (Greek and Latin) from the University of Dallas and his MBA from the University of Dallas Graduate School of Management. He received his doctorate degree in international relations from Georgetown University in 2001.