Dr. McNamara attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he received his Ph.D. in history in 1999. His research interests are in Mexican popular culture, the language and images that form part of Mexican national identity, and how a sense of a nationalistic Mexican identity is created. Dr. McNamara is currently writing a book that examines the importance of the 1910 Centennial in rural Mexico and the southwestern United States. Last year, Dr. McNamara was awarded the Arthur “Red” Motley Exemplary Teaching Award from the College of Liberal Arts.