Paul Ganster Receives Ohtli Award
On December 9, at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park, Paul Ganster, director of the Institute for Regional Studies of the Californias (IRSC) in CAL, was presented with the Ohtli Award by Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Relations.
The award is for individuals or institutions who have contributed to improving relations with Mexico and have supported Mexican culture. The award derives from Ganster’s decades of work at the IRSC at San Diego State University.
“Since 1960, when he started traveling to northwestern Mexico with his friend and mentor, the legendary Harry Crosby, Dr. Paul Ganster has tirelessly contributed as historian, scholar, academic, and researcher on the cross-border region, boosting our bilateral cooperation," said Carlos González Gutiérrez, Consul General of Mexico in San Diego.
Ganster was appointed in 1984 as the first director of the IRSC and led many research projects under the institutions such as San Diego State University; el Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF); la Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, (UABC), as well as Universidad de las Americas (UDLA) in Cholula, among others.
Between 1985 and 1991, Ganster co-directed the International History Fair with his colleague from UABC, David Piñera Ramírez, with whom he published books on Ensenada, Baja California ́s historical archives, and two editions of the photographic book “Tijuana 1964" (2000, 2014).
From 1996 to the present, Ganster has served as a member and chair of the Committee of the Binational Regional Opportunities (COBRO), a working group of the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), that provides input on border-related challenges and opportunities.
Regarding this distinction, Dr. Paul Ganster said, “When Amb. Carlos González Gutiérrez called to inform me about the Ohtli Award, I was both surprised and humbled. I am also delighted since to me the award represents the collective action of many colleagues and organizations on both sides of the border working to improve bilateral relations and quality of life for the residents of this transborder region.”
More about the Ohtli Award
The Ohtli Award or Reconocimiento Ohtli is an honor that the Mexican government gives to Mexican citizens who work in the United States and in other countries, and who have given assistance to Mexican citizens or promoted their culture.
The “Ohtli” Award, which in Nahuatl means “camino” or “path,” honors those trailblazers who have been exemplary models for Mexican nationals.
