Border Briefs Launch: New Series Highlights the Complexities and Opportunities of the U.S.-Mexico Border

The presentation is part of the event Voices and Visions from the Border: A Data Driven Dialogue

SAN ANTONIO, May 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --  The U.S.-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership (BPP) announces the release of Border Briefs, a landmark series of publications that explores the border's pressing challenges and untapped opportunities.

Created in collaboration with esteemed borderlands scholar Dr. Paul Ganster of San Diego State University, the Border Briefs offer in-depth, evidence-based insights on six core themes shaping life and policy in the region: Health, Environment, Education, Migration, Philanthropy, and Border Dynamics. To mark this milestone, the BPP will host an official launch event on May 15, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas, bringing together public, private, and civic sector leaders committed to fostering cross-border collaboration. The event will take place at North American Development Bank (NADBank), in the third-floor ballroom. Registration is free. Visit: www.borderpartnership.org

The program will begin with opening remarks by John Beckham, Managing Director of the North American Development Bank. Andy Carey, Executive Director of the U.S.-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership (BPP) will present the Border Briefs, highlighting the key findings and aspirations behind the project. A moderated panel discussion, led by Elaine Ayala, Metro Columnist at the San Antonio Express-News, will follow—featuring insights from:

• Dr. Rod McSherry, Associate Vice President for Innovation and Economic Development, University of Texas – San Antonio.
• Dr. Lyssa Ochoa, Board Certified Vascular Surgeon and Founder, San Antonio Endovascular Clinic (SAVE Clinic)
• Jordana Barton-Garcia, Director, TX Rio Grande Valley Broadband Coalition, Connect Humanity Fund
• Morris Smith, Vice President of Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability, Arca Continental Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages

This event serves as both a celebration and a call to action, bringing together changemakers to explore new models of cooperation and shared investment in the future of the borderlands.

"The border is often misunderstood, too often seen only through the lens of crisis," said Carey. "The Border Briefs aim to challenge that narrative with real data, local voices, and constructive pathways forward—amplifying the truth that solutions exist and collaboration is possible."

Event sponsors include North American Development Bank (NADBank) and Arca Continental Southwest Beverages.

About the Border Briefs

The Border Briefs include six topical research briefs on the realities of the U.S.-Mexico Border including general interest, education, environment, migration, public health, and philanthropy. We set out to create the Border Briefs to dispel myths about our region, as well as provide important knowledge and information about our region to member stakeholders to bring more vital resources to our communities.  

About Dr. Paul Ganster

Dr. Paul Ganster is director of the Institute for Regional Studies of the Californias at San Diego State University. He is the author of numerous articles, chapters of books, and edited works related to border regions. Recent publications include The U.S.-Mexican Border Today: Conflict and Cooperation in Historical Perspective (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2016) and with Kimberly Collins, "Binational Cooperation and Twinning: A View from the US–Mexican Border, San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Baja California" (Journal of Borderlands Studies, 32:4, 2017). His ongoing research is on management of the binational Tijuana River Watershed, air quality at border crossings, crossborder collaboration, the binational problem of used tires, and sustainable tourism in the peninsula of Baja California. He has been a Fulbright professor in Costa Rica and a visiting professor at the Autonomous University of Baja California in Tijuana. He received his bachelor's degree from Yale University and his doctorate from the University of California, Los Angeles. Ganster is chair of the Good Neighbor Environmental Board, a federal panel that advises the president and congress on the border environment. He is also chair of the Committee on Binational Regional Opportunities (COBRO) of the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). In 2016, he was recognized with the Association for Borderlands Studies (ABS) Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2017, the Autonomous University of Baja California awarded him the honorary degree of Doctor Honoris Causa for his scholarly work in the binational region and for his work linking UABC and SDSU. Also in 2017, Tijuana Innovadora recognized him in the induction ceremony to the Paseo de la Fama / Walk of Fame at the Palacio Municipal of Tijuana for his binational leadership.

About the BPP

The BPP is a binational membership organization whose mission is to support a network of organizations that build prosperity through leadership, collaboration, and philanthropy in the U.S.-Mexico Border region. For more information about the BPP, please visit: www.borderpartnership.org.

Media contact:
Susana Villegas
[email protected]

SOURCE U.S.-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership