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Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies USMEX
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Group photo of USMEX team; the right side has a dark blue overlay with the UC San Diego branded element of a stylized tridentMeet the Team

Director

  • Rafael Fernández de Castro

    Rafael Fernández de Castro

    Director, Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies; Professor, GPS; Aaron Feldman Family Chancellor's Endowed Chair in U.S.-Mexican Studies in Memory of David Feldman
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    Rafael Fernández de Castro is a professor at the School, Aaron Feldman Family Chancellor's Endowed Chair in U.S.-Mexican Studies in Memory of David Feldman, and director of USMEX. A former foreign policy adviser to President Felipe Calderón, he is an expert on bilateral relations between Mexico and the U.S. He is founder and former chair of the Department of International Studies at Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) in Mexico City. He has published numerous academic articles and written several books, including “Contemporary U.S.- Latin American Relations: Cooperation or Conflict in the 21st Century?” and “The United States and Mexico: Between Partnership and Conflict” with Jorge Domínguez. He also worked as the Project Director of the UNDP’s Human Development Report for Latin America 2013-14, “Citizen Security With a Human Face: Evidence and Proposals for Latin America.” He is the founder and editor of Foreign Affairs Latin America and contributes to the daily newspaper El Financiero and a regular contributor to Televisa.

Staff

The USMEX staff manages the research agenda of the center as well as its fellowship program on Mexican studies in the U.S., and the coordination of events and conferences throughout the year.

  • Catheryn Camacho Bolanos

    Catheryn Camacho Bolanos

    Associate Director
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    Catheryn Camacho Bolanos has over 15 years of professional experience in the public sector and academia as a public policy researcher, adviser, lecturer and consultant. She oversees various projects at USMEX. Camacho Bolanos is also an affiliated researcher with the Center for Studies on Security, Intelligence, and Governance (CESIG) at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de Mexico (ITAM) based in Mexico City. Prior to her work at UC San Diego, she was appointed to the Protection Department in the Consulate General of Mexico in San José, California, where she analyzed public policies related to Mexican nationals living in the U.S. She also provided legal advice to Mexican nationals facing issues related to their immigration status, labor condition or civil matters—either in Mexico or the U.S.

    She also worked in Financiera Rural, a Mexican government financing agency aimed to provide economic resources to the rural sector. There, she carried out an extensive academic analysis to design and implement a program aimed at financing and providing subsidies to Mexican migrants living in the U.S. As a result of this project, over one hundred million pesos were approved for the development of productive projects for migrants and their families in Mexico. She also developed financial strategies for women and young entrepreneurs in the rural sector.

    Later, she worked as a political researcher and international advisor in the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Mexican Senate. She was also appointed Chief of Staff of Senator Gabriela Cuevas. After her experience in the senate, Camacho Bolanos participated in a project titled “Co-Constructing Human Security in Mexico. A Methodology and Action Plan from Communities to the State,” as an academic collaboration ITAM-LSE. She then joined the International Studies Department at ITAM as a lecturer and later became the coordinator of CESIG.

    Camacho Bolanos holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), a master’s degree in government and public policy, and a Ph.D. in law from Universidad Panamericana. Her work examines the multiple dimensions of security and their impacts on the design of public policy in the case of the Mexican National Guard.
  • Karla Tirado Serrano

    Karla Tirado Serrano

    USMEX Programs Coordinator
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    Karla Tirado Serrano serves as the Programs Coordinator at USMEX, where she helps manage event planning and program logistics. In her role, Karla supports the coordination of key initiatives, including our Fellows Program, the U.S. Political Institutions Summer Seminar, and our annual U.S.-Mexico Forum. Her passion for fostering cross-border collaboration is rooted in her deep ties to the CaliBaja region, where she strives to promote policy solutions that benefit both the U.S. and Mexico.

    With experience at various levels of U.S. government, including work with City Council President Pro Team Joe LaCava, the County of San Diego, and California Governor Gavin Newsom, Karla has developed a strong foundation in policy research, community outreach, event management, and constituent services.

    Karla holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a specialization in international relations and a minor in human rights and migration from UC San Diego.
  • Claudia A. Fernández Calleros

    Claudia A. Fernández Calleros

    Publications Coordinator and Research Assistant
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    Claudia A. Fernández Calleros is the publications coordinator at the center. She is also a research assistant at FABLE-México, which is part of a global consortium modeling land use to 2050. Claudia received a Master of Public Policy from the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS) in 2021 where she pursued a double specialization on Program Design and Evaluation, and Peace and Security. She holds a B.A. in International Relations from Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM). Prior to GPS, she worked in the Directions for Health and Financial Literacy at the Institute for Mexicans Abroad.
  • Manuel Aguilera-Prieto

    Manuel Aguilera-Prieto

    Administrative Assistant
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    Manuel Aguilera-Prieto joined the center in Oct. 2023, when he became the administrative assistant, taking over logistical and event-related tasks. In the fall of 2024, he joined a USMEX-affiliated research project that seeks to investigate the perils that migrant women face while traveling through Mexico.

    He is a Master of International Affairs candidate at the School of Global Policy and Strategy. He is entering his second year and specializes in international economics. His interests include political economy, current affairs and world history.

    He holds a degree in international relations from the UC San Diego.