He was known for his studies of bighorn sheep conservation and the flora and fauna of Baja California.
– April 6, 2022 –
The UABC Foundation and the Maximum House of Studies of Baja California held a posthumous tribute ceremony to Professor Alberto Tapia Landeros, who served as a researcher and professor at this university, where he gave his time and talent, which he also shared for the benefit of the community.
Although he was involved in various academic units of the UABC, he was attached to the Institute of Cultural Investigations (IIC) Museum, where his studies and research on the bighorn sheep, an emblematic species of the northwestern region of the country and adopted as the mascot of this university, stood out. He also focused his skills and abilities as a taxidermist, sculptor, photographer, hunter and marksman, writer, cartoonist, musician, lecturer, researcher and disseminator, professor, but above all he stood out in his facet as a family man, friend and exceptional human being, whose death occurred in August 2021.
During the ceremony, the rector of the UABC, Dr. Daniel Octavio Valdez Delgadillo, described Mr. Tapia Landeros as a friend of many years, and described him as a simple man, kind and friendly, always willing to share the knowledge that decades of research had left him. “I met Alberto at the Law School and we quickly became friends. In his classes, he was not only respectful and kind, but he did it with a great passion that transmitted the knowledge and made his students new passionate about sheep and in many cases, environmentalists,” he said.
“Alberto Tapia Landeros’ contribution to the University and to the Cimarrón identity that defines us is immeasurable. In large part, we owe him the sense of pride we feel when we call ourselves Cimarrones, knowing that the Maroon always rises to the top, and we have adopted him as a symbol of institutional improvement,” said the provost.
On behalf of engineer Jorge Mario Arreola Real, president of the board of directors of the UABC Foundation, Reginaldo Esquer Felix, leader of the Santuario Cimarrón Project, was present and pointed out that it was fair to recognize the life trajectory and enthusiasm generated by Mr. Tapia Landeros. “He was a great promoter of the care we needed to generate as a society and as university students around the bighorn sheep. He left us a legacy of work and commitment with which we will continue to work to maintain what he started”.
Some of the most moving moments of the tribute were the participation of Federico Godínez, environmental consultant, and Luis Javier Garavito Elías, former rector of the UABC from 1994-1998, both of whom were longtime friends of the honoree. Both were involved in many of Tapia Landeros’ accomplishments, including obtaining a ban on bighorn sheep hunting in the state and working together to document the conservation of the region’s flora and fauna.
Several of Tapia Landeros’ works adorn UABC’s facilities, including the life-size bighorn sheep sculptures located in the Student Community Centers at the university’s three campuses. “As part of the tribute to Alberto Tapia as a disseminator, we will place QR code technology in many of his works, which will allow visitors to access interactive content such as videos, graphics, photographs and even animations that will provide information about the bighorn sheep, as well as the flora and fauna of Baja California,” said Dr. Christian Alonso Fernandez Huerta, director of the IIC Museum.
