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Roberto Garza (PhD ’80) has built a remarkable career shaped by a lifelong passion for geography, geology, and the landscapes of the American Southwest. After earning his PhD from CU Boulder, Roberto began a 28-year teaching career at San Antonio College, where he taught geography, geology, and earth science and later became the founding director of a regional STEM program based at the University of Houston. The program connected eight colleges and universities across the region, expanding opportunities for students in science and engineering.

Roberto continued teaching for many years, including eight years at the University of Houston–Downtown and two decades as a part-time instructor at the University of Texas at San Antonio. There, he developed a popular field course, Geography of the American Southwest, taught during the two-week May mini-term. His specialties—geology and the geography of the Southwest—became a foundation for generations of students across Texas and Houston-area community colleges.

After retiring from academia, Roberto’s love of place-based storytelling led him in new directions. He trained in Denver to become a certified tour guide and tour manager, eventually working for a travel company leading senior citizens on cruise trips to the Caribbean and the Southern Cone. He prepared travelers with detailed presentations about each destination and even accompanied groups on cruises between Chile and Brazil, including a memorable journey with a shipboard visit to Antarctica.

Back in Texas, Roberto became a certified tour guide in San Antonio and across the state, leading visitors through the region’s history, landscapes, and cultural geography. He also trained as a Texas Master Naturalist, volunteering in natural areas, helping run nature centers, leading field trips, and assisting in invasive-species removal.

Roberto’s commitment to public lands led him to service as both a volunteer and seasonal park ranger at San Antonio Missions National Historical Park—now a UNESCO World Heritage Site—as well as at Rocky Mountain National Park and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

Today, he works as a realtor in the San Antonio area, where his deep knowledge of local geography and geology remains an invaluable asset. “As we all know,” he says, “Geography is about LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!”

Reflecting on a lifetime of global travel—including visits to all seven continents—Roberto credits his CU Boulder training as the foundation for his many adventures. He leaves current students with the encouragement that guided him since his Air Force years in Tripoli, Libya:
“I will prepare myself and my chance will come.” — Abraham Lincoln

“School is demanding and time consuming,” he adds. “But don’t give up. A bright future lies ahead. Life is what you make it.”