Xochizeltzin Castaneda-Camacho is a human-environment geographer. She earned her Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Texas at Austin (2023) with research interests in protected areas, socio-ecological systems, habitat conservation, and arid lands. She held a postdoctoral position in the Research Center of Environmental Geography at UNAM, and collaborated with the National Commission of Protected Areas in Mexico.

Xochi is experienced in mixed methods, geospatial technologies, multi-sited fieldwork, and community engagement research. Her research focuses on analyzing land degradation and spatial patterns of habitat loss in the protected areas of arid northern Mexico. She has seven peer-reviewed publications and her research has been supported by the American Geographical Society Council Fellowship (2020).

She taught undergraduate courses about Human Geography, Land Management, and Regional Planning in Mexico and was a teaching assistant at the University of Texas in Environmental Science, Vegetation Ecology, and Field Techniques. She has directed seven undergraduate theses in Geography.

She promotes collaboration among universities, government, local people, and students. Her forthcoming book-chapter is titled “From land degradation to habitat loss: A qualitative assessment of vegetation cover in Protected Areas of Arid Lands” in the book The Changing Geography of National Parks and Protected Areas, Palgrave MacMillan (in Press).

Dr. Castaneda is a member of the American Association of Geographers (AAG) and current Vice-Chair of the Protected Areas Specialty Group (2024-5). Xochi enjoys natural environments, fieldwork activities, and wildlife spotting.