Contact Us
Dr. Cecilio Ortiz-Garcia
CCRRIA's Director and Professor
Public Affairs and Security Studies
ELABN 216
Phone: 956-665-2445 (Edinburg)
Phone Alt: 956-665-3345
Fall 2025 Events
ECO RIO 2025
Save the date for the 11th Annual Environmental Studies Symposium.
Monday, December 1st, 2025
1:00 - 5:00 PM
ELABN Room 207
1201 W. University Dr, Edinburg, Tx 78539
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025
1:00 - 5:00 PM
UTRGV Salon CASSIA
1546 University Blvd, Brownsville, Tx 78520
Beyond Common Ground: How Social Infrastructure can Mitigate Wicked Problems
Much of our policy process focuses on the role of physical infrastructure, that is, structures that aim to mitigate the impact of shocks and disasters such as floods, terrorism, and crime. But a growing body of evidence suggests that social infrastructure - the places and spaces that build and maintain connections, such as libraries, parks, and pubs—holds greater potential to blunt the impact of such events. Using qualitative and quantitative evidence from cases around the world, Aldrich pushes us to appreciate how the modest and often underappreciated field of social infrastructure should be front and center as we confront wicked problems.
Join the Conversation with Dr. Daniel Aldrich!
Monday, November 24th, 2025
10:00 AM
UTRGV Ballroom
1201 W University Dr, Edinburg, TX 78539
CCRRIA 3rd Conference
SAVE THE DATE!
The Center for Community Resilience Research Innovation and Advocacy (CCRRIA), with the support of the Houston Endowment for Civic Engagement, the Department of Sociology, and the School for Interdisciplinary Programs and Community Engagement, invites you to participate in its third annual conference titled “Communities Organizing Community: Catalyzing Transboundary Knowledge Co-production into Action” to be held on November 17 and 18, 2025 at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Ballroom in its Edinburg Campus. (ADD Map of Ballroom location)
In our third Conference, our intentionality to position our communities in a transboundary setting must be clear and transparent.
Flood Justice in the Rio Grande Valley Presentation
CCRRIA is thrilled to invite you for a conversation on Friday, October 10th, 2025 from 10:00 to 11:30 AM.
Guest Speaker: Lucas Belury, is a 3rd year Ph.D. candidate in the School of Geography, Development and Environment at the University of Arizona. His research challenges environmental racism by integrating remote sensing for flood detection with the lived experience of marginalized Latinx communities along the U.S. - Mexico border. Utilizing the human-centered design concept of co-production, in which research and community-members are equal contributors of knowledge production, he collaborates with community-based flood justice advocacy organizations in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas and northeastern New Mexico. Through these partnership[s his research supports community-based organizations in their challenged against environmental racism and structural inequality.
Women of Carbon Watch Party
Join us October 9th 2025 from 4:00 to 5:00 PM (Location: UTRGV-ELABN 101) for a groundbreaking documentary on women transforming construction while combating climate change.
Echoing the spirit of the original Industrial Revolution, these visionary women are on a quest to inspire change for a sustainable planet. Their innovative work, places them at the core of decarbonization, human health, and economic opportunity. Directed by Basia + Leonard Myszynski, “Women of Carbon” shares their empowering journeys, and collective vision for a better world.
