Meet the Team
Our Center serves the U.S. Southwest and Rockies regions with the involvement of two well-established Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation. Collaborating institutions in this project are the University of Texas at El Paso, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Texas at San Antonio, Colorado State University, and El Paso Community College District.
![Benjamin C. Flores](../../ece/_Files/images/faculty/BenjaminFloresXL.jpg)
Dr. Benjamin C. Flores
Dr. Benjamin C. Flores is the Forrest O. and Henrietta Lewis Professor of electrical engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Dr. Flores joined UTEP in 1990 after earning his Ph.D. from the Arizona State University. He is the PI and Director of the University of Texas System Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, an alliance of 14 institutions committed to increasing the number of underrepresented minority students who pursue STEM careers. He is also the PI of the Louis Stokes Bridge to the Doctorate, a program that mentors STEM doctoral students from underrepresented groups. As a co-PI of an INSF INCLUDES cooperative agreement, he directs the West Texas Regional Collaborative, a consortium of universities and community colleges dedicated to preparing a diverse future faculty for careers at community colleges. Dr. Flores was the first in his family to earn a college degree. He graduated Summa Cum Laude. His experience as an undergraduate researcher, first in chemistry and then in electrical engineering, had a profound impact on his career choices. Dr. Flores received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) in 2010.
![Mark Appleford](../_Files/images/people/IMSTEM_MarkAppleford.jpg)
Dr. Mark Appleford
Mark Appleford. I am the Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies and an Associate Professor of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering at UTSA. In my administrative role, I have advocated for regional and national public policy for STEM education. In this role, I have been honored to serve several unique initiatives. Over a three-year period beginning in 2015, I was pleased to contribute to the City of San Antonio’s bid to the National STEM Ecosystem program under the Mayor’s STEM-readiness initiative working with the San Antonio Consortium of Universities (the city’s application was approved in 2018). I also serve and mentor for the Texas Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education, American Society for Engineering Education, and the San Antonio STEMIC Connectory, improving career access for STEM students of all ages and backgrounds. Serving in these roles has allowed me to identify and implement mentoring strategies for students to improve time to degree, completion of hours, raise overall GPA, become workforce ready and improve the chances for admission to graduate school.
![Darrell C. Balderrama](../_Files/images/people/IMSTEM_DarrellBalderrama.jpg)
Darrell C. Balderrama
Darrell C. Balderrama is the Director for the Office of Undergraduate Research and the Program Director for the LSAMP & McNair Scholars Program, within Career & Engaged Learning at The University of Texas at San Antonio. He also oversees the UTSA Journal of Undergraduate Research & Scholarly Work, which provides publication opportunities for students engaged in research experiences. He received his undergraduate degree from The University of Wisconsin-Madison and his Masters in Public Administration from St. Mary’s University. He currently is completing his PhD in Educational Leadership at The University of Texas at San Antonio.
![Audrey Boklage](../_Files/images/people/IMSTEM_AudreyBoklage.jpg)
Dr. Audrey Boklage
Audrey Boklage. I am a research associate in the Center for Engineering Education and Director of Curriculum for Texas Inventionworks at the University of Texas at Austin. I earned my undergraduate, masters, and Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction in STEM Education. My training also includes a post-doctoral research fellowship at Arizona State University studying Engineering Education. Prior to my academic career, I was a high school science teacher for seven years in Texas. My current research includes the identification and incorporation of best practices to support inclusive environments in STEM education. I recently received a CAREER grant to explore theory and pedagogy in university makerspaces.
![Maura Borrego](../_Files/images/people/IMSTEM_MauraBorrego.jpg)
Dr. Maura Borrego
Maura Borrego is Director of the Center for Engineering Education and Professor of Mechanical Engineering and STEM Education at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Borrego is a Fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education and a Senior Associate Editor for Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering. Her research awards include U.S. Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), a National Science Foundation CAREER award, and two outstanding publication awards from the American Educational Research Association for her journal articles. All of Dr. Borrego’s degrees are in Materials Science and Engineering. Her M.S. and Ph.D. are from Stanford University, U.S.A, and her B.S. is from University of Wisconsin-Madison, U.S.A.
![Jose Maldonado](../_Files/images/people/IMSTEM_JoseMaldonado.jpg)
Jose Maldonado
My name is Jose Maldonado and I am a Biology Professor at El Paso Community College. My academic interests range from Ecology/Toxicology (with a focus on venomous reptiles) to Exercise Physiology. I feel fortunate to have completed my undergraduate studies at Texas A&M University while running track (lots of work and miles ran but well worth the effort!). I am also a big fan of Sci-Fi and related Comic Con activities.
![Ernest L. Chavez](../_Files/images/people/IMSTEM_ErnieChavez.jpg)
Dr. Ernest L. Chavez
Ernest L. Chavez is Professor of Psychology and past Department Chair at Colorado State University. He currently serves as Director of the CSU STEM Center. His research has focused on issues related to Latino children and adolescents in particular drug use and education, however of late he has focused on inclusion of underrepresented students in STEM majors. Dr. Chavez was one of the original members of the NIDA Hispanic Task Force and reviews for NIDA. Most recently, Dr. Chavez has been working with graduate students in their research and helping them to publish. He is also co-PI on the NSF funded Colorado Alliance for Minority Participation grant and the past director of the CSU STEM Center.
![Jeffrey Olimpo](../_Files/images/people/IMSTEM_JeffreyOlimpo.jpg)
Dr. Jeffrey Olimpo
Dr. Jeffrey Olimpo, Associate Professor in Biological Sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), is a discipline-based education researcher with more than five years of experience in the development, implementation, and evaluation of CUREs. His research focuses on the cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes associated with novices’ participation in discovery-based research opportunities as well as the impact of professional development experiences on the career growth of graduate, postdoctoral, and faculty instructors. At UTEP, Dr. Olimpo serves as the Provost Faculty Fellow for Curriculum Effectiveness and Improvement and likewise facilitates coursework on scientific teaching for upperclassmen, pre-service, and in-service teachers. He is currently PI of the Ethics Network for Course-based Opportunities in Undergraduate Research (ENCOUR) and Accelerating STEM Success through Experiences for Transfer/Third-Year Students (ASSETS) initiatives and is the Tips & Tools Senior Editor for the Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education.
![Jessica Shenberger-Trujillo](../_Files/images/people/IMSTEM_JessicaShenberger-Trujillo.png)
Dr. Jessica Shenberger-Trujillo
Dr. Jessica Shenberger-Trujillo is a social psychologist trained in evaluation, assessment as well as qualitative and quantitative methods for social and behavioral sciences. She received her master’s in experimental psychology and doctorate in general psychology from the University of Texas at El Paso. Her work has focused on the use of evaluation to inform evidence-based practices for education and training. In particular, her work has focused on the inclusion of individuals from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM and professional programs.
![Karina I. Vielma](../_Files/images/people/IMSTEM_KarinaVielma.jpg)
Dr. Karina I. Vielma
Dr. Karina I. Vielma is Assistant Professor of Engineering Education at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Her research work focuses on equity and access to engineering and STEM fields by using methods that engage the “holders of knowledge” as part of the research group. Dr. Vielma leads mentoring and diversity, equity, and inclusion trainings and workshops for undergraduate and graduate researchers as well as serves as a faculty mentor. In her spare time, she loves to spend time outdoors being active and enjoying time with family and friends.
![NSF logo](../_Files/images/nsf_logo.png)
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.