FOSCR President Emeritus and Chief Scientific/Technical Advisor Ben Lomeli met with students and faculty from Arizona State University and the Bill Anderson Fund at the Guy Tobin Trailhead to share his knowledge of the Santa Cruz River and his perspective on Nogales.

Ben Lomeli speaking to ASU and Bill Anderson Fund students at the Guy Tobin Trailhead.

Afterward, Ben received this note from Professor Francisco Lara-Valencia:

Estimado Ben,

Thanks for taking a break from your routine to meet with the ASU and BAF students and share your knowledge and perspective on Nogales. Your talk was an important reminder of the complexity of life on the border, but also of the enormous resilience and creativity of our community.

The visit to Nogales was illuminating and energizing for all the students and faculty in the group, so I am sure that many of them will become advocates of your efforts to make Ambos Nogales a better place for all.

Muchas gracias en nombre de los estudiantes y del mío propio.

Francisco Lara-Valencia
Professor and Southwest Borderlands Scholar
School of Transborder Studies, Arizona State University

The ASU and Bill Anderson Fund partnership

  • The mission: The Bill Anderson Fund was founded to support minority and underrepresented graduate students pursuing doctoral degrees in hazards and disaster mitigation research.
  • ASU’s role: Arizona State University acts as a primary academic partner. Through the Center for Emergency Management and Homeland Security, ASU mentors BAF fellows, provides professional development, and hosts specialized workshops.
  • Regional focus: BAF fellows at ASU actively research unique disaster threats, environmental hazards, and emergency response infrastructure specifically affecting the American Southwest.
Ben Lomeli speaking to ASU and BAF students at the Guy Tobin Trailhead.