Ivonne Cruz, Ph.D., is a contributing expert at the Center for the United States and Mexico. She is also the administrator of the Puentes Consortium and a faculty member of the Masters of Global Affairs program, both at Rice University.

Cruz’s research primarily focuses on sustainability issues, specifically the social impact of corporations, climate change topics and the human dimensions of global environmental changes. She has been an independent researcher and consultant for over 15 years and has served in a variety of roles in academia and at international agencies and public sector entities. She has worked for the Environmental Defense Fund, the United Nations Environmental Program, the United Nations Industrial Program, the Global Environmental Facility, NOAA, environmental protection agencies in Mexico and Cuba, and local governments in Mexico, the U.S. and Europe.

Her published work has covered social policy issues and sustainable development strategies, and she has participated in the advancement of sustainability reports for private and public sectors.

Cruz holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. in sustainability from the Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, Spain.

Contact at ivonne.cruz@rice.edu or 713-348-3582.