Team - SDG Policy Initiative, UCSD

Director

Gordon McCord is Associate Dean and Associate Teaching Professor of Economics at the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California, San Diego. He is also Senior Advisor to the Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the United Nations. He has an extensive background in sustainable development and works at the intersection of development economics, public health and the environment.

Faculty Affiliates

Dr. Lerner is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. She was an assistant research professor in the National Laboratory for Sustainability Science in the Ecology Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, UNAM, Mexico City from 2015 to 2020. In Mexico City she led several research projects related to city-university partnerships, the persistence of peri-urban agriculture, and capacity-building in the local city government for risk management and resilience. Dr. Lerner’s research focuses on processes of landscape change and especially on the rural-urban frontier, sustainable aspects of city planning, including resilience, green infrastructure, and urban and peri-urban agriculture, and the science-policy interface.

David Victor is a professor of innovation and public policy at the School of Global Policy and Strategy at UC San Diego. He is the Peter F Cowhey Center for Global Transformation Endowed Chair in Innovation and Public Policy. Victor is also the co-director of the campus-wide Deep Decarbonization Initiative, which focuses on real world strategies for bringing the world to nearly zero emissions of warming gases. Victor is also an adjunct professor in climate, atmospheric science, and physical oceanography at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

SDGPI Team

Roberto is pursuing a Master of International Affairs at UC San Diego, specializing in International Development and Economics with a focus on Latin America. Originally from Tijuana, México, he holds a B.A. in International Relations from El Colegio de México. His past research examines the maquiladora-based Mexican economic model and the political dynamics of the USMCA. He interned at UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, contributing to the Unit of Latin America and the Caribbean. Roberto aims to foster equitable development policies and cross-border collaboration, aspiring to work with organizations addressing socio-economic disparities in Latin America.

Shelah Ott is pursuing a Master of Public Policy with a specialization in Environmental Policy. Her research interests include the intersection of climate change, public policy, and equity, utilizing quantitative methods and spatial analysis to uncover trends and contribute to effective decision making.

Teresa is pursuing a Master’s in International Affairs with a specialization in International Economics and Development and a regional specialization in Latin America. Her research topics include geoeconomics in the southern cone and international trade.

Rodrigo is pursuing a Master’s in Public Policy with a specialization in Environmental Management and Program Design and Evaluation, tailored to Sustainable Development. His research topics include Water Management, Energy, Ocean Sustainability, Climate Change and Adaptation, Public Health response to Climate-related Diseases, and practical applications of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Gabriel is an assistant professor in epidemiology at the School of Public Health and titular researcher at the Institute of Tropical Medicine “Alexander von Humboldt”, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH). He earned his MS in Epidemiology at UPCH and his PhD in Public Health at UCSD. His research lies at the interface of infectious diseases epidemiology, human mobility, environmental determinants, climate change, and urban development. He uses a wide range of methods such as causal inference, spatio-temporal analysis, and remote sensing to forward our understanding of infectious disease dynamics in complex environmental settings.

Matthew Burditt is a Master’s of International Affairs student specializing in International Environmental Governance and International Politics. He is currently working on projects related to local decarbonization efforts in San Diego County and the politics of grid integration in the western United States.

Charlotte Gonzalez-Abraham is a science consultant associated with ISLA, AC in Baja California Sur. She is working on projects on land use and food systems with a focus on sustainability and conservation of biodiversity.