Robert G. Rodriguez earned a Ph.D. from the University of Kansas (KU) in 2005. He also holds a B.A. from the University of California-Irvine, and a M.A. from KU. All of his degrees are in political science. In 2010, Dr. Rodriguez joined the faculty at Texas A&M University-Commerce where he teaches comparative politics with a regional focus on Latin America, in addition to courses examining U.S. and Texas politics. His research interests are centered upon analyzing the intersections between politics and sports. In 2009, Dr. Rodriguez published a book entitled The Regulation of Boxing: A History and Comparative Analysis of Policies Among American States (McFarland Press). He has presented research in the United States as well as at international academic conferences in Austria, Finland, France, and Russia. Prior to joining the TAMU-Commerce faculty, Dr. Rodriguez served as the long-time Associate Director of the McNair Scholars Program at KU, where he also taught courses in Latin American and US politics. Additionally, Dr. Rodriguez has worked as a freelance sports journalist for local, national, and international publications such as The Ring Magazine and Boxing Digest since the early 1990s. He is very proud of his Argentinean heritage and enjoys traveling to Latin America and Europe with his wife Irina -a native of Ukraine- and their two children, Gabriela and Diego.