David Shirk received his PhD in political science at the University of California, San Diego, and joined the Political Science Department at the University of San Diego in 2003. He serves as the director of the Trans-Border Institute (TBI) and conducts research and publishes on topics related to Mexican politics, U.S.-Mexican relations, and law enforcement and security issues along the U.S.-Mexican border.
Shirk is the principal investigator for TBI’s Justice in Mexico Project, a bi-national research initiative focused on criminal justice and the rule of law in Mexico. He has been a fellow at the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies and at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Recent publications include Shared Responsibility: U.S.-Mexico Policy Options for Combatting Organized Crime (2010); Police and Public Security in Mexico (2009); Contemporary Mexican Politics (2008); Reforming the Administration of Justice in Mexico (2007) and Mexico’s New Politics: The PAN and Democratic Change (2005).