Fellows

Aaron is MD-PhD student specializing in bioinformatics, AI, and biomedical engineering at the University of New Mexico. Aaron’s research integrates advanced artificial intelligence techniques with biomedical data to address healthcare disparities in minority populations. He focuses on understanding complex disease mechanisms, such as sarcoidosis and lupus, by analyzing interactions between lncRNAs and RNA in single-cell data. Aaron is particularly committed to improving patient outcomes in underserved communities through data-driven insights and the development of predictive models for disease progression and non-invasive diagnostics. Aaron work aims to bridge the gap in healthcare research for minority populations, ensuring equitable advances in medical care.

Audrey is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology at the University of New Mexico in the area of Cognition, Brain, and Behavior. Her combined interests in psychology and neuroscience led her to pursue a degree in psychology with a focus on the brain’s complexity. Born in California but spent much of her life in Baja California, she was raised in Albuquerque before moving to Texas to complete her undergraduate degree. After graduating summa cum laude from her bachelor’s degree, she taught in South Korea for one year immersing herself in Korean culture. Back in the U.S., she participated in the NIH postbaccalaureate program in Kansas before returning to New Mexico for graduate school studying the brain-behavior relationship alongside drug administration. She is passionate about increasing the general understanding of how drugs interact with the brain’s synaptic plasticity.

Brisa del Bosque (Byrnes) was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico. She graduated with a bachelor’s in Communications Science from ITESM -Tec de Monterrey - and a Master’s in Spanish (Linguistics) from New Mexico State University. She also attended the University of Cambridge, England, where she studied British Literature. She has been an advocate of the Spanish language, and a bilingual educator for over two decades in the US. She started the Spanish as a Second Language and Spanish as a Heritage Language programs at several high schools in Denver, Colorado. She has been a bilingual teacher trainer, and curriculum advisor to bilingual educators in Canada, the US, Australia, and Mexico. She helps develop Spanish and English curriculum K-12th, and mentors Spanish-English bilingual educators in the US and Mexico. Her passion for promoting the use of Spanish in bilingual children, led her to found “El Coro Infantil de San Antonio”, in San Antonio, TX. She’s also the founder of “Ayudemos” a community outreach bilingual group in San Antonio, that serves the community in the South of Texas, the North of Mexico and the southern border, working with migrants, unaccompanied migrant children, and Spanish speaking families at local hospitals, children and women’s shelters in Texas, as well as Mexican orphanages in the North of Mexico. Brisa del Bosque has been researching Spanish dialects in Mexico and the US, bilingual education, and language contact including native languages from the South of Mexico recently entering in contact with Spanish from the North of Mexico. She’s currently researching perceptions regarding the elimination of final /d/, in Monterrey, Mexico. She’s also researching the use of Texan Spanish and Mexican Spanish in dual language schools in the South of Texas. She has been collecting data regarding the use and teaching practices of Spanish teachers K-12th in the US, specifically directed to the use or avoidance of inclusive language. Brisa del Bosque is the mother of three bilingual children, whom she has homeschooled for the last fifteen years.

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Crystal Abrisz is a New Mexico Hispanic woman who graduated from The University of New Mexico – Anderson School of Management with a Bachelor of Business Administration and is now a first year Master of Business Administration Student. Crystal is a member of The National Society of Leadership and Success. Crystal has worked for The State of New Mexico for 14 years and her research interests are in Organizational Behavior and how to work towards changing the workplace perceptions for minoritized employees so that they feel accepted, have increased discretion and opportunities to pursue leadership roles.

Katerina Evans is pursuing her Master of Public Policy with a focus on security policy. She currently works at the New Mexico Department of Justice, contributing to initiatives aimed at improving public safety, such as establishing a Centralized Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) to enhance gun crime investigations across the state. Born and raised in New Mexico, Katerina moved to North Carolina where she earned her BA in International Studies and Globalization from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. During her undergraduate years, she completed a study abroad program in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, where she studied violent political contention and ethnic conflict mitigation. This experience inspired her passion for working in the field of international security.

Marissa Anderson-Botello (Mari) was born in Fresno, California and grew up in the Bay Area. She is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Counseling at the University of New Mexico. Her work centers support for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives and their families as well as survivors of Gender Based Violence. She has more than 8 years of experience in crisis counseling addressing sexual assault, substance abuse, and houselessness. Mari is a trained space holder for individuals and communities experiencing trauma due to systemic marginalization, grief, and cultural oppression. She is a graduate of Fort Lewis College, where she obtained a Bachelors in Psychology and a minor in Criminology. She also carries Associates Degrees from the City College of San Francisco in both Gender and Women Studies and Cognitive Science. When Mari is not at school or working, she is spending time with her family, playing with her son, getting movement and being with the earth!

Natalia Alesandra Soledad Chávez, a PhD student in Biology at the University of New Mexico, studies microbial ecology, focusing on interactions between microorganisms, their environments, and other species. Growing up in Taos, New Mexico, she cultivated a love for the arts—playing piano, violin in a mariachi band, and engaging in flamenco dance and textile crafts, hobbies she continues today. Her rural upbringing in a predominantly minority town highlighted disparities in STEM opportunities, inspiring her to prioritize community outreach. Natalia is passionate about connecting science and art to engage broader audiences. She believes blending creativity with scientific rigor can make complex concepts more accessible and inspire curiosity. Through innovative, inclusive learning opportunities, she aims to bridge gaps in scientific participation, encouraging underrepresented communities to explore and connect with science in transformative ways.

Originally from Puerto Rico, Nico Galarza is a Graduate Student Researcher at both Sandia National Laboratories and the Center for High Technology Materials (CHTM) at the University of New Mexico. He earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Universidad Ana G. Méndez in Puerto Rico and is currently pursuing a master's degree in power energy at the University of New Mexico. Since summer 2023, he has worked on topics such as kinetic energy harvesting and microgrid design using hybrid renewable energy sources. At Sandia National Laboratories, Nico’s work is centered on the integrating of renewable energy sources, while at CHTM, he works on expanding the bandwidth of piezoelectric energy harvesters for small-scale applications. Driven by a passion for renewable energy, he is committed to contributing to research efforts that support sustainable energy solutions for a cleaner future.

Sandra Cardenas is Mexican American. Her parents emigrated from Sinaloa, Mexico to Coachella, California in the 1980’s. In 2016, she received her Bachelor’s in Nursing from Luther College, Iowa and in 2020 her Master’s in Nursing from California State University- San Bernardino. She is currently a clinical research nurse at the University of New Mexico Neurology Department and the College of Nursing working with pharmaceutical and federal studies with prior working and volunteering experience in perioperative, medical-surgical, telemetry, and free clinics. She is pursuing a PhD in Nursing with the intention to use this degree to improve health outcomes for Latinos. Her passion always lied in improving health outcomes for her communidad and wants to be in a position to give back. As part of her proposed study, she hopes to use a promotora (Community Health Worker) to assist Latinas with a history of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy and/or gestational diabetes arrive to their 6-week postpartum visit, get screened for high blood pressure and/or type II diabetes, and receive a primary care referral.

Seyi is a third-year Ph.D. student at the University of New Mexico, specializing in the synthesis, characterization, and photochemistry studies of iron complexes with applications in energy and medicine. His project focuses on the design of iron sulfoxide photochromic complexes, investigating phototriggered isomerization and the role of sulfoxide ligands in modulating electronic properties such as metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT). Seyi has synthesized and characterized several iron cyanide and sulfoxide complexes, employing advanced spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques to explore solvent effects on redox potentials. His work contributes to advancements in solar energy conversion, photodynamic therapy, and data storage technologies.

Valerie Chavez was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is a multigenerational Nuevomexicana and centralizes her querencia in her academic pursuits. Valerie has studied at the University of New Mexico since 2015, earning her B.A. in Intercultural Communication, a minor in Chicana/o Studies in 2019, and an M.A. in Chicana/o Studies in 2024. Her M.A. thesis research project is titled The Contributions of Nueva Mexicanas to the Albuquerque Lowrider Community: How do Young Chicanas Express their Cultural Identity through the Albuquerque Lowrider Community? This plática-based oral history and visual documentation research project explores how young Nuevomexicanas express their Chicana identity while actively participating in Albuquerque lowrider culture. Valerie plans to continue to expand on themes in her thesis with her doctoral research. She aims to understand, discover, and document the roles of Nuevomexicanas and how their actions have maintained and enabled New Mexican communities to practice cultural traditions and rituals.