Rate My Professor Laura Uribarri

Laura Uribarri earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Borderlands History from the University of Texas at El Paso in December 2021, marking the department's 50th PhD graduate. Her dissertation, titled 'Transboundary Air Quality Governance: A Case Study of the Paso del Norte Air Basin, 1940-2000,' directed by Dr. Sam Brunk, focused on environmental history, transboundary natural resource governance, and environmental health. She completed this degree part-time while serving in senior administrative roles at UTEP. Uribarri also holds a Master of Arts in History from UTEP (2016), a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin's Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs (1998), with coursework in public administration, policy development, financial management, and grant writing, and a Bachelor of Arts with honors in International Relations from Stanford University (1996), emphasizing U.S./Latin American relations through political science, economics, and history, including study abroad at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

At UTEP's Woody L. Hunt College of Business Administration, Uribarri built a distinguished career in academic administration spanning over 15 years. As Assistant Dean (May 2020–June 2022), she oversaw corporate and community partnerships, communications strategies including newsletters and social media, and corporate academies in risk management, human capital management, enterprise resource planning, and banking. She served as Co-Principal Investigator for a multi-year Prudential grant exceeding $1 million titled 'Risk Management and Advancing Latinx in the Actuary Profession.' Previously, as Assistant Dean for Academic Programs (September 2015–April 2020), she managed MBA and BBA programs for approximately 200 MBA and 2,500 BBA students with a staff of 16, developed healthcare management concentrations and certificates, created the Community/Corporate Engagement Project for MBA consultancies, facilitated practicums with healthcare providers, and established an MPH/MBA dual degree with UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. From January 2010 to August 2015, as Assistant Dean for MBA Programs, she expanded accelerated and executive MBA formats, achieving record enrollment, completion rates, and national recognitions including the Example of Excelencia designation. She launched study abroad programs, the Graduate Business Center, and executive education for Texas Tech Medical School faculty. Earlier, she directed MBA programs (2006–2009) and held government relations roles including Senior Government Affairs Representative at El Paso Electric (2004–2006), Assistant to the Mayor at City of El Paso (2003–2004), and Vice President of Government Relations at Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce (2001–2003). Since July 2022, Uribarri serves as Associate Professor Non-Tenure Instruction in the Department of Management, Policy, and Community Health at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, El Paso, and Healthcare Management Program Director since September 2023, teaching health policy analysis, management concepts, organizational behavior, and strategic management while managing curriculum, admissions, accreditation, advising, and partnerships.