Robert Boria
Email: rboria@fas.harvard.edu
Robert's research is broadly focused on how populations have responded to past climate change. Specifically, he studies how the historical distributions and past areas of climate refugia of small mammals will influence future climate change responses. Robert earned his Bachelor of Science degree from City College of New York (CCNY) where he was introduced to studying the distributions of species through time. As a master’s student at CCNY, he developed several methods to improve the performance of ecological niche models. Additionally, Robert helped develop several R packages to implement these approaches.
As a PhD student at the University of California-Merced, Robert studied the historical distribution and climate refugia of two western North American Mammals. He completed his PhD in 2021 in Quantitative and Systems Biology. Some recent accomplishments of Robert’s are, he has a paper published and go to present his research at Evolution in 2022. This research was done during his Ph.D. and he is thankful for the AGEP funding making it possible.
Currently, he is an NSF Postdoctoral scholar in Dr. Scott Edwards’ lab at Harvard University, where his research focuses on projecting how genetic diversity will change in a warming world. In the past year Robert was active in the job market but recently accepted a position where he will be starting as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at San Francisco State in January 2024.
Dominique Davenport
Email: ddavenport3@ucmerced.edu
Dominique is a physics graduate student at UC Merced, and a member of the Kleckner Lab studying optical interactions in soft matter. Previous research appointments have allowed him to study high temperature superconductivity and x-ray spectroscopy. He began studying physics at California State University, Stanislaus. At Stanislaus State he got involved with education and STEM outreach though CVMSA (central valley math and science alliance) as a peer mentor and HiMAP STEM academy serving local schools. After joining UC Merced, he followed these interests by joining the graduate student founded STEM outreach group, BiotaQ. Dominique received his Ph.D. in 2022 and is now a postdoc at Lawrence Livermore National Labs.
Maria Duenas
Email: mduenas4@ucmerced.edu
Maria is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Merced. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from New College of Florida and a Masters of Arts in Sociology from the University of South Florida. Her research focuses on race and ethnicity, immigration, family, intersectionality, and Latina/o/xs. Guided by critical race theory and intersectional feminism, she studies racialization, racial and ethnic discourses, and racial and ethnic identity formation of Latina/o/xs. She recently completed her pre-doctoral fellowship and will be transitioning to a tenure-track Assistant Professor position at the University of Illinois at Springfield. Maria graduated from UC Merced with her Ph.D. in Sociology, May of 2023.
Alexandria Pabst
Email: apabst@ucmerced.edu
In 2022, Alexandria completed her degree in Cognitive and Information Sciences at UC Merced. As a graduate student, her research focused on the neural processes underlying the interactions between human memory and motor networks during implicit and explicit learning. She used a variety of methods to study human behavior including non-invasive brain stimulation, Kinarm robotic exoskeleton, and motion capture. In addition to conducting research she served on both local and system-wide university committees, including the CARE Advisory Board and UC Office of the President's TIX Student Advisory Board. When when she is not stimulating brains, she likes to dance, paint, read, and travel. Alexandria Pabst is now a Research Scientist at Accenture Labs.
David Veloz
Email: dveloz@ucmerced.edu
David has successfully defended his dissertation titled "Perception of Air Quality in the San Joaquin Valley". His research is motivated by the desire to understand the public’s perception of air pollution and local air quality trends. David aspires to raise awareness regarding the importance of air quality and public health. David Veloz received his Ph.D. in 2021. He recently accepted an offer at CSU Stanislaus to be an Assistant Professor of Public Health Promotion. He will be teaching Environmental Health, Public Health Research, Evaluation, as well as Disparities in Public Health.
UC Santa Barbara Fellows
Carlos Gomez
Email: cgomez00@ucsb.edu
Carlos is currently completing his dissertation in Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology at UC Santa Barbara; he aims to defend his dissertation in Academic Year 2022-23. His research focuses on understanding how the endogenous stresses of tumor spheroids change upon invasion in a collagen type I gels. He is involved in several highly interdisciplinary collaborations ranging from understanding surfactant chemistry to software development. On his spare time, he like to spend time on outreach initiatives focused on increasing access to research to students from marginalized backgrounds. He has also made it his imperative to develop a stronger skillset in scientific communication in order to help not only his research, but his outreach aspirations.
Natalia Jamarillo
Email: njaramillo@ucsb.edu
In June 2022, Natalia Jaramillo received her PhD in Clinical Psychology at UC Santa Barbara. As a graduate student, Natalia had engaged in research examining the psychological impact of acute mass violence and natural disasters. Her primary research interests included understanding patterns of risk and resilience in youth who are exposed to trauma while considering the role of socio-cultural factors (e.g., adversity, immigration, cultural values, family); and identifying ways of preventing and treating traumatic stress by developing interventions that are evidence-based and culturally sensitive. Her dissertation examined the psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Latinx emerging adults
Natalia has been in her postdoctoral position at UCLA Semmel Institute for Neuroscience and Behavior for a year now. She continues to remain interested in CSU faculty opportunities.
Natalia’s Website: https://www.semel.ucla.edu/heart/team/natalia-jaramillo-phd
Roselia Mendez Murillo
Email: Roselia@umail.ucsb.edu
Roselia is currently an assistant professor at the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin. Roselia conducts culturally grounded, communication research that can enhance minoritized communities’ academic, relational, and mental wellbeing. She has studied the ways in which family members and mono-English speakers communicate support to Latinx language brokers. She is also further exploring the experiences of separated Latinx immigrant families who have undergone stepwise migration. Ultimately, her goal is to uncover assets and resources at multiple levels (e.g., intrapersonal, interpersonal, community, institutional, and policy) that can reduce academic and health inequities among Latinx communities in the United States. Rosalia currently holds a faculty position at Univ Texas Austin.
Roselina’s Website: https://moody.utexas.edu/faculty/roselia-mendez-murillo
Monica Mendoza
Email: mathematic_visions@umail.ucsb.edu
Monica Mendoza is an Ph.D. student in the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education. She enjoys researching higher education mathematics education, spatial cognition, mentoring undergraduate student research, and working towards school-work-life balance along with her husband and children. Inspired by several mentors and advisors, she aims to continue their shared work and legacy in creating opportunities for diversity within the mathematics and education communities.
Ana Miller-ter Kuile
Email: ana00@ucsb.edu
Ana completed her PhD in Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology in 2021 and is currently a postdoctoral scholar at Northern Arizona University. She is a community ecologist who is interested in ecology and conservation. In her PhD, she studied islands as model systems for understanding the patterns that shape biological communities, especially in the face of human habitat alteration. Anna holds a postdoc position at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.
CSU Fresno Mentors
Amber Crowell
Associate Professor, Sociology
Email: acrowell@csufresno.edu
Dr. Amber Crowell is Associate Professor of Sociology at Fresno State and serves as the Regional Housing Coordinator for Faith in the Valley, a grassroots coalition that organizes for social justice in the Central Valley. Her research is in the area of residential segregation, housing, and inequality, which is integrated into her advocacy for housing justice in the Central Valley. With Faith in the Valley, she researches housing and evictions to advocate for anti-eviction policies and other policies that guarantee safe, decent, and permanently affordable housing for all. She also serves as a member of the City of Fresno's Anti Displacement Task Force. She is originally from Texas and moved to Fresno in 2016, where she now lives with her husband, two small children, and two cats. She earned her PhD and MS in Sociology from Texas A&M University, and her BA in Sociology from Texas A&M University-Commerce.
Dr. Crowell was interviewed regarding how lifting the moratorium on evictions could impact the affordable housing market and homelessness. The story aired on Valley Public Radio. Fresno Housing Advocates on Eviction and COVID-19
She was also quoted about the impact of President Donald Trump's recent executive order on evictions. The article appeared in U.S. News & World Report. What Does Trump's Executive Order Mean for You?
Dr. Helda Pinzon-Perez (Ph.D., RN, MPH, FNP-BC, CNE) is a public health educator and Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified. She is a professor in the Department of Public Health and in the Doctoral program in the School of Nursing at California State University, Fresno. Her research interests include Global Health Issues, Holistic Health and Alternative/Integrative Medicine, and Vulnerable groups health. Dr. Pinzon-Perez has advocated for equity and inclusion of Oaxacan Indigenous communities in the Central Valley. She recently was the PI in a grant to develop a cultural and linguistically appropriate instrument to assess the mental health needs of the Oaxacan communities. Along with the development of the assessment instrument, the grant included the translation of this instrument into Spanish, Mixtec, and Zapotec. The translated instrument has been shared with organizations in the community and a manuscript has been submitted for publication in June 2021. Dr. Pinzon-Perez has authored multiple articles on the health status of Hispanic/Latinx communities and has published one specifically on Indigenous/Aboriginal/First nations health. She has also co-edited a textbook and authored multiple book chapters and peer-reviewed manuscripts on Multicultural Health Issues, and Holistic Health/Alternative/Integrative Medicine.
Acronyms: Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy), RN (Registered Nurse), MPH (Master of Public Health), FNP-BC (Family Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified), CNE (Certified Nurse Educator).
Awards and Grants:
Grants
AY2020-2021
Garza, M. & Pinzon-Perez, H. Service-Learning Redesign of PH 225B course. Ritcher Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning. Summer Service-Learning Course Redesign Intensive Grant. $ 1,500. California State University, Fresno. Funded.
Pinzon-Perez, H. Manuscript for Publication on Covid-19 and Mental Health Among Mexican Indigenous Oaxacan Communities. $3,000. PRSCA. College of Health and Human Services. California State University, Fresno. Funded.
AY2019-2020
Pinzon-Perez, H. Culturally Sensitive Mental Health Research Instrument for Oaxacan Communities. $ 992. RSCA Chancellor’s Awards. College of Health and Human Services. California State University, Fresno. Funded.
Pinzon-Perez, H. “Training on Wellness for Foster and Unaccompanied Youth in the Renaissance Scholars Program at Fresno State” $ 500. Bold Ideas Challenge. California State University, Fresno. Not Funded but Program was Developed in Spring 2021 without Funding.
AY2018-2019
Pinzon-Perez, H. “A Book in Spanish for Children on How to Develop Resilience for Difficult Times” $ 992. Chancellor’s RSCA Awards. California State University, Fresno. Funded.
AY2017-2018
Pinzon-Perez, H. “A Study on the Effectiveness of a Phone Application for Sleep Apnea Compliance with the use of CPAP.” $ 5,000. Provost Research Awards. California State University, Fresno. Funded
Recent Awards
2020 Fresno State Provost’ Service Award. California State University, Fresno. USA. April 22, 2020. Available at: https://fresnostatechhs.com/2020/05/08/helda-pinzon-perez-receives-provosts-award-for-faculty-service/
2020 Fresno State President’s Recognition for Teaching, Research and Service. California State University, Fresno. USA. January 16, 2020.
2016 Fulbright Teaching and Research Scholarship. Peru. April to August 2016.
Ettore Vitali
Assistant Professor, Physics
Email: evitali@csufresno.edu
Dr. Ettore Vitali was awarded the Fall 2020 Provost’s Award in Extraordinary Teaching in Extraordinary Times in the categories of Innovative Pedagogy.
CSU Channel Islands Mentors
Katherine ("Katie") Elder is an Assistant Professor of Health Communication. Prior to joining CI, she worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas Health Science Center on a grant-funded project designed to tailor health-related messaging to the needs and beliefs of policymakers. She studies translation and implementation science, focusing specifically on how to bridge the gap between public health research and health policy.
Her research interests are motivated by her work in the public sector. Prior to her doctoral studies, she worked for two years as a program analyst at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Recovery Act Office, where she was responsible for stimulus-created jobs data posted on Recovery.gov. As a doctoral student, Katie worked under the direction of the Chief Science Officer at the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. She has also worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on a health communication campaign targeting state legislators and as a graduate intern for the State Department at the U.S. Embassy in Kampala, Uganda.
Katie received her Ph.D. in Health Communication from the University of Southern California, her Masters of Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School at the University of Texas at Austin, and her B.A. in Political Science from UC Davis. She enjoys traveling, relentlessly defending the Oxford comma, and, as a California native, spends her free time scuba diving and preparing year-round for Shark Week viewing parties.
Awards, Grants, Publications in 2020-2021
Refereed Publications and Books
Elder, K.A. (2021). Pandemic pedagogy: Experiential learning illustrating risk and health communication principles. Communication Teacher. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17404622.2021.1895239
Elder, K.A. & Elder, J.P. (2021). The Global Communication Project: 2021. Retrieved from https://www.globalcommproject.com/
Fellowships and Grants
2021: Mini Grant. COVID-19 Workplace Protocol Student Study with Dr. Lydia Dixon. Center for Integrative Studies, California State University, Channel Islands. $750.
2021: Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities Award. COVID-19 Workplace Protocol Student Study with Dr. Lydia Dixon. Division of Academic Affairs – Research and Sponsored Programs, California State University, Channel Islands. $6,000.
2020-2021: Social Justice Faculty Fellowship. Center for Community Engagement, California State University, Channel Islands. $1,450.
Dr. Cynthia Flores is an American Latina who has been recognized nationally as a 2019 Diverse: Issues in Higher Education “Emerging Scholar” whose parents migrated from El Salvador. She grew up in Los Angeles, CA in the Pico-Union community, working at local outdoor swapmeets every weekend. Inspired by her hard-working family, she received her mathematics BS and MS from California State University Northridge while receiving support and mentorship from the PUMP Program (Preparing Undergraduates through Mentoring for PhDs). Despite facing several challenges, in 2014 she completed a PhD in mathematics from the University of California Santa Barbara in dispersive partial differential equations. To learn about her career journey, check out this podcast from the 2018 Lathisms series for Hispanic Heritage Month. Learn more about her research interest on Scientific American's Roots of Unity podcast.
She is currently an Associate Professor of Mathematics at California State University Channel Islands where she enjoys teaching ordinary and partial differential equations, introducing new technologies to the classroom, supervising undergraduate research, is a co-Principal Investigator for NSF funded AGEP, PUMP, and HSI-SMART projects, and works with community partners in data science projects. She has been inspired by several mentors and advisors and aims to continue their shared work and legacy in creating opportunities for diversity and inclusion within the mathematics and STEM communities.
Awards
2019 Diverse: Issues in Higher Education Rising Scholr
2018 Faculty Leader of the Year, CSU Channel Islands
2017 CSUCI TRiO Student Support Services Faculty Collaborative Award
Dr. Christy Teranishi Martinez is a Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Multicultural Engagement at California State University Channel Islands. As a teacher-scholar, she specializes in Positive Psychology, identity, and relational development. Her research examines factors contributing to well-being, including flow (being completely immersed in a pleasurable activity), spirituality, and happiness. She also examines the impact of creative outlets on stress and coping with relational conflict and intimate partner violence. She balances family, work, and a healthy lifestyle with the love and support of her husband, Daniel, and by running on the beach with her sons, Hayden, DJ, and Noah, and dog, Mochi.
Grants and Awards
2020 Instructional Related Activities (IRA) Grant for Student Travel to Peru
2020 Center for International Affairs Foreign Language Enrichment Award
2020 Student Research Steering Committee Grant for Student Travel to WPA Convention
2019 NSF AGEP Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Alliance Mentoring Award
