Undergraduate El Puente Research Fellows
Adela Griselda Borjas
Majors: Architecture
Minor: Community and Regional Planning
Research Interest: Ethically restoring New Mexico Architecture, so our structures tell a true to time story.
Adela was born in Chihuahua, Chihuahua Mexico. She has lived in Veguita, New Mexico for approximately thirteen years. She is the first born out of three siblings. She has received an Associate’s in Integrated Studies and while she currently working on her Bachelor’s, she also hopes to move on to graduate school and receive a certificate in Historical Preservation. Adela hopes to research this topic in Architecture in an effort to preserve trade traditions but to also promote new architecture to diversify who we are. Adela is very grateful for this opportunity and hopes to grow and learn with El Centro and its mentors.
Aldo Eduardo Jurado Jr.
Major: Mass Multimedia and Spanish
Research Interest: Multiliteracies and Meztizaje, the mixture of our backgrounds.
Aldo was born in Portland, Oregon and came to New Mexico when he was around three years old. He had always attended bilingual programs throughout his education. He graduated from Atrisco Heritage Academy with his bilingual seal. Aldo has always attended school with his mom as she was the first in his family to go to college so he is following her footsteps. With his dad being from Mexico, he knew that he had to be proud of the background and roots that he carries with him. He is currently a sophomore and he picked his major because he disagrees with how our Raza is portrayed in the media and news. He believes Raza has been brought down due to comments said by our President and wants to show that Raza is beautiful.
Aleah Rodriguez
Major: Elementary and Special Education
Research interest: How to create an inclusive environment in education.
Aleah is a junior studying to become a Dual License teacher in Elementary and Special Education. She is a Native New Mexican who grew up in Albuquerque and frequently visits her family in Santa Fe. She will be the first grandchild to earn a college degree and has the ambition to obtain her masters in Applied Behavior Analysis and use the researched methods in her classroom. Throughout her college career has worked closely with groups on campus to facilitate an inclusive campus. She is very passionate about making a space where all are welcome and hopes to apply that to her future classroom.
Alejandro Orozco
Major: Political Science and International Studies
Research Interests: Policy affecting minority communities statewide as well as nationwide.
Alejandro was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Deriving from a hard-working family, from Mexico, which the highest education his mother could reach was that of elementary. His hopes to pursue a career in law come from the constant exposure of the harsh reality that undocumented people face day to day. As a first-generation college student, he hopes to further his education by obtaining his bachelors and later attend Law School. By pursuing a career in law, his purpose is not only to help his family, but those in his community that work endless days and nights to come to a home that they feel is not permanently theirs, due to their immigration status.
Biraj Silwal
Majors: Computer Science
Minor: Business Management
Research Interest: Natural Language Processing and Reinforcement Learning.
Biraj was born in Nepal. Growing up he got interested in science and technology. After graduating from high school, following his passion, he came to the United States to study computer science in the hope of helping people by solving real-world problems with the help of technology. He is very grateful for the opportunity he has been given from El Centro de la Raza. Biraj also loves reading books, playing the violin, and eating tacos.
Bryan Pino Ayala
Major: Chemical Engineering
Research Interests: Continuous manufacturing research within pharmaceutical process development.
Bryan was born and lived in Long Island, New York until the age of ten when he and his family moved to Houston, Texas. His parents are originally from El Salvador and he is the middle child of three brothers. Bryan started attending the University of New Mexico in the Spring of 2019 and is a junior majoring in chemical engineering with a concentration in chemical process engineering. Since the summer of 2019, he is also a program assistant for the Institute for Social Research - Center for Applied Research and Analysis (CARA) at UNM. Bryan enjoys in his spare time playing both soccer and tennis. His goals are to become the first person in his immediate family to graduate from university and work as a chemical process engineer within industries such as the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry.
Daisy Belmares-Ortega
Majors: Applied Mathematics and Mechanical Engineering
Research Interests: Integrating mathematics and engineering for the development of aerospace and satellite-related materials.
Daisy was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is a first-generation university student born to a family originally from Mexico. She hopes to attend graduate school to pursue a doctoral degree in aerospace engineering. Daisy found her passion and curiosity regarding flight by watching her parakeets fly and from the excitement she felt on her first flight on an airplane. As a Hispanic woman in STEM, Daisy is a trailblazer who draws her inspiration from the dedication shown by her family. In addition to her passion for innovation, Daisy is driven to eliminate obstacles and disparities her community experiences. From access to healthy food and water to higher education, Daisy hopes to empower others to grow. With the support from El Puente, Daisy will develop skills in critical thinking and problem-solving she can apply directly in her community.
Daniel Joseph Garcia
Major: Electrical Engineering
Minor: Mathematics
Research Interest: Near and deep space research.
In addition to being a student, Daniel is a staff member in the UNM Information Technology department and plans to continue to contribute to the academic and research missions of the University of New Mexico. Daniel desires to contribute to publicly funded efforts to learn about the horizons of what lies beyond our home planet. As well, his commitment to his community is ever-present, as seen in his professional duties; as UNM IT support staff he works on designing, installing, and maintaining classroom technology to ensure that faculty & students have a meaningful learning experience augmented with in-room technology. Daniel’s curiosity above all else serves as his guide when solving problems both in the classroom and in the community. He also enjoys reading science fiction, watching horror movies, and spending time with his three dogs.
Isabel L. Figueroa
Major: Art History
Minor: Museum Studies
Research interests: How contemporary art has been used as a funnel for change through creative expression in Central America and the Caribbean.
Isabel was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is a first generation Afro-Latina and a rising junior at UNM. After graduation Isabel plans to make her way to graduate school for curation and exhibition design. Isabel strongly believes in representation, and wants to be an example to the community that Black and Brown folx belong and have a space in the art world. In her spare time Isabel enjoys skating boarding, photography, both digital and black and white film, and practicing graffiti.
Jacob Anthony Olaguir
Major: Business Administration
Minor: Film Production
Research Interests: Race, Ethnicity, and Identity in the U.S
Jacob is a Sophomore for the 2020 - 2021 year at the University of New Mexico. His interest to research Race and Identity comes from being first generation in his family to attend college and building up his family name in a country both of his parents didn't grow up in. Jacob is really involved on campus upholding various prestigious positions such as serving on the Finance Committee for UNMs Undergraduate Government, Vice President for the Filipino Student Organization, and Cultural Chair for the Asian American Student Association. Jacob is a passionate individual when it comes to the conversation of representation in the media and holds his Mexican and Filipino heritage at high esteem. Jacob is an excellent addition to this year's El Puente Research Fellowship, and we look forward to seeing the work he produces.
John Anthony Torres
Majors: Biochemistry, Sociology, and Spanish
Research Interest: Systemic Analysis of the American (U.S.) Healthcare System.
John was born in Albuquerque but lived the entirety of the life in La Paz, Honduras. Having completed high school, he came back to Albuquerque to pursue a higher education; a new culture and a new journey. Feeling like an outsider made him question the nature of experience. This complex feeling is what drives him to become a physician: to make others feel at ease with their experience. John is now a senior at UNM fulfilling his pre-med requirements and striving to become an exemplar academic. John seeks to analyze the healthcare system with the social reality of the American culture. “To help others and to inspire many.”
Leah Vig
Major: Political Science
Minor: Spanish
Research Interests: Disparities in access to healthcare amongst Native and Hispanic populations in New Mexico.
Leah is a sophomore and is currently working as a licensed practical nurse with medically fragile pediatric patients. She plans to further her education in law to represent vulnerable populations. She hopes to utilize the research skills developed though El Puente to prepare her for post-graduate education in order to participate in equitable efforts within her community. Leah was raised between Albuquerque, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas.
María Vielma
Major: Criminology and Spanish
Minor: Chicanx Studies and Interdisciplinary Arts
Research Interest: The effect of socio-cultural beliefs and norms on sex and sexuality in Latinx communities particularly towards women and femmes.
Born and raised in San José, California, María moved to UNM to complete her degrees by the Spring of 2021 before continuing onto completing first a Master’s in Spanish, and eventually Social Work. María is most passionate about the empowerment of women and femmes, which has manifested itself through all parts of her academics, employment, and community work over the years. She has researched the effects of virginity on female sexuality while studying abroad in Spain; has facilitated menstruation workshops at UNM’s Women’s Resource Center; is currently interning at Enlace Comunitario, a non-profit dedicated to helping victims of domestic violence in the Latinx immigrant community; and is today the CAPS Online Student Manager and Writing Tutor in which she actively works to strengthen the female voice within writing. María wants nothing more than to make a career out of teaching mujeres que sí se puede.
Melissa Salas Rubio
Major: Biology and Spanish
Research Interests: Scarcity of health, wellness and medical resources for impoverished children in rural and marginalized areas in Latin America.
Born in Roseville, California and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Melissa’s parents have always taught her to be the best she can be when it came to her education. Both her parents are from Durango, Mexico. They came to the U.S to give Melissa and her siblings better opportunities and get an education. Though it has been a tough road getting to where she is now, throughout the years she grew a passion for medicine and helping others. After getting her bachelor’s degree she wants to pursue medical school and become a pediatrician, as well as one day, she would love to have her own practice to help the most needed children around the world.
Noah Mark Lucero
Major: Biochemistry
Research Interests: Genetic disorders directly affecting New Mexicans such as CCM1 and BRCA. that are known to have adverse effects such as seizures and Breast Cancer.
Noah is a proud New Mexican who believes in the future of his community. He and his family are predominantly from Valencia County, spending the first few years of his life in Los Lunas, NM. He often visits family members that still reside there. Throughout Noah’s upbringing, his parents consistently emphasized the importance of service to his community in order to bring about a better world. He graduated from Saint Pius X High School in Albuquerque, where the tradition of service was further instilled in him. Noah is actively involved on campus serving as the Executive Director for the student organization “LoboTHON” which raises funds and awareness for the UNM Children’s Hospital, in addition to working at Popejoy Hall in the Margaret and Turner Branch Benefactor’s Lounge. His educational goal is completing medical school, which will enable him to give back to the underserved communities of New Mexico. When Noah gets a chance to relax, he enjoys a nice run along the Albuquerque Bosque. Another one of his favorite activities is eating a bowl of carne asada with mom’s red chile.
Patrick Gallegos
Majors: English
Minor: Native American Studies
Research Interests: Statistical Erasure of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.
Patrick was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and has thus developed a strong connection to the city and the diverse communities within. Patrick loves to explore the land of enchantment and wishes to educate himself on the struggles of the New Mexican people, allowing him to better serve the underrepresented communities of the state. He is currently interested in how the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women epidemic is being under looked at federal and state levels, and would like to use the knowledge he gains at El Puente to work full time for Indigenous and Hispanic communities in the future. Patrick also loves running and hiking, especially with his family, and frequents the foothills of the Sandias. Although Albuquerque and the great state of New Mexico will always be his home, Patrick hopes to one day visit Ireland and travel across the emerald isle to fulfill a childhood dream.
Suha Musa
Major: Political Science and International Studies
Minor: History
Research Interests: Media representation of Minority Communities and their impact on outside perception.
Despite calling Minnesota home, Suha was born in Japan and moved 12 times before she found a new home at UNM. Her parents came to the US with Suha as a baby, and so, the immigrant experience is incredibly personal and close to Suha’s heart. As a Black, Muslim woman, she is focused on changing media narratives that surround her communities and reframe political conversations related to identity. She hopes to pursue a Masters in International Affairs and a law degree following her undergrad. She is involved in many different organizations and spaces on campus, and is very excited to be a part of El Centro this upcoming year too!