Urban Mexico
A new paper from the Weitzman School of Design explores the relationship between urban form and transportation across Mexico’s 100 largest urban areas. Erick Guerra and co-authors found that while there is a growing body of literature on these dynamics, little data comes from Latin America and virtually none from smaller cities.
Simple Solutions
‘Healthy Pequeños,’ a 2018 President’s Engagement Prize project created and run by School of Nursing alum Alaina Hall, is teaching hundreds of children at a child-care organization in Miacatlán, Mexico, about hygiene, germs, and food safety. Just three months in, Hall has already worked as a clinic nurse, assessed what behaviors are most likely to make people sick, and taught the first of three lessons in a curriculum she created. (Video)
‘Deep expertise’
Perry World House, Penn’s global policy research institute, named nine of its 2018-19 Fellows. Among them are former Mexico president Felipe Calderón, former national security advisors H.R. McMaster and Susan Rice, and former U.S. Rep. Charles Dent. President Amy Gutmann said Perry World House and the Fellows “give our students and scholars alike an unrivaled opportunity to learn from and collaborate with some of the most powerful and experienced players on the international stage.”
Innovative Training
This summer, Becca Bean, a rising sophomore in the Huntsman Program in International Studies from Arlington, Va., participated in the Wharton Global Research Internship Program. It took her to cities across Mexico, where she learned about leadership training, cultural identity among employees, and management through global perspectives.
Lasting Impact
João Campos do Vale Dourado of Brazil is spending the summer at Ashoka, in Mexico City. He contributed to the NGO’s global mission by creating an interactive map that represents the distinctions and connections between social entrepreneurs throughout Mexico.
Faith and a passion for music fuels a cappella group Dischord's president
Faith informs all parts of Thomas’s life, which propelled him on a two-year spiritual journey to Mexico after graduating from high school, empowered him to pursue his life-long love of music in college, and, perhaps most important, encouraged him to, as he says, step out of his comfort zone and care.
Before coming to Penn, Thomas’s faith led him to take a gap year serving in Mexico with the organization Youth With a Mission Mazatlán, which ultimately led to two years serving in various other parts of the country, including, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Morelia, and even less-urban, indigenous parts of the country.
Trinity Industries, Inc. Announces Chief Executive Officer for New Infrastructure Company
Trinity Industries, Inc. recently announced its intention to pursue a plan to spin-off the Company’s infrastructure-related businesses to Trinity stockholders in the second half of 2018. Today, Trinity is pleased to announce that Mr. Antonio Carrillo, WG’93, currently the Chief Executive Officer of Mexichem S.A.B. de C.V. and a current member of Trinity’s Board of Directors, has accepted a future role with the company as President and Chief Executive Officer of the new infrastructure company upon completion of the spin-off. Mr. Carrillo received a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering from Universidad Anáhuac in Mexico City, Mexico.
Ivanhoé Cambridge Appoints Adriano Mantesso Senior Vice President, Brazil, Growth Markets and Jorge Margain Vice President, Mexico, Growth Markets
Ivanhoé Cambridge announces today the appointments of Adriano Mantesso as Senior Vice President, Brazil, Growth Markets and Mr. Jorge Margain, WG’07, as Vice President, Mexico, Growth Markets. Both Messrs. Mantesso and Margain are mainly responsible for implementing investment and asset management strategies in their respective countries. Prior to joining Ivanhoé Cambridge, he worked for PGIM Real Estate (Prudential), a real estate private equity firm where he was Head of Transactions for Mexico. Mr. Margain holds an MBA from Wharton School of Business and a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de Mexico (ITAM).
Learning From Leaders
Before the inaugural Penn Biden Leaders Dialogue, a private meeting organized for Penn’s Mexican students with the former Mexican President Felipe Calderón was a natural extension of Perry World House’s goal of providing access to world leaders and a community for international students. (Photos)
Power of Example
Former Mexican President Felipe Calderón and former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden took part in a wide-ranging discussion about global and national issues during the inaugural Penn Biden Global Leaders Dialogue. Penn President Amy Gutmann joined them on stage at Irvine Auditorium. (
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Photos)
Houses and More
Using a combination of methods from historic preservation and archaeology, Kasey Diserens, a Ph.D. student in anthropology, spent the summer gathering physical documentation of the colonial structures in Tihosuco, Mexico. She produced oral histories based on interviews with residents and created a preservation plan.
Awestruck
Greg Robinov, a junior from Stamford, Conn., in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, spent part of his summer in Tula, Mexico, assisting in the final steps of getting a thermoelectric power plant back online after a series of upgrades. He called the experience an "invaluable opportunity to broaden my personal and professional horizons." He also learned how to successfully order street churros
en español.
Mexichem to Buy Israeli Irrigation Specialist Netafim
Mexichem will acquire control of Israel’s Netafim, the world’s largest drip irrigation company, for $1.5 billion as the Mexican chemicals group seeks to benefit from the world’s changing agricultural needs. The Mexican company on Monday announced its plan to buy 80% of the Israeli group from shareholders led by Permira, the private equity firm that owns 61% of Netafim. The transaction values the Israeli group at $1.9 billion. Netafim, which was founded in Israel’s arid southern Negev region in 1965, now has 17 manufacturing plants around the world and 4,300 employees. It sells its products in 110 countries, including China and India. Mr. Antonio Carrillo, WG’93, Mexichem’s Chief Executive, described his company’s purchase of the Israeli group as a “transformational acquisition”, saying that it would allow Mexico to become a global leader in irrigation.
Mr. Carrillo said the two companies’ combined irrigation portfolio would total almost $1 billion in sales. Mexichem employs more than 18,000 people, and its other businesses include petrochemicals, and plastic pipes and connections. The deal is due to close in the fourth quarter of this year.
Moving Forward
Erick Guerra (fourth from left) of the School of Design studies the "built environment" to improve urban transportation networks, collaborating on research that has international as well as local implications. In Mexico last fall, he led a graduate-level design studio in which students worked to develop a strategic cycling plan for the city of Querétaro.
Dr. Eduardo Sojo Joins CSIS Americas Program as a Non-Resident Senior Associate
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is pleased to announce that former Mexican Cabinet Secretary Mr. Eduardo Sojo, G’83, has joined CSIS’s Americas Program as a Non-Resident Senior Associate with the U.S.-Mexico Futures Initiative. Mr. Sojo is based in Mexico and serves as the General Director of the National Laboratory of Public Policy at the Center for Economic Research and Teaching. His research focuses on combining data sciences, behavioral economics, and collective intelligence to solve public policy problems. Mr. Sojo received his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from ITESM, as well as a Master’s and Doctoral degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
Argonaut Gold Announces Third Quarter 2016 Financial Results and Management Change
The Company is pleased to announce the hiring of
Mr. William M. Zisch, WG’96 as Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Zisch brings more than 35 years of mining industry and professional experience to Argonaut Gold. He previously held the role of President and CEO of Midway Gold. Prior to Midway, Mr. Zisch was the Vice President of Operations at Royal Gold Inc. Prior to joining Royal Gold, he spent 12 years with Newmont Mining Company in various international assignments serving as the Operations Manager at the Yanacocha mine in Peru and later as the Vice President of African Operations while based in Ghana. Mr. Zisch served as Vice President of Planning during his last two years at Newmont where he was responsible for company-wide strategic, operational and capital planning. Prior to his tenure at Newmont, Mr. Zisch spent 16 years with FMC Company, where he held several positions in coal and gold operations and strategic sourcing roles in the company's Chemical Group. Mr. Zisch holds an MBA degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BS degree in Mining Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. Mr. Zisch will assume the role of Chief Operating Officer effective immediately and will be based in Mexico for the first year of his tenure with Argonaut. Mr. Rhoades will assist for a transitional period until November 11, 2016.