Biography
Tony Payan, Ph.D., is the Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies and the executive director of the Center for the U.S. and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. He is also a professor of social sciences at the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, where he directed the Social Science Doctorate Program from 2009 to 2012. From 2001 to 2015, Payan was a professor of political science at The University of Texas at El Paso.
Payan’s research focuses on border studies, particularly the U.S.-Mexico border. He examines daily life in liminal spaces, cross-border flows—both legal and illegal—and border governance issues. He also explores various topics affecting the U.S.-Mexico relationship.
He has authored, co-authored, or edited nearly 20 volumes on his research, in addition to numerous book chapters, monographs, white papers, issue briefs, and journal articles. Payan has served on several boards, including the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority, the Cross-border Relations Committee in El Paso, Texas, and the Plan Estratégico de Juárez in Ciudad Juárez. He is a member of the Greater Houston Partnership’s Immigration Advisory Committee and previously served on its Mexico Energy Task Force. He was president of the Association of Borderlands Studies from 2009 to 2010 and has been involved with multiple journal editorial boards.
Payan earned a B.A. in philosophy and classical languages and an MBA from the University of Dallas. He received a doctorate in international relations from Georgetown University in 2001.
Contact him at [email protected] or 713-348-3762.
Recent Publications
In USA Today: Mexican cartels offer pricy VIP package for migrants
“It’s millions of pesos in extortions, and everyone is in on it,” said Payan. “In other words, it’s an extortion force."
On USA Today: Sheinbaum elected
What does Mexico's new president mean for U.S-Mexico relations? "The two countries have been suffering from an incredible fumbling of the ball in dealing with each other," said Payan. "I think the two countries need to come back to the table."
In Border Report: 2024 will be the 'immigration election'
A divided congress has made immigration a difficult topic, but an aging working population and flat or dropping fertility rates are creating space to be filled, said Payan. “It doesn’t mean we have to take in 100 million people from around the world, but there is room for a few million that can settle and revitalize” communities and the U.S. economy.