Western Washington University’s College of Business and Economics has appointed Christopher Sands as the Ross Distinguished Professor of Canada-United States Business and Economic Relations for the 2012-2013 academic year.

Sands is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C., where he specializes in Canada and U.S.-Canadian relations, as well as North American economic integration.

“We are very pleased to have Christopher Sands join us as Ross Professor,” said Brian Burton, the college’s dean, in a press release. “I know he will help students across the university as well as within CBE to understand the special relationship of Canada and the U.S., and he also will be a great contributor to the ongoing community discussions about how to improve the economic climate across the border. I’m looking forward to working with him over the next year.”

Sands is a recognized expert on Canada-U.S. business and political affairs. He is also a professorial lecturer at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, an adjunct professor in Government at the American University School of Public Affairs, and he also lectures at the Foreign Service Institute of the U.S. Department of State and for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

For more information, see the university’s announcement.