Member Biography
Before joining the UTexas CIBER as Assistant Director, Dr. Deirdre Mendez was a corporate strategist for US companies doing business in foreign markets. A PhD in sociolinguistics, she founded Austin, Texas-based Foreign Business Management Consultants in 1986, and had nineteen years' experience creating international market penetration strategies for US technology companies. She has led statewide business missions to overseas
destinations, and assisted Austin's political and business leadership in forging ties with foreign governments. She has also published on Austin's technopolis creation, and advises international technopolis development projects. Dr. Mendez has been a pioneer in the internationalization of Central Texas. Founder of the Greater Austin International Coalition, she has also served as a member of the City of Austin's Mayor's Task Force on
International Infrastructure, and is a member of the board of directors of the International Center of Austin, the Founders Advisory Council of WCIT2006, and the World Affairs Council of Austin. Since coming to UT Austin, she has provided coursework to UT's BBA Global students. An adjunct professor at Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Mendez also teaches courses in international management to technologist graduate students.
Business Information
The Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) at the University of Texas, Austin. was established in 1990 with a grant from the United States Department of Education. Receipt of the grant established the McCombs School of Business as a National Resource Center for international business education and research. The main legacy of CIBER for McCombs will be related to its role in fostering internationalization within the school. As a result of its efforts, more internationally-oriented classes are being offered, more classes have a global orientation, more faculty research has a global dimension, and more UT business students are having significant international experiences.
