International Research
International Research at SDSU
Research at SDSU -- including international research and visiting international scholars -- is coordinated through the Division of Research and Innovation (DRI), linked directly below.
This page aims to highlight the important research conducted around the world by SDSU faculty and to showcase opportunities and events offered by International Affairs to researchers across campus.
International Affairs Events and Opportunities
The featured events and opportunities provide valuable ways to connect with fellow researchers and showcase your work. We encourage you to get involved and engage with International Affairs.
An annual binational conference that brings together faculty, scholars, researchers, public policy analysts, professionals, public officials, and industry leaders to showcase research and innovations across fields including education and workforce development, health and well-being, environment and energy, innovation and economic development, policy and governance, and migration and multicultural communities.
Spotlighting International Research at SDSU
Exploring Education and Belief Systems in Chiapas, MexicoDr. Linda Abarbanell, Associate Professor of Psychology, SDSU-Imperial Valley
Abarbanell examines belief systems in a Tseltal Mayan community in Chiapas, Mexico. Her latest project, the Culture of Schooling, is a collaboration led by researchers at the University of Texas Austin to probe how formal education impacts values, beliefs and customs in traditional communities, particularly around science and religion.
Heat Islands in Rio de Janeiro, BrazilDr. Erika Robb Larkins, Professor and Director of the Behner Stiefel Center for Brazilian Studies
Larkins documents how climate change negatively affects residents of Rio de Janeiro’s favelas, which are unplanned, dense neighborhoods that often suffer the worst of Brazil’s extreme heat waves. Her latest research evaluates how poor electrical infrastructure results in fewer options for favela residents to escape sweltering temperatures.
Studying Endangered Moor Macaques in IndonesiaDr. Erin Riley, Professor of Anthropology
Riley has studied endangered Moor macaques in an Indonesian national park for 15 years, bringing SDSU students along to learn how to do scientific fieldwork. Riley and her team of students and local collaborators have documented changes in the macaques’ social and ranging behavior, increased danger from vehicles and potential loss of social learning opportunities for juveniles.
Flying Laser-sensor Drones in Ecuador
Dr. Rafael Almeida, Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Ecuador sits in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a hotspot for tectonic activity that historically has sparked destructive earthquakes. Almeida and collaborators fly laser-sensor drones to map the jungle floor, looking for signs of faulting. They sample long-buried grains of quartz sand to determine the last time they were exposed to sunlight. The process aims to illuminate earthquake risks in eastern Ecuador, which has seen explosive population growth amid mining and other natural resource development.