René Zenteno, Ph.D.

Ricardo Romo Ph.D. Endowed Professorship

Professor, Sociology and Demography

René Zenteno’s research interests include social and demographic change, international migration and social inequality (with a focus on Mexico), U.S-Mexican migration, Mexican immigrant incorporation, and immigration policy.

Zenteno has authored multiple refereed publications, and his research has been featured in top academic journals such as the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics and the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. He is also an editorial review board member for Frontiers in Sociology.

Zenteno has taught at UTSA for over a decade. Since joining the university in 2013, he has held multiple positions including vice provost for international initiatives, faculty senate chair, and executive director of ConTex, a joint initiative of the University of Texas System and Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT).

Prior to joining the UTSA faculty, Zenteno worked in numerous leadership positions both in and outside academia. He served as undersecretary for the Ministry of the Interior in Mexico, where he oversaw all policies, programs, and activities related to population, migration, and religious affairs. He served as provost and professor at El Colegio de la Frontera Norte and executive director of the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies at the University of California, San Diego. He also spent eight years on the faculty at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education.

Zenteno earned his Ph.D. in Sociology and Demography from the University of Texas at Austin.