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Dr. Paul Ganster, director of the Institute for Regional Studies of the Californias at SDSU, received Mexico’s Ohtli Award on December 9 for his decades of work strengthening U.S.–Mexico relations and promoting Mexican culture. Recognized for his leadership in cross-border research and collaboration, Ganster said the honor reflects the shared efforts of colleagues on both sides of the border.

In “Professor Paul Ganster On A Half-Century Of Love For Loreto,” Paul Ganster recounts his early journeys to Mexico — including a pivotal 600-mile retracing of the 1769 Portolá missionary expedition — and how those experiences shaped his life and scholarship. He discusses his long career studying the U.S.-Mexico border region, his role directing SDSU’s Institute for Regional Studies of the Californias, and his work on Loreto, Mexico: Challenges for a Sustainable Future.

In “Border Report: Climate Change Knows No Borders,” the author explores how environmental changes don’t stop at geopolitical boundaries, using the U.S.–Mexico border region as a case study. Experts like Paul Ganster highlight how rising temperatures, shifting species, water scarcity, and air pollution affect both sides of the border, and argue for increased cross-border collaboration in climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.

The Autonomous University of Baja California awarded Professor Paul Ganster an honorary doctorate in recognition of his decades of scholarly collaboration and contributions to cross-border education and research.

Professor Paul Ganster received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Borderlands Studies in 2016 for his leadership and contributions to U.S.–Mexico border research. In his remarks, he reflected on the growth of border studies and the importance of international collaboration in the field.