Estha Irene Sotelo Núñez Appointed UAM General Secretary

Since August 2025, she has served as the General Secretary of the Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM) for the 2025-2029 period, consolidating a career that integrates research, teaching, and university management. Key data • Current position: General Secretary of the UAM (2025-2029). • Education: Doctor and Master in Urban and Environmental Studies from El Colegio de México; Bachelor's in Political and Social Management from UAM Xochimilco. • Areas of expertise: Urban public policies, environmental management, and access to water. • Previous experience: Director of the Division of Social Sciences and Humanities (2023-2027); head of the Department of Politics and Culture. • International distinction: Recognition from the European Soil Society for research in soil conservation (2007). Academic and professional development She works as a full-time professor-researcher at UAM Xochimilco, where she has focused her work on the analysis of the design, implementation, and evaluation of urban and environmental policies, with an emphasis on natural resource management and water governance. She has participated as a member in national and international academic forums, including the Senate of the Republic, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and the National University of Colombia. Contributions to environmental policy Among her notable contributions are the development of methodologies for the territorial allocation of municipalities to river basins and the definition of ecological zoning criteria with a basin approach, adopted by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. These tools have served as a basis for research and public policies for regional ecological planning. Experience in university leadership Before assuming the General Secretariat, she headed the Division of Social Sciences and Humanities at UAM Xochimilco, where she promoted the updating of study programs and the strengthening of formative research. Throughout her institutional career, she has advocated for public education, gender equality, and pluralistic dialogue within the academic community. Recent activity In 2026, she led salary negotiations with the SITUAM union, emphasizing the importance of well-being and the progressive nature of labor rights. Likewise, she has represented the UAM in international forums on democracy and social resistance.