UTEP & Homicidal neighbor Ciudad Juarez:

The UTEP Prospector's Mr. Aaron Martinez has the story.

"Borderland research at risk"

¡Adelante, Aaron!



From the hard copy edition of Tuesday, November 9, 2010.


"As UTEP proclaims to be a vital and unique research university on the border, a new regulation passed by the University of Texas System is now requiring students and faculty to avoid traveling to Mexico for research purposes.

"The new policy has left students scrambling to find other ways to carry out their graduate thesis or dissertations.

"[S]aid Alma Hernandez, graduate sociology student. Since the violence started, UTEP has basically shut down all the research we have been able to do... It creates a sort of disconnect since I am not actually there to conduct my research...

"According to Benjamin Flores, interim dean of of the graduate school, the new regulation is not meant to prevent students from doing international research, but is to help protect students and faculty from areas deemed dangerous...

"Eva Moya's doctoral thesis project was in the earlier stages when the regulation from the UT System went into effect.

"Moya, now an assistant professor of social work, said she did [have] to alter the gathering methods for her research project, but was lucky enough to have reliable sources to help her complete her thesis...."

Gee, folks! What a spot to find yourself in... :(