Commencement Speaker
Pati Jinich
Commencement Speaker
Born and raised in Mexico City, Pati Jinich is the host and executive producer of the James Beard Award-winning PBS Primetime docuseries La Frontera, which shares untold stories from the U.S. - México border; the long-running four-time Emmy-nominated PBS daytime show Pati’s Mexican Table now on its 13th season, where she brings flavors from around México into American homes, and a new PBS Primetime series premiering Spring 2025.
A former political analyst focused on Mexican political institutions and U.S. - México relations at the Inter-American Dialogue, Jinich holds a master's degree in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University.
Bringing together her background in policy with her love of food and talent for interviewing, Jinich has now made exploring and sharing México’s cuisine and culture her life’s work. She has been named one of the “Top 5 Border Ambassadors” by The Council of the Americas, among the “100 Greatest Cooks of All Times” by Epicurious, is a four-time James Beard Award winner for her television work and is resident chef at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, D.C.
She is also the New York Times bestselling cookbook author of three cookbooks, including her most recent “Treasures of the Mexican Table: Classic Recipes, Local Secrets,” and has a fourth cookbook to be published by HarperCollins in 2026.
Jinich has appeared on ABC's “Good Morning America” and “Live with Kelly & Mark,” CBS’s “The Talk,” The Food Network, NPR’s “All Things Considered,” and Univision’s “Despierta America,” among others. She has been profiled in numerous publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post. In addition to writing on her website, patijinich.com, she contributes to a wide array of print and online publications including The Washington Post and The New York Times.
Jinich has resided in the Washington, D.C. area for more than 20 years, where she and her husband Daniel are raising their three Mexican-American sons, Alan, Samuel, and Julian.
**For more information, please contact the Office of the University Registrar at graduation@tamiu.edu or at 956.326.2250.