Robert Varady is deputy director and director of environmental policy programs at the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy at The University of Arizona. He also is a research professor of environmental policy at the Udall Center, research professor of arid lands studies, and adjunct professor of hydrology and water resources. Varady obtained his Ph.D. in 1981 in modern history from The University of Arizona, and holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in mathematics from the City College of New York and the Polytechnic University, respectively. At the Udall Center since 1989, Varady's work mostly has addressed environmental and water-management policy in arid regions, with an emphasis on transboundary issues, especially along the U.S.-Mexico border. He spent a sabbatical year (2003-04) in Paris at UNESCO's International Hydrological Programme, studying the history, evolution, and significance of global water initiatives. In a subsequent sabbatical in 2010-11, he investigated transboundary aquifer governance. Relatedly, he is a consultant to UNESCO and FAO on a GEF (Global Environmental Facility)-funded global groundwater governance project and in that capacity is lead author of a paper on groundwater policy. Varady is past president of the International Water History Association (IWHA). He has published essays on environmental history and policy, agricultural development, information management, and transportation systems. He also has directed environmental and agricultural projects in West Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia.