As Director of Community Outreach and Special Projects, Lydia is responsible for organizing public events and coordinating the college’s involvement with community projects such as UA Downtown, the Oasis Initiative, and the O’Connor House project.  Lydia has a long history with the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences – as a doctoral graduate in Geography, program coordinator, adjunct faculty, and Associate Director of development.  Prior to returning to the UA in her current position, Lydia was Chief development Officer for the Sonoran Institute.  She has also worked outside the University as a consultant and grants writer. Lydia has a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from ASU and her Master’s Degree in Environmental Managerment from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University.  She graduated from the UA with a Ph.D. in Geography and a minor in Latin American Studies with support from a Fulbright Scholarship funding her research in Mexico.  She is also a national PEO scholar, having received a dissertation award for her work.