CATIE Dean Receives International Recognition for Social and Community Impact

• Dr. Alfredo Zamarripa was honored by the Autonomous University of Chiapas for his scientific career and his commitment to community development.

Dr. Alfredo Zamarripa, Dean of the Graduate School at CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center), received the Alumni Award for Merit in Social and Community Impact from his alma mater, the Autonomous University of Chiapas (UNACH), Mexico, during the Alumni Gala Dinner 2025.

The award was presented by Rector Oswaldo Chacón in recognition of his distinguished scientific career and his commitment to social and community development. Zamarripa graduated with a degree in Agronomic Sciences Engineering, class of 1978–1983.

“This honor is not mine alone; it is the result of the seed that the university planted in me more than four decades ago. Although my work now takes place hundreds of kilometers away, at the CATIE Graduate School, every project I lead carries the essence of what I learned in Chiapas: a human-centered perspective, respect for diversity, and the certainty that true transformation is built together with people and emerges from the community and for the community,” said Dr. Zamarripa.

He also shared a message with the new generations: “The world needs your commitment, your empathy, your passion, and your ethics. Do not settle for following established paths; dare to create new ones. Be pertinently disruptive.”

Dr. Zamarripa currently serves as Dean of the CATIE Graduate School and has a strong international academic background. He holds a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding from the École Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Rennes, France, and has advanced studies in agronomy, biology, and technological innovation. He is also an Agronomic Engineer specializing in crop science, graduated from the Autonomous University of Chiapas.

Throughout his career, he has served as a professor at the Autonomous University of Chapingo and the Autonomous University of Chiapas, and as a senior researcher in genetic improvement of coffee, cacao, and bioenergy crops at Mexico’s National Institute of Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research (INIFAP). He has led national research programs in coffee, bioenergy, and industrial crops, as well as interinstitutional collaboration initiatives and strategic projects in the agricultural sector.

This recognition reaffirms his commitment to science in service of people and sustainable development in Latin America and around the world.