Challenges and Opportunities for

Hispanic Serving Institutions

The American Competitiveness Initiative: 

THE WHITE HOUSE INITIATIVE ON EDUCATIONAL 

EXCELLENCE FOR HISPANIC AMERICANS

April 23-25, 2007 | The University of Texas at El Paso | El Paso, Texas

April 23-25, 2007

The University of Texas at El Paso

presented by

Challenges and Opportunities for

Hispanic Serving Institutions

The American Competitiveness Initiative: 

The White House Initiative 

on Educational Excellence 

for Hispanic Americans

The University of

Texas at El Paso

CONTENTS

OVERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

PROGRAM-AT-A-GLANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

DETAILED PROGRAM

Monday, April 23, 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Tuesday, April 24, 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Wednesday, April 25, 2007. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

BIOGRAPHIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

This program contains information about public and private organizations for the reader’s 

information. Inclusion does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of

Education of any views expressed, or products or services offered.

iii

v

The American economy is preeminent, but

we cannot afford to be complacent. ... To

keep America competitive, one commitment

is necessary above all: We must continue to

lead the world in human talent and creativity.

Our greatest advantage in the world has

always been our educated, hardworking,

ambitious people—and we’re going to keep

that edge. We need to encourage children to

take more math and science, and to make sure

those courses are rigorous enough to compete

with other nations. ... If we ensure that

America’s children succeed in life, they will

ensure that America succeeds in the world.

—PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH

STATE OF THE UNION

JAN. 31, 2006

I

n his State of the Union address to the nation

in January 2006, President George W. Bush

announced the American Competitiveness

Initiative (ACI) to encourage American innovation and strengthen the nation’s ability to compete in

the global economy. This ambitious strategy will

increase federal investment in critical research, ensure

that the United States continues to lead the world in

opportunity and innovation, and provide American

children with a strong foundation in math and science.

The American Competitiveness Initiative commits

$5.9 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2007, and more than

$136 billion over the next 10 years, to increase investments in research and development, strengthen education, and encourage entrepreneurship and innovation.

Included in this effort are key federal agencies that

support basic research programs in the physical sciences and engineering. They include the National

Science Foundation, the Department of Energy’s

Office of Science, and the Department of Commerce’s

National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Hispanic Serving Institutions 

and Federal Support

Inherent in the American Competitiveness Initiative

(ACI) are enormous opportunities for Hispanic

Serving Institutions1 (HSIs) to help advance America’s

competitiveness, provided they have the necessary

capacity and infrastructure to respond at the levels

required. This means HSIs must leverage the federal

resources they receive and maximize potential future

federal and commercial resources.

The source of federal support for HSIs comes from

across the federal government. A principal source is

the U.S. Department of Education’s Institutional

Development and Undergraduate Education Service,

which administers programs funded under Title III

and Title V of the Higher Education Act. The Aid for

Institutional Development programs, commonly

referred to as Title III programs, support improvements in education quality, management and financial

stability at qualifying postsecondary institutions.

Funding is focused on institutions that enroll large

proportions of minority and low-income students. 

The initiative for institutions that serve Hispanic and

other low-income students is included under Title V,

the Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions

Program. In FY 2007, the U.S. Department of

Education awarded $94.9 million to HSIs through

this program, and approximately the same amount 

has been proposed for FY 2008. 

Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 1

The American Competitiveness Initiative: 

Challenges and Opportunities

for Hispanic Serving Institutions

1 An Hispanic Serving Institution, as defined by the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, is, among other things, a nationally accredited institution of higher

education with an enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic and of whom half are from low-income families.
In addition to the U.S. Department of Education,

other federal agencies have awarded a significant

amount of funds to HSIs over the past few years. 

Of the 29 federal departments and agencies that 

were asked to report to the President’s Advisory

Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic

Americans in 2002, the combined funding of 18 of

these agencies totaled almost $2 billion to HSIs and

other Hispanic-serving education organizations. Not

surprisingly, the departments of Education, Health and

Human Services and Labor, as well as the National

Science Foundation awarded the greater amounts.

HSI Research Capacity and 

Education Reform

While this level of funding from the federal government can be relatively significant in helping HSIs

develop research capacity, it is incumbent on HSIs 

to ensure that federal resources are indeed not only

helping to strengthen their present institutional capacity, but also helping to sustain long-term capacity that

will permit institutions to “grow their own”—particularly when it comes to graduating more Hispanic 

students with advanced degrees in math, science 

and engineering.

This requires that attention be devoted to the public

education system that is producing the students whom

HSIs inherit. Federal education reform in the form 

of the No Child Left Behind Act has been instrumental

in closing academic achievement gaps for Hispanic

students in grades K-8; however, much more work

remains to be done, especially at the high school level.

It is well known that the Hispanic high school dropout

rate has been persistently high for far too long.

2 | Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions
Research, surveys and a multitude of studies have shown

that Hispanic students fail to complete high school at

rates persistently higher than their non-Hispanic peers.

There are several reasons for this: Hispanic students

are entering high school reading below grade level;

many are not academically prepared in the core subject areas of math and science; and even more have 

little or no access to highly qualified teachers as

defined by NCLB. 

Even among the Hispanic students who do complete

high school, fewer than half pursue a postsecondary

education. Those who do enroll in a college or university often find themselves taking remedial courses

because they did not receive the necessary academic

preparation in high school to undertake the rigors 

of a college education.

Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 3

This administration is committed

to making sure our students develop the skills they need to compete

and thrive. ... Ours is a heavy

responsibility. We must ensure that

our education system remains topnotch, and that every student who

seeks that education has the opportunity to acquire it.

—MARGARET SPELLINGS

SECRETARY OF EDUCATION

OVERVIEW
4 | Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions

Clearly then, academic preparation at the elementary,

middle and high school levels is key to obtaining 

gainful employment or a postsecondary degree, 

particularly in the fields of science, technology, 

engineering and mathematics (STEM).

HSIs as Stakeholders

Hispanic Serving Institutions have a vested interest in

ensuring that their students have received the academic

preparation necessary for degree completion and, in the

process, draw from these same graduates to staff their

institutions’ math, science and engineering departments

and programs. 

The simple fact is that our nation needs more mathematicians, scientists and engineers to compete effectively in a global economy. Norm Augustine, head of

the National Academies Gathering Storm Committee

and former chairman of Lockheed Martin, has told

Congress, “Americans find themselves in competition

for their jobs not just with their neighbors, but with

individuals around the world.” The committee’s number-one recommendation for improving the situation

is to strengthen K-12 education, especially in math

and science. 

According to a 2002 report by the Organization for

Economic Cooperation and Development, only 6 percent of American students received graduate degrees in

engineering. That same year, Turkey, Sweden,

Finland, Denmark and Austria conferred graduate

engineering degrees on at least twice that percentage

than did the U.S. Moreover, Japan and the Republic

of Korea also conferred graduate-level engineering

degrees on 39 percent and 34 percent of their 

students, respectively. It is evident that the U.S. 

is lagging behind.

Not surprisingly, the number of Hispanic students in

the U.S. earning masters and doctorate degrees in the

STEM fields is especially low. According to the

National Center for Education Statistics, in academic

year 2001-02, Hispanic students made up only 2 percent of all students who received master’s degrees and

only 1 percent of students who received doctorate

degrees. In mathematics, Hispanic students comprised only 1 percent of all students who received

master’s and doctorate degrees that school year.

Responding to the Challenge

We clearly have a lot of ground to make up—from 

the earliest grades to institutions of higher education.

The growth of the Hispanic population in the U.S.

over the past decade, combined with its youthful 

profile and low levels of educational attainment, 

present a challenge to the most optimistic forecasts

about drawing future scientists, mathematicians and

engineers from the Hispanic community.

Hispanic Americans are poised, however, to respond

to this challenge by supplying enough graduates to

meet the nation’s need for talent in the STEM fields.

Americans find themselves in 

competition for their jobs not just

with their neighbors but with 

individuals around the world.

—NORM AUGUSTINE

HEAD OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES 

GATHERING STORM COMMITTEE
Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 5

Hispanic Serving Institutions have an

important role to play in preparing this 

talent and leading the nation in critical

research and innovation.

Conference on the

American Competitiveness

Initiative: Challenges and

Opportunities for Hispanic

Serving Institutions

The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans

has convened this conference at The

University of Texas at El Paso to lay the

groundwork for the steps that must be

taken to respond to the ACI challenge. 

A range of topics designed to help expand

and strengthen the research capacity and

infrastructure of HSIs will be addressed

over the course of the conference in a

framework that engages other HSIs, the

federal government, K-12 public schools,

the high-tech commercial industry, and Hispanic science and engineering associations. Education reform

and academic preparation, particularly in math and

science, will be integral to the discussions that will

take place over the next three days.

Conference sessions and forums will address a range of

pertinent topics including: recruitment of Hispanic

students into the STEM fields as well as retention and

degree attainment in those fields; education reform,

including academic preparation in math and science;

technology transfer and technology commercialization; and HSI research capacity building. A variety of

expert speakers and panelists will lead discussions and

provide substantive information in each of the scheduled sessions. The presenters have been drawn from

institutions of higher education, including Hispanic

Serving Institutions, key federal agencies, Hispanic

professional technology organizations, the high-tech

commercial industry and the U.S. Department of

Education.

This conference is only the beginning of a dialogue

and the catalyst for the actions we must take to ensure

that we are all doing our part to help keep America

competitive and prosperous for generations to come.

OVERVIEW

Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 7

MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2007

8:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m. Registration

9:30 a.m.–10 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks

Adam Chavarria, Executive Director

White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans

Diana Natalicio, President

The University of Texas at El Paso

10 a.m.–11:45 a.m. Forum: The Role of HSIs in the Nation’s STEM Enterprise

Noon–1 p.m. Luncheon and Keynote Address

Tom Luce, Former Assistant Secretary

U.S. Department of Education

1:15 p.m.–2:45 p.m. ACI: Investment Priorities and Partnership Opportunities for HSIs

3 p.m.–4:15 p.m. General Session: Positioning HSIs to Respond to the Nation’s

STEM Needs

4:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m. Technical Breakout Sessions (Concurrent)

• Federal Contract and Grant Administration

• Funding Opportunities for HSIs

• Closing and Performing Under a Grant or Contract 

5:45 p.m. General Session/Close

Program-At-A-Glance

The American Competitiveness Initiative: 

Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions
8 | Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2007

8:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m. Registration

9:30 a.m.–10 a.m. Opening Remarks

10 a.m.–11:45 a.m. Technology Commercialization and Research Needs of the Private Sector

Noon–1 p.m. Luncheon and Keynote Address

Robert J. Shea, Associate Director for Management

Office of Management and Budget, The White House

1:15 p.m.–2:45 p.m. HSIs: Recruitment, Retention and Graduation of Hispanic Students in

STEM Fields 

3 p.m.–4:30 p.m. Broadening the Participation of Hispanics in the STEM Fields: 

The Role of Technical Professional Organizations

4:45 p.m. General Session/Close

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2007

8 a.m.–9 a.m. Registration

9 a.m.–9:30 a.m. Opening Remarks

Joseph M. Guzman, Deputy Assistant 

Secretary for Strategic Diversity Integration

Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower and 

Reserve Affairs)

9:45 a.m.–11 a.m. General Session: Strengthening Our Nation’s Academic Competitiveness

11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Academic Breakout Sessions (Concurrent)

• Strengthening Math and Science at the K-12 Level

• Promising Partnerships to Enhance STEM Learning

• College Preparation: Enhancing STEM Undergraduate Programs

12:30 p.m.–1:30 pm Lunch

1:45 p.m.–3:15 p.m. Teacher Preparation: The Role of HSIs in Preparing 

Highly Qualified Teachers

3:15 p.m. General Session/Close
Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 9

MONDAY, APRIL 23

8:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m. REGISTRATION

9:30 a.m.–10 a.m. WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS

Adam Chavarria, Executive Director

White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans

Diana Natalicio, President

The University of Texas at El Paso

10 a.m.–11:45 a.m. FORUM: THE ROLE OF HSIS IN THE NATION’S STEM ENTERPRISE

Inherent in the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) are enormous opportunities for

Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) to help advance America’s competitiveness, provided

they have the necessary research capacity and infrastructure to respond to the nation’s need

for human resources in science and technology fields. HSIs must leverage federal resources

and develop the capacity to maximize potential future federal and commercial resources.

Hispanic Serving Institutions have a vested interest in ensuring that their students have

received the academic preparation necessary for degree completion and, ultimately, employment in the institutions’ own math, science and engineering departments and programs. 

This forum will feature a roundtable discussion about the nature of the nation’s science and

technology challenge and the state of HSI capacity to meet that challenge. Composed of a

diverse panel of national experts and practitioners, the forum will explore the specific steps

that HSIs can take to expand and strengthen their infrastructures and research capacities to

meet the challenge. Speakers will represent a range of key stakeholders, including representatives from HSIs, the federal government, professional associations and industry. 

Moderator: Diana Natalicio

President, The University of Texas at El Paso 

Detailed Program
10 | Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions

Presenters: William Jeffrey

Director, National Institute of Standards and Technology

U.S. Department of Commerce 

Cora B. Marrett

Assistant Director, Directorate for Education and Human Resources

National Science Foundation 

Joseph V. Martinez

Senior Advisor for Scientific Institutional Research, Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy 

Irwin S. Kirsch

Director, Center for Global Assessment

Educational Testing Service 

John Moder

Senior Vice President and COO

Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities 

Raymond G. Mellado

Chair and CEO

Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference 

Noon–1:00 p.m. LUNCHEON AND KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Tom Luce, Former Assistant Secretary

U.S. Department of Education

With more research in both the public 

and private sectors, we will improve our quality 

of life—and ensure that America will lead 

the world in opportunity and innovation for 

decades to come.

—PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH

STATE OF THE UNION

JAN. 31, 2006
Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 11

1:15 p.m.–2:45 p.m. ACI: INVESTMENT PRIORITIES AND

PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR HSIS

In partnership with the private sector, state and local governments, and colleges and universities, the ACI will promote new levels of educational attainment and economic productivity. An important element of the ACI is federal investment in research and development.

The ACI proposes to: double funding over 10 years at key federal agencies that support science and engineering; modernize the research and experimentation tax credit; strengthen K12 math and science education; reform the workforce training system; and increase the

country’s ability to compete for and retain the most highly skilled individuals.

This panel will include presentations by representatives of key federal agencies and programs:

the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science; the National Science Foundation; and

the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Discussion topics will include the status and outlook of science and technology in the U.S.

and specific ACI education-related new and expanded programs and opportunities for HSIs.

Presenters: William Jeffrey

Director, National Institute of Standards and Technology

U.S. Department of Commerce 

Cora B. Marrett

Assistant Director, Directorate for Education and Human Resources

National Science Foundation

Joseph V. Martinez

Senior Advisor for Scientific Institutional Research, Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy 

3 p.m.–4:15 p.m. GENERAL SESSION: POSITIONING HSIS TO RESPOND

TO THE NATION’S STEM NEEDS

“Federal agencies make research decisions based on systematic planning and merit-review

allocation processes designed to identify and support the most promising ideas and the

teams most likely to succeed in carrying them out. As a result of these processes, grants and

in-house research from these agencies have a strong track record of leading to scientific publications, patents, and eventually to new products and technologies. The ACI enhances

basic research programs in priority agencies that employ best practices for identifying and

funding the most promising research ideas.”2 This panel will include an overview of the

opportunities available within key federal agencies in the course of procuring research,

recruiting talent and securing other services. The overview will be followed by three concurrent breakout sessions.

2 The White House, Domestic Policy Council, Office of Science and Technology Policy, 

American Competitiveness Initiative: Leading the World in Innovation, Washington, D.C., 2006.

MONDAY, APRIL 23 DETAILED PROGRAM
12 | Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions

Panelists: Kenneth R. Zeff

Senior Consultant for Policy Development

Office of the Secretary

U.S. Department of Education

Luis Echegoyen

Director, Division of Chemistry

National Science Foundation

Alain E. Hunter

Program Manager, HBCU/MI

U.S. Air Force, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization

U.S. Department of Defense

Pravat K. Choudhury

Program Manager, Mentor-Protégé and HBCU/MI Programs 

Missile Defense Agency 

4:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m. TECHNICAL BREAKOUT SESSIONS (CONCURRENT)

Breakout Session: Federal Contract and Grant Administration

This breakout session examines the contracting environment and explains the federal acquisition process and strategies for success. Speakers from various agencies will discuss how

grants and contracts are administered in their respective agencies, including the appropriate

use of performance metrics when developing a solicitation, and an understanding of the

methods of acquisition and of different types of contracts. In general, this session will provide information on how HSIs can utilize these sources and processes to help them build

research capacity.

Panelists: Maria Goldberg

Executive Director, Hispanic Serving Institutions National Program

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Joan Fulkerson

Director of Small Business Programs

Air Force Research Laboratory and Kirtland Air Force Base

U.S. Department of Defense

Blanca Rodriguez

Director, Grants Policy and Oversight Staff

U.S. Department of Education
Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 13

Breakout Session: Funding Opportunities for HSIs

This breakout session will address the wide range of federal funding opportunities available

to HSIs including: research infrastructure development and capacity-building; staff professional development; research internships and international research opportunities; and other

project and program funding.

Panelists: Jacqueline L. Robinson

Program Manager, HBCU/MI Programs

National Security Agency

Irma A. Lawrence

National Program Leader, Multicultural Alliances

Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Services 

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Charles Cervantes

Special Assistant to the Director, Office of Small Business Programs

Office of the Under Secretary of Defense

U.S. Department of Defense

Breakout Session: Closing and Performing Under a Grant or Contract

Good contract administration ensures that the end users are satisfied with the product or

service being obtained under a grant or contract. This session will address techniques that

are useful in performing under a grant or contract as well as the issues involved in successfully closing out a grant or contract.

Panelists: J. Robert Hatherill

Assistant Professor of Biology

Project Director, Minority Science and Engineering Program 

Del Mar College

Ed Lee

Program Manager, MSI

Air Force Office of Scientific Research 

U.S. Department of Defense

5:45 p.m. GENERAL SESSION/CLOSE

MONDAY, APRIL 23 DETAILED PROGRAM
14 | Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions

TUESDAY, APRIL 24

8:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m. REGISTRATION

9:30 a.m.–10 a.m. OPENING REMARKS

10 a.m.–11:45 a.m. TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION AND

RESEARCH NEEDS OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR

This panel will include discussions on how HSIs can contribute to economic development

on a local, national and global scale. This session will provide HSIs the opportunity to hear

directly from private-sector representatives as to the types of technology, research and services they are “purchasing,” how HSIs can meet their labor and workforce needs, and the existing opportunities for pursuing promising partnerships.

Panelists: Guillermo “Bill” Izábal

Director, Human Resources

Advanced Systems/Integrated Defense Systems

The Boeing Company

James Page

Global Diversity and Ethics Senior Manager

Dell Inc.

Michael L. Glass

Director, Simulation and Systems Integration Laboratories

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company

Miguel Rios

Chief Executive Officer and Founder

ORION International Technologies, Inc.
Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 15

Tizoc S. Loza

Corporate Manager, Mentor-Protégé and HBCU/MI Programs

Northrop Grumman

Noon–1:00 p.m. LUNCH AND KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Robert J. Shea, Associate Director for Management

Office of Management and Budget, The White House

1:15 p.m.–2:45 p.m. HSIS: RECRUITMENT, RETENTION AND GRADUATION OF

HISPANIC STUDENTS IN STEM MAJORS

Labor market reports indicate that 90 percent of the jobs most in demand require some

kind of postsecondary education and training. Given the nation’s growing need for talent in

the STEM fields, HSIs have a critical role to play in recruiting Hispanic students into the

STEM fields and retaining and raising the number of graduates degreed in science, technology, engineering and math. This panel will include a comprehensive discussion on the steps

HSIs are taking and must continue to take to meet this need. 

Moderator: Ricardo Gonzalez

Executive Director, Office of P-20 Initiatives

The University of Texas at San Antonio

Panelists: Roberto Osegueda

Vice President for Research

The University of Texas at El Paso

Diana Gomez

National President

Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

Gustavo Roig

Associate Dean, College of Engineering

Center Director, Center for Diversity in Engineering and Computing

Florida International University

3 p.m.–4:30 p.m. BROADENING THE PARTICIPATION OF HISPANICS IN THE STEM FIELDS:

THE ROLE OF TECHNICAL PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Fostering an interest in math and science among Hispanic students at early stages in their

K-12 education can lead them to pursue a postsecondary education in the STEM fields.

Technical professional associations have employed innovative education outreach programs

and activities to prepare and encourage Hispanic youths to aspire to careers in science, 

TUESDAY, APRIL 24 DETAILED PROGRAM
16 | Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions

technology, engineering and math. Thus, these associations are an important resource 

with whom HSIs can partner work to meet the nation’s need for Hispanic talent in the

STEM fields. 

Moderator: Jorge Haynes

Senior Director, External Relations for the Chancellor’s Office

California State University

Panelists: Michael Acosta

National President, Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists

Director of External Relations, College of Engineering

The University of Texas at El Paso

Diana Gomez

National President, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

Raymond G. Mellado

Chair and CEO, Hispanic Engineer National Achievement 

Awards Conference

Aaron Velasco

President, Society for Advancement of Chicanos and 

Native Americans in Science

Graduate Advisor, Department of Geological Sciences, 

The University of Texas at El Paso

4:45 p.m. GENERAL SESSION AND CLOSE
Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 17

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25

8 a.m.–9:00 a.m. REGISTRATION

9 a.m.–9:30 a.m. OPENING REMARKS

Joseph M. Guzman, Deputy Assistant Secretary

Strategic Diversity Integration

Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force

(Manpower and Reserve Affairs)

9:45 a.m.–11 a.m. GENERAL SESSION: STRENGTHENING OUR NATION’S

ACADEMIC COMPETITIVENESS

To improve Hispanic postsecondary educational attainment and workforce readiness,

schools and institutions of higher education must provide students with a seamless transition from kindergarten to college completion. One of the fundamental factors to providing

students with this seamless transition and improving their learning and academic achievement is the presence of highly qualified teachers in every classroom. Since becoming a law

in 2002, NCLB has brought about significant progress in student academic achievement in

reading and mathematics, particularly in the early grades. However, more work remains to

be done at each grade level to ensure enhanced success at the postsecondary level. The ACI

proposes several new and expanded education programs that range from more rigorous student academic preparation to ensuring more qualified teachers in core subjects, particularly

in math and science.

This overview will be followed by concurrent breakout sessions.

Moderator: Kenneth R. Zeff

Senior Consultant for Policy Development

Office of the Secretary

U.S. Department of Education

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25 DETAILED PROGRAM
18 | Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions

Panelists: Silas H. Abrego

Associate Vice President for Student Affairs

California State University, Fullerton

Barbara Anderegg

Program Director, Division of Undergraduate Education

Colead, Advanced Technological Education Program 

National Science Foundation

Monica Hayes

Director, K–20 Office of Equity and Access

Office of the Commissioner

Florida Department of Education

11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m. ACADEMIC BREAKOUT SESSIONS (CONCURRENT)

Breakout Session: Strengthening Math and Science at the K-12 Level

Over the next 10 years, there will be more than 6 million new and replacement job openings in the areas of engineering, science, technology and healthcare that will require a strong

foundation in math and science. This session will address recommendations for improving

K-12 education, with a special emphasis on math and science. 

Panelists: Monica Hayes

Director, K–20 Office of Equity and Access

Office of the Commissioner

Florida Department of Education

Breakout Session: Promising Partnerships to Enhance STEM Learning

This breakout session will address current efforts to develop K-16 partnerships between 

and among K-12 schools, HSIs and other stakeholders to encourage and promote 

STEM learning.

Panelists: Don Warkentin

President, West Hills College Lemoore

John P. Santos

Lead Teacher and Math, Engineering and Science Advisor

Imaging and Science Technology Academy

Manual Arts High School

Breakout Session: College Preparation: Enhancing STEM Undergraduate Programs

This breakout session will address college preparatory programs and student incentives to
Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 19

ensure that students are academically prepared to enroll in and succeed at the 

postsecondary level.

Panelists: Gregg Fleisher

President, Advanced Placement Strategies, Inc.

Rafael J. Magallan

Director of State Services, The College Board

12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m. LUNCH

1:45 p.m.–3:15 p.m. TEACHER PREPARATION: THE ROLE OF HSIS IN

PREPARING HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS

Teachers must have mastery of content and instructional methods to be effective educators

and mentors. One of the goals of the ACI is to have 100,000 highly qualified math and science teachers by 2015. To accomplish this goal, the ACI proposes a two-step approach to

provide professional development opportunities for current teachers and attract new teachers

to the classroom. This panel will address the critical need for highly qualified teachers at

every grade level, particularly in math and science. It will also include a discussion of

teacher-development programs and innovative schools of education. Finally, the panel will

address how HSIs can respond to the ACI goal.

Moderator: Josefina V. Tinajero

Dean, College of Education

The University of Texas at El Paso

Panelists: Michael Marder

Physics Professor

Codirector, UTEACH

The University of Texas at Austin

Susan Polirstok

Associate Dean of Education

Lehman College, City University of New York

Nora Ramirez

Director of Professional Development 

Center for Research on Education in Science, Mathematics, 

Engineering and Technology

President Elect, TODOS: Mathematics for All

Arizona State University

3:15 p.m. GENERAL SESSION/CLOSE

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25 DETAILED PROGRAM

Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 21

SPEAKERS

Joseph M. Guzman

Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Strategic Diversity Integration

Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force 

(Manpower and Reserve Affairs)

As the deputy assistant secretary for Strategic Diversity

Integration, Guzman provides leadership, strategic

direction and oversight to all levels of the U.S. Air

Force to ensure a diverse and inclusive Total Force that

reflects the American people and leverages the talents

of its airmen to ensure the Total Force’s combat readiness and capability for the Joint Team.

Guzman came to the U.S. Air Force from the Center

for Naval Analyses (CNA) Corporation, a federally

funded research and development center serving the

U.S. Department of the Navy and other defense

agencies, where he served as a senior economist 

and was detailed to the Department of Defense’s

Biometrics Management Office as director of Policy,

Planning and Liaison. Prior to joining CNA

Corporation, Guzman was an economist with

RAND Corporation and served as an assistant 

professor at Georgetown’s McDonough School of

Business. Guzman is a cofounder of the American

Society of Hispanic Economists.

In addition to a Ph.D. in economic analysis and policy from Stanford University, Guzman holds a master’s

degree in business administration; advanced degrees 

in economics, statistics and business research from 

Stanford; and an undergraduate degree in engineering

from the University of Arizona.

Tom Luce

Former Assistant Secretary

U.S. Department of Education

An attorney, Tom Luce received his undergraduate and

graduate degrees from Southern Methodist University

and has been honored with the SMU Law School and

University Distinguished Alumni awards. He was a

founding and managing partner of the law firm of

Hughes & Luce, LLP, until his retirement from the

firm in 1997. In addition to his active law practice, at

various times Luce has served on the boards or as

guest lecturer at a number of schools of higher education, including the Kennedy School of Government at

Harvard and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The

University of Texas at Austin.

Luce served as assistant secretary of education for

planning, evaluation and policy development from

July 1, 2005 to the day he resigned on Sept. 1, 2006.

Currently, he is chief executive officer of the National

Math and Science Initiative, Inc.

Following his resignation from the U.S. Department

of Education, Luce rejoined the board of Dell Inc.,

and currently serves as chairman of its audit committee. He had previously served on the Dell board from

1991 to 2005. He also has served on the boards of

Biographies
22 | Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions

the Texas Education Reform Caucus and multiple

community and charitable organizations. He served

as a member of the National Commission on

Teaching and America’s Future and on the executive

committee of the Dallas Citizens Council, an organization composed of the CEOs of Dallas’ largest businesses. In addition, the U.S. Senate appointed Luce a

member of the Library of Congress Trust Fund Board,

where he served until 2005.

Luce also has been appointed five times to major posts

by Texas governors, including as chief justice pro tempore of the Texas Supreme Court. He is perhaps best

known for his role as the chief of staff of the Texas

Select Committee of Public Education, which produced one of the first major reform efforts among

public schools in 1984.

Luce was a cofounder of the National Center for

Educational Accountability and served as chairman of

the board from its inception until 2005. He also

founded Communities Just for the Kids and served as

its chairman until 2005. In 1995, Luce wrote Now or

Never: How We Can Save Our Public Schools, a book

that defined his educational philosophy and outlined a

preliminary plan for education reform that called for

broader support for public education. His second

book, Do What Works, was published in December

2004 and received numerous positive reviews.

Diana Natalicio

President, The University of Texas at El Paso

Diana Natalicio was named president of The University

of Texas at El Paso in 1988. During her long and 

distinguished career with the university, she has served

as vice president for academic affairs, dean of liberal

arts, and chair of the modern languages department.

During her tenure as president: enrollment has

increased to nearly 20,000 students; its annual budget

has tripled (from $80 to more than $250 million);

research expenditures have increased from less than $5

million to more than $46 million per year; and doctoral

programs have been added, bringing the total to 14.
Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 23

Natalicio has served as member and vice chair of the

National Science Board and on the board of trustees

of Internet2. Her current appointments include the

boards of the Rockefeller Foundation, the U.S.-

Mexico Foundation for Science, the National Action

Council for Minorities in Engineering, Trinity

Industries, and Sandia Corporation.

She is the recipient of the Harold W. McGraw, Jr.

Prize in Education. In addition, Natalicio was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame and was 

honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award at

The University of Texas at Austin. A graduate of St.

Louis University, Natalicio earned a master’s degree in

Portuguese and a doctorate in linguistics from The

University of Texas at Austin.

Robert J. Shea

Associate Director for Management

Office of Management and Budget, The White House

Robert J. Shea is the associate director for management in the Office of Management and Budget at the

White House. He is also the head of the President’s

Budget and Performance Integration Initiative. 

Shea was a professional staff member with the House

Committee on Government Reform from 1995 to

1996. While he was responsible for examining the

economy and efficiency of government programs, and

was the liaison to the U.S. Office of Inspector

General. In 1997, Shea worked as legislative director

for Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), where he organized the

Results Caucus, a group of Congress members dedicated to results-based management and the resolution

of many of the federal government’s major management problems. In early 1999, Shea was named counsel to the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs

where, in addition to general oversight of executive

branch management, he oversaw the implementation

of the statutory framework for performance-based

government, including the Government Performance

and Results Act and the Chief Financial Officers Act. 

Shea is a graduate of Connecticut College and South

Texas College of Law. He is a native of Houston and

now lives in Alexandria, Va., with his wife Eva, and

their daughters Haley, Hannah and Mary Claire.

FORUM: THE ROLE OF HSIs IN 

THE NATION’S STEM ENTERPRISE

FEATURED SPEAKERS:

William Jeffrey

Director, National Institute of Standards and Technology

U.S. Department of Commerce

William Jeffrey is the 13th director of the National

Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), sworn

into the office on July 26, 2005. He was nominated

by President Bush on May 25, 2005, and confirmed

by the U.S. Senate on July 22, 2005.

As director of the NIST, Jeffrey oversees an array of

programs that promote U.S. innovation and industrial

competitiveness by advancing measurement science,

standards and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve quality of life. In fiscal

year 2006, the NIST’s operating budget was $930

BIOGRAPHIES
24 | Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions

million. The institute is headquartered in

Gaithersburg, Md., with additional laboratories 

in Boulder, Colo. An agency under the U.S.

Department of Commerce’s Technology Administration, the NIST has extensive cooperative research

programs with industry, academia and other government agencies.

Jeffrey has been involved in federal science and technology programs and policy making since 1988. Prior

to his appointment to the NIST, he served as senior

director for homeland and national security and as the

assistant director for space and aeronautics at the

Office of Science and Technology Policy in the

President’s Executive Office. Earlier, he had been the

deputy director for the Advanced Technology Office

and the chief scientist for the Tactical Technology

Office with the Defense Advanced Research Projects

Agency (DARPA). 

Prior to joining DARPA, Jeffrey was the assistant

deputy for technology at the Defense Airborne

Reconnaissance Office, where he supervised sensor

development for the Predator and Global Hawk

unmanned aerial vehicles. He also spent several years

working at the Institute for Defense Analyses performing technical analyses in support of the U.S.

Department of Defense.

Jeffrey received his Ph.D. in astronomy from Harvard

University and his B.Sc. in physics from the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Irwin S. Kirsch

Director, Center for Global Assessment

Educational Testing Service

In the recently released report, America’s Perfect Storm:

Three Forces Changing Our Nation’s Future, Kirsch and

his colleagues Henry Braun, Kentaro Yamamoto and

Andrew Sum describe and present evidence that three

powerful sociological and economical forces are converging. Unless we invest in policies to improve the

U.S. education system and narrow the achievement

gap, America will be ill-prepared to compete in today’s

competitive global economy and high-skills workplace.

Kirsch is the director of the Center for Global

Assessment at Educational Testing Service (ETS). In

1982, he earned his Ph.D. in educational measurement, reading/literacy, from the University of

Delaware. Since joining ETS in 1984, he has directed

a number of large-scale assessments in the area of literacy including the National Adult Literacy Survey and

the NAEP Young Adult Literacy Survey. He was also a

key person in establishing the International Adult

Literacy Survey and has directed them for the ETS

since 1993. In 1987, he received the ETS Research

Scientist Award for his work in the area of literacy and

was named as an ETS Distinguished Presidential

Appointee in 1999.

Kirsch currently manages several large-scale surveys

including the Adult Education Program Study with

the U.S. Department of Education and the Literacy

Assessment and Monitoring Program with the

UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Kirsch also chairs

the Reading Expert Group for the Organisation for

Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD),
Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 25

Programme for International Student Assessment

(PISA), and has been involved with several efforts

aimed at defining and measuring information and

communication technology (ICT) skills. In this 

area, he has: directed an international panel for ETS

that defined ICT literacy; designed and conducted a

feasibility study on ICT literacy for the OECD; and

participated in an OECD advisory panel aimed at

establishing a new survey of adult skills for the 

21st century.

Cora B. Marrett

Assistant Director, Directorate for Education and 

Human Resources

National Science Foundation

Cora B. Marrett is the assistant director of the

Directorate for Education and Human Resources

(EHR) at the National Science Foundation (NSF).

She leads the NSF’s mission to enable excellence in

U.S. science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and oversees a budget of

approximately $800 million and a staff of 150. Prior

to her appointment to the NSF, Marrett served as the

senior vice president for Academic Affairs in the

University of Wisconsin System. Her NSF position is

in conjunction with the UW-Madison Department of

Sociology, where she remains a tenured faculty member. Her current position as assistant director represents a return to the NSF. From 1992 to 1996, she

served at the NSF as the first assistant director forthe

Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic

Sciences. She received the NSF’s Distinguished

Service Award for her leadership in developing new

research programs and articulating the scientific 

projects of the directorate. She is a fellow of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science,

the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and

Sigma Xi, the Science Research Society.

Joseph V. Martinez

Senior Advisor for Institutional Outreach

Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy

Joseph V. Martinez (“J.V.”) is senior advisor for

Institutional Outreach in the Office of Science of the

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in Washington,

D.C. A native of Arizona and son of immigrant parents, Martinez received his bachelor’s degree from

Northern Arizona University and was later awarded 

an Sc.D., a Ph.D. in chemistry from Oregon State

University, and with support of a Sloan Fellowship, 

a master’s in management science from the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He completed

his postdoctoral studies at Cornell University. 

Martinez was a professor of physics for a decade

before joining the Atomic Energy Commission,

which has been succeeded by the U.S. Department 

of Energy (DOE). Prior to his current position, he

was a program manager for the Atomic, Molecular

and Optical Physics Program in the Office of Science,

responsible for research projects in U.S. laboratories

and universities. He accepted his current position 

in January 2000. At various periods in his career 

he was a research scientist for the DuPont Chemical

Company, Xerox Corporation and the Eastman

Kodak Company. He is an elected fellow of the

American Physical Society. 

BIOGRAPHIES
26 | Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions

Current collateral assignments include representing

DOE in the National Science Foundation Committee

on Equal Opportunity in Science and Engineering

(CEOSE) and the Office of Science in the DOE

Tribal Steering Committee.

Raymond G. Mellado

Chair and CEO, Hispanic Engineer National 

Achievement Awards Corporation

Raymond G. Mellado was born and raised in Los

Angeles, Calif., where he attended Cathedral High

School, East Los Angeles College and Whittier

College. He is the founder, chairman of the board and

CEO of the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement

Awards Corporation (HENAAC). The mission of

HENAAC is to seek, identify and document the outstanding contributions of Hispanic Americans to science, engineering and technology. HENAAC began to

carry out this mission through its annual conference,

now entering its 17th year. In recent years, HENAAC

has also developed educational programs like the

HENAAC Hall of Fame, the HENAAC College Bowl,

and Viva Technology. The HENAAC Hall of Fame is

the first museum exhibit honoring world-class

Hispanic engineers and scientists.

In 2000, HENAAC introduced the College Bowl, an

innovative, competitive two-day workshop for college

students preparing to enter engineering careers. In

2001, HENAAC launched Viva Technology, a yearround K-12 education program designed to introduce

pre-college students to exciting careers in science, engineering and technology. In 2005, Viva Technology

served over 35,000 students, parents and teachers. 

Mellado entered the private sector after a distinguished 21-year marketing and sales career with the

Xerox Corporation. In 1977, while a notable member

of the Xerox marketing team, Mellado became a

founding member of the Hispanic Association for

Professional Advancement (HAPA), one of the first

Hispanic employee associations in corporate America.

Mellado was also the founding publisher of

TECHNiCA and Rego magazines.

Currently, Mellado serves on the Executive Advisory

Council for the College of Engineering, Computer

Science and Technology at California State University

Los Angeles (CSULA), the National Academy of

Engineering’s Action Forum on Diversity, a group chartered to work with the academy to increase the number

of women and underrepresented minorities in engineering and the U.S. Navy’s Diversity Senior Advisory

Group (DSAG), reporting to the Chief of Naval

Operations (CNO). Mellado also serves on the board 

of the Foundation for the Advancement of Science

Education (FASE), producers of award-winning educational products that have earned three Peabody Awards.

John Moder

Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities

Originally from St. Louis, Mo., he holds bachelor’s

degrees in English and physics from St. Mary’s

University in San Antonio, and a Ph.D. in philosophy

from Fordham University in the Bronx, N.Y.

Following theology studies at the University of St.

Michael’s College in Toronto, he returned to St. Mary’s

University as an assistant professor of philosophy and
Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 27

later associate professor of philosophy. In 1988,

Moder was appointed president of St. Mary’s

University, a post he held until 1999. In that capacity,

he also served as a member of the governing board of

the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities

(HACU) for six years, including a year as chairman of

the board (1997–98), among other appointments to a

variety of educational and civic boards. After leaving

St. Mary’s, Moder worked as president of Junior

Achievement of San Antonio and as a high school science teacher before joining HACU in February 2002.

SESSIONS

Silas H. Abrego

Associate Vice President for Student Affairs 

California State University, Fullerton

Despite the barriers he has faced as a Latino, Abrego

earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees as well as a doctorate in higher education from the University of

Southern California. The cornerstone of his career in

education is program development with an emphasis

on preparing young people to succeed in higher education. He is especially interested in helping lowincome and underrepresented students who would

otherwise not pursue or begin a higher education. At

California State University, Fullerton, he has been a

visionary leader in the planning and implementation

of highly successful outreach and retention programs.

Abrego is responsible for directing eight distinct student affairs comprehensive programs. He also leads

efforts to provide scholarships and educational

enhancement programming for low-income and 

first-generation college students attending Cal State

Fullerton. In addition to his current duties, Abrego 

is involved in numerous community organizations,

including: the American Association of Hispanics 

in Higher Education; the Orange County Hispanic

Education Endowment Fund; California ChicanoLatino Intersegmental Convocation; American Council on Education; and the Hispanic Association of

Colleges and Universities. Abrego is actively involved

in a number of collaborative projects with local K-12

school districts, including the Santa Ana Engaging

Latino Communities for Education Partnership.

In recognition of his outstanding educational leadership, Abrego has been honored by the Orange County

Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Orange County’s

United Way, the Hispanic Bar Association of Orange

County, the Hispanic Outreach Taskforce, Union

Hispana, Santa Ana College Foundation, and other

numerous organizations.

Michael Acosta

Director of External Relations, College of Engineering 

The University of Texas at El Paso

National President, Society of Mexican American 

Engineers and Scientists

Michael Acosta is also the director of UTEP’s Border

Office of the U.S.-Mexico Foundation for Science

(FUMEC). He has served on the Society of Mexican

American Engineers and Scientists’ (MAES) national

board of directors for 13 years has been instrumental

in establishing key technology-based economic development endeavors as well as research and academic

BIOGRAPHIES
28 | Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions

projects along the U.S.-Mexico border. Acosta was 

the associate director of the Institute for Policy and

Economic Development at UTEP for six years (2000-

06). He served as the associate director of the Texas

Center for Border Economic Development and the

Institute for Manufacturing and Materials Management

at UTEP from 1994 to 2000. Acosta also taught the

electrical-computer engineering senior project (capstone)

design courses at UTEP for 10 years (1992–2002). 

He is an alumnus of the UTEP College of Engineering,

having received his bachelor’s degree in 1971. Prior to

his career at UTEP, Acosta had a 21-year career with

IBM as a technical manager and engineer (1973–94).

He has received several awards and recognitions during

his career. These include: the MAES Medalla de Oro

Award (gold medal) in 1999; the HENAAC National

Award for Outstanding Community Service in 2001;

and the Small Business Administration Award as the

Minority Business Advocate of the Year for the El PasoWest Texas region in 2000.

Barbara Anderegg

Program Director, Division of Undergraduate Education

Colead, Advanced Technological Education Program

National Science Foundation

The Advanced Technological Education Program promotes improvement in the education of science and

engineering technicians at the postsecondary level and

in the educators who prepare them by focusing on the

technicians for high-technology fields that drive the

nation’s economy. Currently serving as a rotator,

Anderegg’s home institution is Madison Area

Technical College, where she works as a faculty 

member in engineering technology disciplines.

Charles Cervantes

Special Assistant to the Director, 

Office of Small Business Programs

Office of the Secretary of Defense 

U.S. Department of Defense

Cervantes was appointed special assistant to the 

director, Office of Small Business Programs, U.S.

Department of Defense on June 18, 2004.

He has been in private practice from 1981 until his

appointment to his current post in June of 2004.

Cervantes has been a top-rated attorney by

Martindale-Hubbell in corporate and commercial litigation, including business organizations, administrative law, federal trial and appellate procedure and

public and private contract law. In addition to representing small businesses, he has represented a chamber

of commerce, business associations and trade organizations throughout the United States and the world.

During Cervantes’ prior federal service, from 1973 to

1981 in Washington, D.C., he served as counselor for

legal affairs to the Ambassador At Large for U.S.-

Mexico Relations, U.S. Department of State. He

advised and assisted the ambassador on a variety of

matters, including trans-boundary oil pollution, stolen

aircraft, auto treaties, international bridge permits,

border trade and environmental matters. He began

his legal career as an attorney-advisor in the Office of

the General Counsel in 1973, ending his tenure as

assistant to the Deputy General Counsel for

Regulatory Review in 1978, where he drafted,

reviewed, commented on promulgated regulations

based on statutory language and advised on the

administration of federal contracts and grants.
Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 29

Adam Chavarria

Executive Director, The White House Initiative on 

Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans

Adam Chavarria joined the White House Initiative on

Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans as

associate director in June 2001. He presently serves as

the executive director, a position he was appointed to

by the Bush Administration in December 2003. In

this capacity, he is responsible for directing the efforts

of the White House Initiative in engaging Hispanic

parents, families and entire communities nationwide

as active participants in improving the academic

achievement of Hispanic Americans. 

Prior to his appointment, Chavarria served for more

than eight years as the executive director of the Hispanic

College Fund (HCF), a national nonprofit organization

founded by Hispanic business leaders in 1993.

Chavarria led the HCF, headquartered in Washington,

D.C., since its inception, during which time more than

$1 million in scholarships was awarded to over 600

Hispanic students enrolled in colleges and universities

across the country. As its executive director, he led the

HCF from start-up to successful national scholarshipgranting organization. In the process, he forged lasting

partnerships with corporations, higher education institutions and the Hispanic business community. 

Chavarria was a consultant in Dallas prior to accepting his current assignment. While there, he also

served as vice president with SER-Jobs for Progress

National, Inc., a national employment and training

organization. A native of Harlingen, Texas, Chavarria

was the first in his family to earn undergraduate and

graduate degrees. He received a bachelor’s degree 

in political science and a master’s degree in public

administration from the University of Minnesota. 

BIOGRAPHIES
30 | Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions

Chavarria has been listed in Who’s Who Among

Hispanic Americans and has been a member of the

Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the

Dallas Association of Mexican American Professionals.

As a graduate student, he was selected to attend 

the United Nations’ Conference on Trade and

Development in Geneva, Switzerland. He has served

as an active member of the U.S. Senate Republican

Conference Task Force on Hispanic Affairs Advisory

Committee since 1991.

Pravat K. Choudhury

Program Manager, Mentor-Protégé and 

HBCU/MI Program 

Missile Defense Agency

At the Pentagon, Choudhury built the MentorProtégé Program at MDA from one to six agreements

in less than one year’s time. He also regularly provides

support to the director, office of Small Business

Programs on all small-business issues.

Choudhury received his MBA in international business

from Atlanta University, and a master’s degree in marketing from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Over the years, he has served as a faculty member in the

marketing departments of various universities and has

published more than 60 papers in the areas of marketing to minorities, cross-cultural consumer behavior,

marketing strategy, and international marketing. He is

also coauthor of two monographs on pricing and marketing to minority consumers, both published by the

American Marketing Association. The latter monograph was selected as book of the month in April 2002.

Luis Echegoyen

Director, Division of Chemistry, 

National Science Foundation

Luis Echegoyen was born in Havana, Cuba. He received

his bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of

Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, and conducted his postdoctoral work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Echegoyen has held professional positions at universities

around the world, from the University of Miami to the

Université Louis Pasteur, in Strasbourg, France.

Currently, he is a professor and chairman at Clemson

University as well as director of the Chemistry Division

at the National Science Foundation.

Among his many memberships and administrative

positions, Echegoyen is on the Mathematical and

Physical Sciences Advisory Committee of the National

Science Foundation; the editorial board of the Journal

of the Mexican Chemical Society; and an elected

member of the Committee for Equal Opportunity in

Science and Engineering, an NSF-Congressionally

mandated committee.

Gregg Fleisher

President, AP Strategies, Inc.

Fleisher started his career as an auditor and actuary

with Coopers & Lybrand. He decided to make a

major career change to pursue his passion: teaching

math to high school students. While teaching in the

Dallas Independent School District, he had one of the

highest percentages of students pass the AP calculus

exam per school enrollment of any public high school

in the country.
Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 31

In 1993, he was awarded the Advanced Placement

Special Recognition Award by the Southwest region of

the College Board. In 1995, Fleisher became the lead

math teacher in the new Dallas ISD’s AP Incentive

Program. During his five years as a lead math teacher,

he has had a strong track record of helping minority

students excel in AP courses. As much as 3.3 percent

of the country’s minorities who passed AP math exams

were from Fleisher’s schools.

In 2000, he was asked by Dallas philanthropist Peter

O’Donnell to lead a nonprofit company called

Advanced Placement Strategies (APS) that manages

AP Incentive programs for districts in the state of

Texas. As of the 2006-07 school year, APS was in 50

school districts across the state.

Joan Fulkerson

Director, Small Business Programs, U.S. Air Force 

Research Laboratory and Kirtland Air Force Base

Fulkerson is responsible for the leadership, 

management and oversight of the Small and 

Minority Business programs, Historically Black

Colleges and Universities, and the Minority

Institution Program for Air Force Research 

Laboratory Space Vehicles and Directed Energy

Directorates and the 377 Air Base Wing.

Fulkerson entered government service with the U.S.

Air Force in 1979 and has held numerous leadership

positions. In 1984, she began her contracting career

as a developmental contract specialist. She became 

a warranted contracting officer at the Air Force

Weapons Laboratory in 1987. In 1988, she worked 

as a warranted contracting officer for the Defense

Evaluation and Support Activity. In 1992, she

returned to the Research Laboratory and was 

promoted to team chief of research and development,

contracting to support the Space Vehicles Directorate

and the Directed Energy Directorate. Fulkerson

assumed her current position in August 2000 as the

director of Small Business.

In 2005, Fulkerson was selected as the Small Business

Administration New Mexico Minority Small Business

Champion of the Year. She also won the Secretary of

the Air Force Small Business Special Achievement

Award for the Air Force Materiel Command for 2006.

Fulkerson serves on the board of directors for the

Native American Chamber of Commerce and the

Southeast Community Economic Alliance, the 

New Mexico Service Disabled Veteran Business

Advisory Committee. She is also a member of the

Crownpoint Institute of Technology Alternative

Energy Advisory Committee.

Michael L. Glass

Director, Simulation and Systems 

Integration Laboratories

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company

Mike Glass is the director of Simulation and Systems

Integration Laboratories at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth, Texas. As the director,

he is responsible for the design, development and operation of the Simulation Systems and Systems Integration

Laboratories used for the test, integration and verification of Air Systems. Glass joined Lockheed Martin 

in 1982 and has more than 20 years of engineering

BIOGRAPHIES
32 | Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions

experience on multiple aircraft programs. Glass holds 

a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the

University of Arkansas and a master’s degree in business

administration from Texas Christian University.

Maria Goldberg

Executive Director, Hispanic Serving Institutions 

National Program

U. S. Department of Agriculture

Maria Goldberg is currently the executive director 

of the Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) National

Program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture

(USDA). She leads a national team dedicated to

addressing the needs of HSIs and the communities

they serve through promotion of professional and educational opportunities to students, faculty and staff

affiliated with these institutions across the nation. 

Goldberg has also served the USDA as a budget analyst,

international trade policy analyst and civil rights adviser.

Prior to joining the federal government, Goldberg

worked for 14 years in private industry, including the

finance industry and restaurant management. She is a

graduate of the University of North Dakota.

Diana Gomez

National President 

Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

Gomez is the national president for the Society of

Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), a professional organization that serves as the source for quality Hispanic engineers and technical talent. Since

assuming the role of president in 2003, Gomez has

applied extensive leadership and engineering expertise

to manage the national organization.

Under her guidance as president, SHPE has developed

an array of programs. The Advancing Hispanic

Excellence in Technology, Engineering, Math, and

Science (AHETEMS) Foundation was created along

with a new scholarship program. Diana’s leadership

has opened the door for key partnerships with the

Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists

(MAES) and the Hispanic College Fund (HCF).

Gomez’s history with SHPE spans more than 20 years.

Before taking on the role of president, she held positions at various levels of the organization, including

the offices of the regional vice president, secretary and

treasurer. She cochaired the SHPE National Technical

and Career Conference in 2001 and served actively in

the administrations of four previous SHPE presidents.

Gomez leads SHPE on a voluntary basis. She is also

the chief of the Office of Traffic Management and a

senior electrical engineer with the California

Department of Transportation (Caltrans). She has

worked with Caltrans for 18 years and began her

career with them by designing highway electrical 

systems. She has led projects that are focused on

managing traffic flow and recently developed an

advanced weather sensor system to reduce fog-related

traffic accidents in California’s Central Valley. 

Gomez earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at California State University, Fresno.

During her time at CSU, Diana was the president of

the SHPE student chapter and the president of the
Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 33

professional chapter on graduation. She has been recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics

by Hispanic Business and as one of the top 100

Hispanics in the technical field by Hispanic Engineer.

Ricardo Gonzalez

Executive Director, Office of P-20 Initiatives

The University of Texas at San Antonio

Ricardo Gonzalez is the executive director for the

Office of P-20 Initiatives at The University of Texas 

at San Antonio. He oversees and supervises the 

development and implementation of over 20 programming activities focused on educating parents and 

students from pre-K through graduate and professional school programs regarding the importance and 

benefits of a higher education. During the 2005-06

academic year, over 15,000 Bexar County students,

parents and education professionals benefited from

these efforts. Additionally, Gonzalez works with

numerous local, state, regional and national 

organizations to build partnerships that support 

The University of Texas System’s initiative. These

projects include: college access programs for elementary-age students; the Early College High School

Program for high-school-age students; and the Louis

Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation STEM

Initiative for undergraduate students.

Gonzalez has been involved in: the Texas Association

for College Admissions Counseling; the National

Association for College Admissions Counseling; the

NACAC Counselors of Color workshop; the National

Association for Latino Elected Officials (NALEO)

education summits; and The College Board’s regional

and national forums. He is presently working on a

Ph.D. in educational leadership at The University of

Texas at San Antonio. He earned a bachelor’s degree

in political science with minors in Spanish and 

sociology and a master’s degree in educational administration from Texas A&M University.

J. Robert Hatherill

Assistant Professor of Biology, Natural Sciences 

Department, Del Mar College

Project Director, Minority Science and 

Engineering Program Grant

J. Robert Hatherill, assistant professor of biology,

Natural Sciences Department, Del Mar College,

Corpus Christi, Texas, currently teaches Biological

Concepts I and II and environmental biology.

Hatherill has earned a postdoctoral appointment from

Stanford University, a Ph.D. from the University of

Michigan, a master’s degree in microbiology, and a

bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from

Eastern Michigan University. Hatherill is the project

director on a U.S. Department of Education Minority

Science and Engineering Program (MSEIP) Grant,

focusing on the long-range improvement of 

technology-based science instruction.

Monica Hayes

Director, K-20 Office of Equity and Access 

Florida Department of Education

Monica Hayes is the director of the K-20 Office 

of Equity, Access and Global and International

Education in the Florida Department of Education.

BIOGRAPHIES
34 | Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions

In this capacity, she ensures that the Florida

Department of Education’s vision and commitment 

to high-quality educational offerings and academic

support services are available to all students.

A native New Yorker who has lived in Florida for the

past six years, Hayes is an education administrator, a

teacher, a former public health care and public transportation administrator, and a former psychotherapist.

She has a master’s degree in teaching and a master’s

degree in clinical social work. Hayes is currently

enrolled in her second year of doctoral study at the

University of Phoenix.

She believes that the primary mission of educational

institutions should include: modeling cultural competency; closing the achievement gap for minority and

underrepresented students; and setting high expectations

that make students become well-rounded and fully 

functioning citizens.

Hayes is the state contract manager for the Florida

Partnership for Minority and Underrepresented

Student Achievement contract with The College

Board. She oversees performance-monitoring activities

pertaining to all aspects of the contract to ensure maximum effective student outcomes. She is also the

director of statewide College Reach Out Program,

designed to promote access and success for disadvantaged and at-risk youths in grades 6-12. Hayes is also

fluent in Spanish.

Jorge Haynes

Senior Director, External Relations, Chancellor’s Office

California State University

Haynes is responsible for outreach to all California

State University (CSU) constituent groups and serves

as the primary liaison between the Chancellor’s Office

and distinct communities in California and nationwide. California State University is the nation’s largest

university system, with: 23 campuses and seven offcampus centers; 410,000 students; and 44,000 faculty

and staff. CSU includes 11 HSI’s and nine associate

members as part of HACU.

A graduate of California State University, Sacramento,

Haynes received his bachelor’s degree in government

in 1972 and has worked in the capitals of California,

Florida and Texas as well as in Washington, D.C.

Haynes, an Air Force retiree and Vietnam veteran, is

active with the G.I. Forum, the League of United

Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and HACU.
Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 35

Alain E. Hunter

Program Manager, HBCU/MI

Air Force Office of Small and 

Disadvantaged Business Utilization

Hunter, in the Office of the Under Secretary of the

Air Force, Small Business Programs Directorate

(SAF/SB), is responsible for the development of policy

and oversight of the Minority Serving Institutions

(MSL) and Service-Disabled Veteran and VeteranOwned Small Business (SDVOSB/VOSB) programs.

Hunter serves as a policy advocate to facilitate

HBCU/MI and SDVOSB/VOSB participation in

U.S. Air Force programs. He has more than 16 years

of experience in postsecondary education and over 35

years in training and human resources development.

He has a Ph.D. in education from the University of

Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as well as a master’s

degree in education and a bachelor’s degree in science

from Pennsylvania State University.

William G. Izábal

Director of Human Resources 

Integrated Defense Systems and Advanced Systems

The Boeing Company

William “Bill” Izábal was born in Los Angeles, Calif.,

and named Guillermo Jorge Izábal (both parents are

Mexican immigrants). When Izábal started school, his

teacher translated his name into English; hence, he is

now referred to as William George Izábal. Izábal

attended Loyola Marymount University and graduated

with a bachelor’s degree in industrial relations. Later,

he obtained his Juris Doctor from Mid Valley College

of Law. During his career with TRW, he received a

master’s degree in human resources development from

The George Washington University in Washington,

D.C. In 1995, Izábal joined Rockwell Space Systems

Division as vice president of human resources and

communications. The Boeing Company acquired

Rockwell, and Izábal later became the division director

of people for The Boeing Company, BMC3 and

Strategic Systems in December 1998. In 2002, he was

appointed as the human resources director for Air

Force Systems, IDS. Most recently, Izábal was named

the director of human resources for Boeing’s Advanced

Systems organization.

Previously, Izábal worked 17 years for: TRW as 

personnel manager for TRW Washington, D.C., 

operations; director of Affirmative Action and

Diversity for TRW Space & Communications Group;

and Director of Human Resources for TRW–ESL in

the Silicon Valley, Calif.

In 1992, Izábal was awarded the Employment

Management’s Association’s prestigious Pericles Pro

Meritus Award for outstanding contribution to the

field of human resources. Izábal received the

National Management Association’s Silver Knight

Manager of the Year Award in 1997 and the Society

of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists

Recognition Award for 1990 and 1997. A highlight

in his career was being invited to the White House 

by Secretary of Labor Robert Reich to help design 

the Federal Reemployment Act of 1994. In 2001,

Izábal was nominated in the diversity category of the

Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards

Conference. He also recently completed two years 

of service (2001-03) as the chairman of the board 

for the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation.

BIOGRAPHIES
36 | Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions

Irma Alemar Lawrence

National Program Leader, Multicultural Alliances

Cooperative State Research, Education, and 

Extension Services 

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Irma Lawrence holds a doctorate in education and a

master’s degree in environmental pollution control

from Pennsylvania State University. She also holds a

master’s degree in bilingual education with an 

emphasis on multicultural education from the same

institution. Before joining the U.S. Department of

Agriculture, Lawrence worked as a research analyst for

seven years at a consulting firm, where she provided

training and technical assistance and conducted formative and summative evaluations for several contracts

within different federal agencies. Some of these agencies included: the Administration for Children and

Families; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration; the National Center for Education

Statistics; the Office of National Drug Control 

Policy; and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse

and Alcoholism.

Lawrence currently works as the national program

leader for Hispanic Serving Institutions at the USDA’s

Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension

Service. As part of the Science Education and

Resource Development Unit, Lawrence participates in

the administration and implementation of programs

and initiatives dedicated to promoting quality education in the food and agricultural sciences.

Edward J. Lee

Program Manager, External Programs and 

Resources Interface Directorate

Air Force Office of Scientific Research 

U.S. Department of Defense

Edward J. Lee is a program manager for the External

Programs and Resources Interface Directorate of the

Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) in

Arlington, Va. AFOSR manages all basic research in

the U.S. Air Force and is one of 10 directorates that

comprise the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

The office has a staff of 200 people and an annual

budget of $400 million to support more than 5,000

basic research grants and contracts critical to the

defense of the United States. AFOSR is charged 

with maintaining the technological superiority of the

U.S. Air Force. In 2006, AFRL’s total support for

Historically Black Colleges and Universities-Minority

Institutions (HBCU/MI) was $30 million in research

and development funding and fellowships, of which

$28.5 million came from AFOSR. 

Lee has worked for the AFOSR since 1997, initially

overseeing the University Research Initiative Program.

He is now working closely with external programs to

help enhance and develop communication with

Hispanic Serving Institutions and Tribal Colleges.

After having worked in private industry prior to coming to the AFOSR and owning his own business since

1987, EJL Associates, Lee has helped to establish and

support minority-owned businesses in the Washington

metropolitan area. Lee is also a graduate of HBCU,

Morgan State University in Baltimore, Md.
Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 37

Tizoc S. Loza

Corporate Manager, Mentor-Protégé and 

HBCU/MI Programs, Northrop Grumman

Tizoc S. Loza is the Northrop Grumman Corporate

Mentor-Protégé, SBIR and HBCU/MI programs project manager, reporting directly to the corporate director, Socioeconomic Business Programs-Government

Relations at Northrop Grumman.

Loza has the corporate oversight responsibility for 

all Mentor-Protégé, SBIR and HBCU/MI programs,

including the review and approval of new 

Mentor-Protégé agreements, corporate strategy development and training. Loza also serves as Northrop

Grumman’s Mentor Protégé and HBCU/MI customer

liaison that insures consistent and efficient program

management. In addition, Loza develops and implements strategies to increase the involvement of SBIR’s

and HBCU/MI’s in the Mentor-Protégé program and

other subcontracting opportunities.

Loza earned a bachelor’s degree in financial management and international business from California State

University, Long Beach. In addition, Loza received

government contract management certification from

the University of California, Los Angeles, and is a certified Six Sigma Green Belt.

Rafael J. Magallan

Director of State Services, The College Board

Magallan has been active in the public policy arena for

the past 27 years. The thrust of much of his professional endeavors in governmental affairs during this

span has focused primarily on education policy development. This concentration on the governmental

processes and policy dynamics that specifically affect

U.S. education reflect the interests and commitment

that evolved through his prior 10 years of experience

in postsecondary education. Equally reflected is his

long-term involvement with endeavors that address

the educational attainment challenges confronting

Hispanic communities in the U.S.

Magallan serves as director of State Services for The

College Board. For the last 11 years he has been

responsible for the management of The College

Board’s government relations agenda for their Western

Region, which encompasses California and 11 additional Western states. Crosscutting across his governmental and legislative efforts is the responsibility to

support and advance The College Board’s equity commitment throughout its educational and public service

domain. Likewise integrated in the government relations and state services functions is a sustained effort

to strengthen relations with member institutions and

professional associations through activities geared to

provide more direct involvement, collaborative

engagement and partnership opportunities.

Prior to joining The College Board, Magallan held

the following positions: associate vice chancellor for

Resource Development and Grants Management for

the City Colleges of Chicago; director, Governmental

Affairs for the Hispanic Association of Colleges and

Universities, Washington, D.C.; director, The Tomás

Rivera Center, Claremont, Calif.; executive director,

Hispanic Higher Education Coalition, Washington,

D.C.; director, NIE, Research Project, National

Council of La Raza, Washington, D.C.; assistant to

BIOGRAPHIES
38 | Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions

the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Education Policy

Development, U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services (formerly the U.S. Department of

Health, Education and Welfare), Office of Education,

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Education,

Washington, D.C.; director, El Centro Chicano,

University of Southern California, Los Angeles; 

director, Upward Bound Project, California State

University, Long Beach.

Michael Marder

Professor of Physics and Codirector of UTeach

The University of Texas at Austin

UTeach is The University of Texas at Austin’s program

for preparation of secondary mathematics and science

teachers. Marder also runs programs to introduce

active learning techniques into undergraduate teaching, and to help low-income grade-school children

prepare for careers in mathematics and science. He 

is a member of the Center for Nonlinear Dynamics,

internationally known for its experiments on chaos

and pattern formation, and for many years ranked

number one in the nation by US News & World

Report. His work in physics includes theoretical,

numerical and experimental investigations of how

solids break, slide, crumple and deform.

Susan Polirstok

Associate Dean, College of Education

Lehman College, City University of New York (CUNY)

The CUNY Teacher Academy is a new and unique

program that seeks to recruit talented students in

math and science who are interested in becoming

teachers in New York City public schools. According

to Polirstok, the director of the CUNY Teacher

Academy at Lehman College, “Preparing future math

and science teachers is a very important mission, given

the acute shortages of teachers in these areas, both

locally and nationally. For America to be competitive

in the global marketplace, we need to have the best

and brightest teaching our children math and science.” Polirstok is no stranger to New York City public schools, having taught middle school students in

the Bronx for eight years before coming to Lehman

College, a Hispanic Serving Institution. Throughout

her 25-year tenure at Lehman as a professor of special

education and an associate dean of education for the

past four years, Polirstok has worked closely with

Bronx school administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals and parents to provide training and support for

students with special needs. 

Polirstok is the author of numerous articles and chapters on topics including: Asperger Syndrome; gentle

teaching and functional communication for individuals with autism; peer tutoring; parent training and

advocacy; learning and behavior disorders; Attention

Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; emotional intelligence;

self-monitoring strategies; classroom management; 

faculty development; and the scholarship of teaching.

Several of Polirstok’s articles have been translated into

Italian and she has been appointed to the editorial

board of Ciclo Evolutivo e Disabilita (International

Journal of Lifespan and Disability). In 2003, Polirstok

coedited a volume of the journal, “Topics in Language

Disorders,” which focused on interventions for 

individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Most

recently, Polirstok was appointed to the national 
Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 39

editorial board of Excelsior, a professional journal published by the New York Association of Colleges of

Teacher Education.

Nora G. Ramirez

Director of Professional Development, Center for 

Research on Education in Science, Mathematics, 

Engineering and Technology, Arizona State University

Nora G. Ramirez is the director of professional development at the Center for Research on Education in

Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology

(CRESMET) at Arizona State University. She is a

member of the board of directors of the National

Council of Teachers of Mathematics and is the president-elect of TODOS: Mathematics for All, an organization that advocates for an equitable and

high-quality mathematics education for all students,

particularly Hispanic students. She has been a principal investigator on various projects funded by the

National Science Foundation and the Arizona Board

of Regents that involved the professional development

of teachers of mathematics in urban, rural and suburban schools. She is currently involved in designing

and researching professional development for mathematics and science teachers at the secondary level. 

Miguel Rios, Jr.

Founder and CEO 

ORION International Technologies, Inc.

Miguel Rios, Jr., is founder and chief executive officer

of ORION International Technologies, Inc., and its

spin-off companies, ORION Information Technologies,

Inc., and ORION Technical Resources, LLC. Rios

founded ORION International in 1985 after a 10-year

career as a member of the technical staff at Sandia

National Labs, U.S. Department of Energy. ORION

supports the U.S. Department of Defense in the

development, testing and evaluation of leading-edge

defense systems. ORION also provides engineering

and technical support services to the DOE’s national

labs, the Federal Aviation Administration, other federal agencies and large federal prime contractors.

ORION Information Technologies was founded in

2000 and provides electronic business solutions and

support services to the commercial, state and municipal market sectors.

Rios received his doctorate in physics from the

University of Maryland in 1972 and became assistant

professor of physics at California State University,

Pomona. Concurrently, he held a research position at

the California Institute of Technology, where he conducted postdoctoral research in nuclear astrophysics

through 1974. Rios received a master’s of science

degree in physics from California State University, 

BIOGRAPHIES
40 | Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions

Los Angeles, in 1967, and a bachelor’s degree in

physics from the University of Southern California 

in 1965. He has authored and coauthored 20 technical publications. 

Rios has served on numerous nonprofit boards and

commissions and is currently chairman emeritus of

the board of the National Center for Genome

Resources, Santa Fe, N.M. Rios is an emeritus director of the NM 8(a) and Minority Small Business

Association and a founding member of the Society for

the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans

in Science.

Jacqueline L. Robinson

Program Manager, HBCU/MI Programs 

National Security Agency

Robinson has been a National Security Agency

employee since 2001. She has served jointly with the

armed forces and the U.S. Department of Defense for

27 years. She is currently the business manager and

team lead for the NSA’s Historically Black Colleges

and Universities and Minority Institutions

(HBCU/MI) Program for the Plans, Policy and

Outreach Division within the Acquisition Directorate.

Robinson previously served in the DOD intelligence

community as: a senior operations analyst; a 

communications security auditor for the Information

Assurance Directorate at the NSA; a communications

analyst; a new hire orientations program manager; 

and an education and training officer in the NSA

Associate Directorate for Education and Training

(ADET) Directorate.

Robinson, a native of Framingham, Mass., earned a

bachelor’s of science degree and a master’s degree in

business management from Strayer University. She 

is a retired U.S. Army sergeant first class. While serving in the military, she was awarded the Defense

Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM) for exceptional

achievements. The DMSM is the nation’s third 

highest peacetime defense award and third highest

award bestowed on members of the armed forces.

Gustavo Roig

Associate Dean, College of Engineering and Computing

Director, Center for Diversity in 

Engineering and Computing

Florida International University

Gustavo Roig is currently a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the

director of the Center for Diversity in Engineering and

Computing, and an associate dean in the College of

Engineering and Computing at Florida Inter-national

University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical

engineering at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez,

and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering at the University 

of Florida. 

Roig has received three of the four highest awards 

that can be given to a faculty member at Florida International University for teaching, service and research. 

He has received the university’s Access and Equity 

Award and has been honored with the prestigious FIU

Presidential Award. He was the first recipient of the

Community Service Award from FIU’s Black Employees’

Association in 1996, and also received the Affirmative

Action and Equal Opportunity Award in 1991. 
Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 41

Roig has served as a member of the Committee on

Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering

(CEOSE), National Science Foundation, from

October 2000 to September 2003. He was a member

of the board of directors of Junior Engineering

Technical Society from 2000-01, and has been a

member of the Advisory Committee for Engineering,

National Science Foundation.

John P. Santos

Founder and Lead Teacher 

Imaging Sciences & Technology Academy

Manual Arts High School 

John Santos has worked in South Central Los Angeles

for 14 years, teaching graphic communications. Santos

helped establish the nation’s first 2+4+C College Early

Entry Program at California State University, Los

Angeles, where he also volunteers as a facilitator to

graduate technology students. Last year, Santos facilitated the first international research study on the JDF

Electronic Document Format System with students

from Cal State L.A. (some were ISTA alumni) and

graduate students from Wuhan University in China.

Santos is the cofounder of the nationally recognized,

Viva Technology Program, designed to help K-12 

students in urban and rural communities consider

careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Santos is an adviser to several magazines and

academic programs, and is his school’s MESA coordinator. The MESA Program at Manual Arts has been

recognized as the “most active technology program” 

in Southern California for two consecutive years.

Students who have matriculated from ISTA to a 

four-year institution over the last seven years have 

a 72 percent retention rate.

Santos has been the recipient of: the 2006 

Electronic Document Systems Foundation’s

Secondary/Postsecondary Educator of the Year; the

University of Southern California, Viterbi School 

of Engineering, Math, Engineering and Science

Achievement’s Advisor of the Year; the 2006 Hispanic

Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation’s

Educator of the Year, the City of Los Angeles 2006

Exemplary Educator Award; the 2007 Association of

Mexican American Educator’s Distinguished Teacher

Award; and the 2007 Youth Mentoring Connection’s

Los Angeles Community Hero Award.

Aaron Velasco

Graduate Advisor, Department of Geological Sciences

The University of Texas at El Paso

President, Society for Advancement of Chicanos and 

Native Americans in Science

Aaron Velasco received his bachelor’s degree in applied

geophysics at the University of California, Los

Angeles, in 1988 and earned his Ph.D. in seismology

at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 1993.

After receiving his Ph.D., he worked for a government

contractor, Science Applications International

Corporation (SAIC), in San Diego for four years, and

then accepted a staff scientist position at Los Alamos

National Laboratory (LANL) in 1997. In 2002,

Velasco became an associate professor at the University

of Texas at El Paso. His main areas of interest include

nuclear verification seismology, understanding earthquakes, and defining tectonic processes worldwide. 

BIOGRAPHIES
42 | Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions

He also serves on several scientific panels and is the

current president for the Society for Advancement of

Chicanos and Native Americans in Science.

Don Warkentin

President, West Hills College Lemoore

Don Warkentin is the president of West Hills College

Lemoore, the state of California’s newest community

college. WHCL received its initial accreditation in

June 2006 from the Western Association of Schools

and Colleges. West Hills College Lemoore is the second college in the West Hills Community College

District and boasts two charter schools on its campus.

In partnership with the Lemoore Union Elementary

School District, the college houses the University

Charter School, which serves grades 5-8. Charter

school students utilize the college’s state of the art

technology for their computer and science classes as

well as the new, full-service college library. Charter

students also take college classes along with their core

curriculum classes. In addition to the University

Charter School, the college also has a Middle College

High School on campus that serves grades 9-11 in

partnership with Lemoore High School. Plans call for

the addition of 12th-grade students next year. Both

schools have met their annual yearly progress goals

(AYP) and scored well over 800 on their Academic

Performance Index (API).

Kenneth R. Zeff

Senior Consultant for Policy Development 

Office of the Secretary

U.S. Department of Education

As senior consultant for policy development at the

U.S. Department of Education, Zeff works primarily

on the blueprint for the No Child Left Behind reauthorization. Previously, Zeff was a White House Fellow

at the Office of Management and Budget where he

served as a member of the President’s Academic

Competitiveness Council, a role he continues to play

at the U.S. Department of Education. The council’s

mission is to evaluate the wide range of federal math

and science education programs throughout the government. Before coming to Washington, D.C., Zeff

worked as a special assistant to the superintendent of

San Diego City Schools as a Broad Foundation

Resident where he managed the creation of universal

preschool access for all four-year-olds in the district.

As a manager for Deloitte Consulting, he led strategy

and operations projects for Fortune 500 companies

and also headed up the corporate citizenship work and

community service activities of the Chicago office.

Zeff also spent a year as an AmeriCorps volunteer,

developing computer learning centers for subsidized

housing complexes in Seattle. Zeff received a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from

the University of Michigan and his master’s degree in

business administration from The Wharton School,

University of Pennsylvania.
Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 43

The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans 

would like to thank the following individuals:

Michael Acosta, The University of Texas at El Paso

Beatrice Bernfield, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Rosenda Chavez, U.S.-Mexico Foundation for Science

Senora Coggs, U.S. Department of Commerce

Hector DeLeon, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Maria Goldberg, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Diana Gomez, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

Gilberto Guerrero, U.S. Department of Agriculture, NRCS

Joseph Guzman, U.S. Department of Defense

Alain E. Hunter, U.S. Department of Defense

Desiree Linson, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Alberto Lopez, The University of Texas at El Paso

Astrid Martinez, U.S. Department of Agriculture-NRCS

Joseph V. Martinez, U.S. Department of Energy

Milagros (Millie) Mateu, National Aeronautical Science Administration

Jacqueline Robinson, National Security Agency

Victor A. Santiago, National Science Foundation

Rafaela Schwan, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

Susan Heller Zeisler, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology

U.S. Department of Education

Tyrrell Flawn, executive director, National Math Advisory Panel

Ken Zeff, senior consultant for Policy Development

Acknowledgments
Adam Chavarria, Executive Director

Romanita Matta-Barrera, Deputy Director

Mary Ann Gomez, Chief of Staff

Virgie R. Barnes, Program Assistant

Linda A. Bugg, Program Analyst

Glorimar Maldonado Nosal, Writer-Editor

Meghan Strandell, Intern

White House Initiative on

Educational Excellence for

Hispanic Americans

44 | Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions
A complete list of publications, many of which 

are in English and Spanish, may be viewed on 

the U.S. Department of Education’s Web site at:

http://www.ed.gov/about/pubs/intro

To order publications,

write to:

ED PUBS, Education Publications Center

U.S. Department of Education

P.O. Box 1398

Jessup, MD 20794-1398; or

fax your request to: 301- 470-1244; or

e-mail your request to: edpubs@inet.ed.gov; or

call in your request toll-free: 1-877-433-7827 

(1-877-4-ED-PUBS). If 877 service is not available in

your area, call 1-800-872-5327 (1-800-USA-LEARN).

Those who use a telecommunications device for the

deaf (TDD) or a teletypewriter (TTY) should call 

1-877-576-7734; or

order online at: http://www.edpubs.org.

U.S. Department of 

Education Publications

Challenges and Opportunities for Hispanic Serving Institutions | 45


THE WHITE HOUSE INITIATIVE ON EDUCATIONAL 

EXCELLENCE FOR HISPANIC AMERICANS

400 Maryland Ave. S.W.

Room 5E110

Washington, DC 20202-3601

Phone: 202 401-1411 | Fax: 202 401-8377

www.YesICan.gov