Meet the Advisory Board
Brandon Aguirre, Ph.D.
Dr. Aguirre is the Manager of the Applied Nuclear Technologies Department at Sandia National Laboratories. He leads a group of engineers, scientists, technologists, and student interns in the design, development, and execution of complex research experiments in nuclear physics. Dr. Aguirre is an alumnus of the UT System LSAMP and the Louis Stokes Bridge to the Doctorate.
Reginald Blake, Ph.D.
Dr. Blake is a Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the New York City College of Technology. Currently, he is Associate Provost and Dean of Curriculum and Research, and the Co-Director of the Center for Remote Sensing and Earth System Sciences. Dr. Blake is a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring.
Noel Blackburn, Ph.D.
Dr. Blackburn is the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory. He oversees the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office, which supports Brookhaven's mission to deliver expertise and capabilities that drive scientific breakthroughs and innovation. Dr. Blackburn is a recipient of the Department of Energy Outstanding Mentor Award and the Minority Access National Role Model Award.
Brissa Quiroz, Ph.D.
Dr. Quiroz is the Innovation and Society Research Director at Microsoft. She oversees the development of collaborations with universities to support programs and policies that enable research, accelerate innovation, and advance the development of translational solutions addressing systemic inequities for the benefit of society.
Jahi Simbai, MBA
Mr. Simbai is Senior Manager of Workforce Development at the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. He collaborates across NREL to build an integrated strategy and plan for the workforce of the future, primarily focusing on internship and post-doctoral programs. Mr. Simbai is President Emeritus of the National Association of Multicultural Engineering Program Advocates.
Dr. Laura Watkins
Dr. Watkins is a Mathematics educator at Glendale Community College. She is the immediate Past President of the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (2024-2025). She is the recipient of the AMATYC Teaching Excellence Award (2015).
The Southwest and Rockies Center for Inclusive Mentoring is funded by the National Science Foundation under grants HRD2020697, HRD2020491, HRD2020548, and HRD2020524.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.