The Colorado State University Todos Santos Center welcomed its first director from Mexico in December when Baja California Sur resident Dr. Aines Castro accepted a role leading the Center.
“We are very excited to welcome Dr. Aines Castro as the director of the CSU Todos Santos Center,” said Kim Kita, director of Special Projects and Partnerships with CSU. “Aines has been working and volunteering with CSU for several years on various projects including the Community Needs Assessment focus groups and reports, arranging and convening workshops, and working as a liaison to connect CSU with BCS organizations and leaders. Aines is passionate about leveraging the important ground work of former director McKenzie Campbell, and is already working to welcome groups to the CSU Center and expand the network of collaborators and partners in Baja California Sur and throughout Mexico.”
Campbell, the Center’s founding director who served in the role for two years, has been excited to see the center grow so quickly, and with Castro onboard, she is focusing on community engagement and outreach.
“I am excited to be in the position of pursuing the co-creation of programs for and with the local community, as well as continuing to help foster meaningful connections between CSU students and faculty and residents of Baja California Sur,” Campbell said. “We are in the process of expanding our team in order to increase and diversify our capacity for new program development, as well as provide ongoing support to current programs.”
For Castro, the role is an extension of what she has been doing as a local partner with the CSU Todos Santos Center. She notes that the mission and vision of the center to “act as a hub for unique educational and research opportunities for the communities of CSU and BCS” is in alignment with her own goals.
“Collaborating with the CSU Todos Santos Center during the last two years has given me the opportunity to discover, develop and grow professionally beyond a typical research scientist career,” Castro said. “The combination of my talents and passions orients my purpose toward facilitating learning and knowledge to communities.”
Under Castro’s leadership the CSU Todos Santos Center will expand its foundational research and coursework for Colorado State students, open its doors to outside groups for retreats, and provide workshops and outreach to the local community based upon the main topics identified by the Todos Santos Community Assessment.
“Todos Santos provides a unique blend of cultural and environmental set up that is ideal for experiential learning opportunities in a wide array of topics,” said Castro.“The CSU Todos Santos Center is a great educational opportunity for both CSU and BCS communities and our team is willing to make potential opportunities to become a reality.”
“I am a firm believer in the synergies that arise when great people work together towards a common interest. I am excited about creating bridges across borders in education and science and the positive impact this may have in the local and regional communities.”
About the CSU Todos Santos Center
The Colorado State University Todos Santos Center is the university’s first international location and is core to CSU’s mission of teaching, research, service, and outreach.
The Center provides opportunities for CSU students and Baja California Sur residents to collaborate with local partners and businesses to identify needs, conduct research, and produce impactful outcomes.
CSU’s vision in Todos Santos is to cultivate generations of global citizens and to be a part of creating thriving communities through collaboration, experience, and exchange of knowledge in areas such as agriculture, infectious disease, elementary education, environmental and social sustainability, wildlife ecology, veterinary medicine, and public health.
