Internal
Igor Almeida, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
The University of Texas at El Paso
Email: icalmeida@utep.edu
Maria Alvarez, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Biology
El Paso Community College, Transmountain Campus
Email: malva279@epcc.edu
Edward Castañeda, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychology
The University of Texas at El Paso
Email: ecastaneda9@utep.edu
Joao Batista Ferreira-Pinto, Ph.D.
Director, Research and Special Projects,
College of Health Sciences
Director, Center for Interdisciplinary Health Research and Evaluation (CIHRE)
The University of Texas at El Paso
Email: joao@utep.edu
Ann Q. Gates, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Department of
Computer Science
Director, Cyber-ShARE Center
The University of Texas at El Paso
Email: agates@utep.edu
Peter Golding, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Metallurgical &
Materials Engineering
The University of Texas at El Paso
Email: pgolding@utep.edu
Arshad Mahmood Khan, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of
Biological Sciences
The University of Texas at El Paso
Email: amkhan2@utep.edu
Ophra Leyser-Whalen, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology
The University of Texas at El Paso
Email: oleyserwhalen@utep.edu
Ming-Ying Leung, Ph.D.
Professor, Mathematical Sciences
Director, Bioinformatics and Computational
Science Programs
The University of Texas at El Paso
Email: mleung@utep.edu
Keith Pannell, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Chemistry
Director, UTEP MARC Program
The University of Texas at El Paso
Email: kpannell@utep.edu
External Steering Committee Members
In addition to the entire leadership team, the following individuals are external members of the BUILDing SCHOLARS steering committee.
Anissa J. Brown, Ph.D.
Program Official, Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
National Institutes of Health
Email: anissa.brown@nih.gov
David Banks, Ph.D.
Project Scientist, Office of Extramural Programs
National Institute of Nursing Research
National Institutes of Health
Email: david.banks@nih.gov
Carlos Cabrera, Ph.D.
Director, NASA Center for Innovation, Education and Research
Co-director, Molecular Sciences Center
University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, PR
Email: carlos.cabrera2@upr.edu
Pratibha Varma-Nelson, Ph.D.
Director, STEM Education Innovation Research Institute
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Email: pvn@iupui.edu
Andrés J. García, Ph.D., F.B.S.E.*
Rae S. and Frank H. Neely Chair and Regents’ Professor
Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience
Georgia Institute of Technology
Email: andres.garcia@me.gatech.edu
*effective 2017