Staff
Mayra G. Maldonado
Executive Director
Mayra is a Research Economist who leads the Institute’s work on binational, comparative commercial and financial analysis. She has worked as an Economist at the Central Bank of Mexico, where she led the economic and financial analysis of Mexico’s northeastern border region, and its linkages with the rest of Mexico and the U.S. Mayra has also worked for Morgan Stanley Capital International, where she led the Americas Index Research and Corporate Actions teams based in Mumbai, India, and Monterrey, Mexico. During her time at MSCI, she specialized in analysis of Inter-American financial markets inequities. She received her BA in Economics from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM Campus Monterrey) and her MA in Economics from New York University (NYU) through CONACYT and Fulbright scholarships. During her BA studies, she participated in an exchange program with the École Supérieure de Commerce de Paris (ESCP). Born and raised in a dynamic cross-border region (Texas-Nuevo Leon), Mayra is personally and professionally invested in contributing to the economic development of the Paso del Norte region.
UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS:
NORTH CAPITAL FORUM 2024; OCTOBER 2ND – 4th; MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
John D Gibson
Director of Research
Dr. Gibson is the Director of Research for the Hunt Institute for Global Competitiveness. In this role, Dr. Gibson focuses primarily on producing policy relevant technical reports and scholarly research papers using data gathered by the Institute. Dr. Gibson is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics and Finance, the coordinator of the M.S. Economics program at UTEP, and an Associate Editor for the Journal of Economics and Finance.
Prior to joining UTEP, Dr. Gibson served as an Assistant Professor at Georgia State University and he is currently a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and a consultant to the GMF Latin American Division of the World Bank. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. in economics from Florida State University and his B.A. in economics with mathematics from the University of Southern Mississippi. His research interests include measuring the economic impact of public policies, such as infrastructure investment, and investigating the important role played by real-world frictions related to labor and credit markets. Dr. Gibson’s work has been published in leading economic journals including Journal of Money, Credit & Banking, Journal of Economic Dynamics & Control, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, and Economic Inquiry, among others.
UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS:
30th Annual Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association (LACEA)*; November 14th – 16th; Montevideo, Uruguay
94th Annual Southern Economic Association Meeting; November 22nd – November 25th, WASHINGTON, DC
Tulane University Economics Seminar; DECEMBER 6th ; NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
Asterisks indicate presentations by coauthors
Lluvia Brown-Velasquez
Program Manager
In her role as our Program Manager, Lluvia is responsible for ensuring impactful and cohesive messaging throughout all communication and marketing channels. She oversees the development of the Institutes' strategic communication strategies, branding, and visual direction to create compelling communication and visual content that aligns with the organization's goals and values. From the monthly newsletter to publications and online platforms, Lluvia's attention to detail ensures that every communication piece resonates with the intended audience.
Lluvia's educational background includes a Master's in Business Administration from The University of Texas at El Paso, complementing her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design, where she specialized in data visualization and cartography. This unique blend of creative and business acumen allows her to seamlessly combine creative insights with astute strategic thinking. With multi-disciplinary talent and a keen eye for design and dedication to data-driven storytelling, Lluvia excels at transforming complex information into visually captivating materials that resonates with diverse audiences.
Xiaofei Chen
Research Associate
Xiaofei serves as our Economic Development Analyst for the Hunt Institute for Global Competitiveness. Her role focuses analyzing data and research with a specialty on the maritime shipping industry research and trade relationships between Asia and the Paso del Norte Region. With her previous experience in China, Xiaofei brings with her a comprehensive background in international business and management. She co-founded Jiahua Language School in Shenzhen, China and was the Managing Director for the company responsible for all day-to-day operations. She took part in all aspects of operations including business development, strategy and service delivery. Xiaofei led the organization’s expansion into multiple locations in Guangdong province and the company was eventually acquired by Aston Education in 2013. Aston Education has over one hundred and twenty different international education locations in China, Vietnam and the United States. After the acquisition, she participated in various projects around the world gaining a unique perspective and understanding of international business.
In 2012, Xiaofei was honored as one of Shenzhen University’s top 30 graduates in the school history. She was one of the youngest recipients to be named alongside CEOs of multinational corporations like Tencent Holdings. She was also active in the Shenzhen business community as the Vice President for the Shenzhen Zhanjiang Chamber of Commerce. She also served as the Vice President for the Shenzhen Nanshan District Education Committee primary focusing on research and analysis. She received her BA in Chinese Language and Literature from Shenzhen University and her MBA from the University of Texas at El Paso. Since moving to the United States from Mainland China, Xiaofei has focused her efforts in international trade and the economic impact to the Paso del Norte Region.
Nancy González-Soto
Senior Editor
Nancy, a proud native of Juárez, laid the foundation for her remarkable career with a Bachelor’s degree in Electronic and Mass Media from The University of Texas at El Paso in 2005.
With an impressive two-decade career in investigative journalism, Nancy has garnered a profound understanding of border issues and amassed numerous journalism awards. Notably, in 2017, Nancy was selected to join the media pool covering the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in India and the U.S., demonstrating her global perspective and expertise.
Over the last 15 years, Nancy has consistently delved into the intricacies of cross-border dynamics, covering trade, industry, and the economy in Mexico and the U.S. Her insightful reporting has graced the pages of various distinguished media outlets.
Nancy's profound knowledge and expertise in U.S.-Mexico border relations seamlessly align with our mission here at the Hunt Institute. Her blend of strategic communication and journalism experience enhances our commitment to the Paso del Norte region, making her an invaluable asset to our team as our Communications Strategist.
Justin Hiatt
Program coordinator
Justin Hiatt serves as our Program Coordinator, focusing on administrative processes, financial reporting, community outreach, and event planning. His role is instrumental in streamlining operations, enhancing community engagement, and ensuring the success of our events, which collectively bolster the Hunt Institute’s mission and objectives.
Justin received his bachelor’s degree in multidisciplinary studies from The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). He has been with UTEP for three years, previously serving as an Accounting Specialist II for the business center at the Woody L. Hunt College of Business. His extensive experience in administrative and financial roles uniquely positions him to excel as our Program Coordinator, contributing to the Hunt Institute’s continued growth and success.
Research Fellows
erik devos
Hunt Institute research fellow
Erik Devos received his Ph. D. in Finance from Binghamton University (SUNY) after receiving his M.S. in Financial Economics from Erasmus University in the Netherlands. Dr. Devos worked as an assistant accountant in the Netherlands and has held academic appointments at Ohio University and since 2007 at UTEP’s College of Business Administration. He is currently Senior Associate Dean, Professor of Finance, and Academic Director of the Banking and Financial Institutions Academy, and holds the Marcus Jonathan Hunt Distinguished Chair in International Business. Dr. Devos has taught various finance and real estate classes, from undergraduate to Ph.D. levels.
His research interests are mainly in corporate finance and real estate, and he has published in journals such as Review of Financial Studies, Journal of Accounting and Economics, Journal of Corporate Finance, Financial Management, Real Estate Economics, and the Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics. Dr. Devos was co-editor of the Journal of Financial Research and Associate Editor of Financial Review. Currently, he is on the editorial board of the Journal of Real Estate Research and the Journal of Real Estate Literature.
He was on the board of the Southern Finance Association and is on the board of the International Real Estate Society and the American Real Estate Society.
In addition, he was a member of the AACSB Volunteer Advisory Group. He currently serves on the board of the AACSB Associate Dean Affinity Group (as immediate past chair), and AACSB Metro steering committee, was a member of the Economic Council of the Borderplex Alliance, and is a member of the White Sands Federal Credit Union Supervisory Committee and Board of Directors, and is or has been AACSB mentor for schools in the U.K. and the Netherlands and is a mentor at Pioneers 21.
Martha Vera
Honorary Consul of Spain in El Paso
Martha Vera, MIL, MS received her Master’s degree in International Law, Foreign Trade and Foreign Relations from “Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economía” in Madrid, Spain. She also holds an M.S. in Biology from the University of Texas at El Paso. She earned an Executive Diploma in International Diplomatic Law for Honorary Consuls from the United Nations Training and Research Center in Geneva, Switzerland. Her research at the Hunt Institute for Global Competitiveness focuses on the analysis of international trade agreements such as the USMCA.
César M. Fuentes Flores
Associate Professor at Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF)
Dr. César M. Fuentes Flores received his Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Southern California and his M.A. in Regional Development from El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF). Since 1990 he has been a professor-researcher at El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, attached to the Department of Urban and Environmental Studies at the Ciudad Juárez Campus. His research areas are related to the analysis of territorial phenomena, through spatial and econometric modeling, associated with research topics such as urban spatial structure, housing, transportation, and urban violence and border studies. He is co-editor of six books on urban issues and author of two books. In addition, he has published 31 articles in national and international journals and 30 book chapters. He has taught and directed theses at COLEF, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (UACJ) and UTEP. He was Visiting Professor at the Institute for Policy and Economic Development at the University of Texas at El Paso and Visiting Scholar at the Center for Border Studies at New Mexico State University. He received funding for research projects from IDRC of Canada, COCEF, OPS, SCERP, CONAHEC, CONACYT among others.
Mengge Li
Associate Professor of Management
Dr. Mengge Li is an Associate Professor of Management at The University of Texas at El Paso, where he teaches international business and corporate strategy classes. Dr. Li received his Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Houston, and an M.S. in Information Systems and Operations Management from the University of Florida. His research areas include corporate strategies, strategic leadership and governance, and innovation management. His works have been published in management journals such as the Journal of Management, Group & Organization Management, and Journal of Management & Organization, among others.