Applied research for social and environmental sustainability
A collaborative approach to making real impact
Objectives
Applied Research
To provide applied social science research services to the public, private, and social sectors, with a view toward promoting sustainability in socio-environmental systems, based on an interdisciplinary methodology and initiatives for cross-sectoral cooperation and collaboration.
Innovation
We conduct applied research in the social sciences to guide the sustainable and democratic adoption, adaptation, and implementation of technical and technological solutions to socio-environmental challenges.
Strategic Impact
We are actively working in four strategic areas: Water, Energy and Climate Change, Food Sovereignty, and Socio-ecological Systems.
Academic Collaboration
We work to contribute our experience in applied research to academic programs through conferences, seminars, courses, and teaching materials in the fields of social sciences, economics, sustainability, and regional studies.
Focus Areas
Technology transfer
Projects that apply social studies of technology to develop recommendations for ongoing processes, from the perspective of technological sovereignty in the agricultural and sustainability sectors in North America
Labor
We analyze workplace dynamics and support public policies and corporate programs to ensure fair working conditions.
Economic democracy
We promote forms of economic organization based on cooperation and the social economy to achieve true economic inclusion.
Social and environmental impact
We strengthen regional coordination among diverse stakeholders to promote social and ecological sustainability.
Sectorial analysis
We study the resilience of economic sectors in the face of critical changes in markets and supply chains.
Current projects
Our team
Dr. Rebeca de Gortarí
Dr. de Gortari holds a Ph.D. in history and is a full-time senior researcher at the Institute for Social Research and is a level II researcher in the National Research System. She has taught in the departments of political and social sciences, philosophy and humanities, and business administration at UNAM, and has supervised undergraduate and graduate theses. Her research focuses on the sociology of science and innovation, technological development, and businesses, networks, and regions, topics on which she has published extensively.
Dr. Claudia Marcela Jerez
Dr. Jerez holds a Ph.D. in Management Science from UNAM. She also holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in management, both from UNAM. She is an adjunct professor in the Departments of Accounting and Management, and Political and Social Sciences at UNAM.
She has worked in consulting since 2001, focusing on the intersection of agribusiness and the social economy. She has helped foster the development of numerous social enterprises in Mexico’s agricultural and food sectors.
Eliza Dexter Cohen
Eliza holds a bachelor’s degree in Science and Technology Studies from Brown University and a master’s degree in Mexico-United States Studies from UNAM. She is currently an adjunct professor in the Department of Accounting and Management at UNAM.
She has worked in the fresh produce industry for over fifteen years, including her role as a buyer of greenhouse tomatoes for a regional distributor based in the northeastern United States, and her work on public health programs promoting access to fruits and vegetables for low-income households.
Dr. Angel Merlo
A biologist with a Ph.D. in Sustainability Sciences, Angel is currently a socio-environmental consultant specializing in ecosystem services, community development, and socio-environmental assessment. With over a decade of experience, he integrates technical, scientific, and participatory approaches to design sustainable solutions that connect people with nature. He has collaborated on projects ranging from water resource management and climate change adaptation to local capacity building and the integration of sustainability into public policy.
Dr. Eliseo Hernández Pérez
Dr. Hernández Pérez is a certified Environmental Chemical Engineer with a Master’s and Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from the Center for Geosciences at UNAM. He has over 10 years of experience in the use and applications of Geographic Information Systems and numerical simulation models in the fields of hydrogeology and atmospheric pollution, as well as in environmental, geological, hydrogeological, and geographical topics. He has focused primarily on the analysis of spatial data and its interpretation applied to problem-solving. He has published 24 articles in national and international scientific journals on topics related to hydrogeology and geothermal energy in basins of arid and semi-arid regions in Central and Northwestern Mexico, as well as extensive experience in wastewater and process treatment systems, and in the management and interpretation of regulations applicable to hydrogeological and environmental issues.
Miguel Sarmiento
Miguel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Development and a Master’s degree in Integrated Watershed Management from the UAQ. He is currently a Ph.D candidate at UNAM. He has participated in the design and development of internationally funded projects on ecohydrology, climate resilience, and sustainability in two Biosphere Reserves and the “Islas del Golfo de California” Protected Natural Area. In collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, he adapted the “Index of Watershed Integrity” as a tool for water governance in Mexico. He is a member of the Transdisciplinary Center for Socio-Environmental Advocacy and the Water Reserves Monitoring Network.