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Professor and Undergraduate Program Director in the Department of Engineering and Leadership at UTEP: Director of the Center for Research in Engineering and Technology Education: Provost Faculty Fellow in Residences in the Center for Faculty Leadership and Development at UTEP.

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Celena Arreola graduated on May 13, 2017 with Bachelors of Science in Engineering Leadership at the University of Texas at El Paso with a concentration in Mathematics and Civil Engineering. Currently she is pursuing an M.S. in Engineering and is due to graduate in May 2019. She has been actively involved within the Department of Engineering Education & Leadership as a recruitment leader and administrative assistant. Currently she serves as the graduate advisor for the American Society for Engineering Education student chapter and is a research team leader in the Center for Research in Engineering and Technology Education where she focuses on the success of students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics of two post-secondary educational institutions based in El Paso.

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Mike Pitcher is the Director of Academic Technologies at the University of Texas at El Paso. He has had experience in learning in both a traditional university program as well as the new online learning model, which he utilizes in his current position consulting with faculty about the design of new learning experiences. His experience in technology and teaching started in 1993 as a student lab technician and has continued to expand and grow over the years, both technically as well as pedagogically. Currently he works in one of the most technically outstanding buildings in the region where he provides support to students, faculty, and staff in implementing technology inside and outside the classroom, researching new engineering education strategies as well as the technologies to support the 21st century classroom (online and face to face). He also has assisted both the campus as well as the local community in developing technology programs that highlight student skills development in ways that engage and attract individuals towards STEAM and STEM fields by showcasing how those skills impact the current project in real-world ways that people can understand and be involved in. As part of a university that is focused on supporting the 21st century student demographic he continues to innovate and research on how we can design new methods of learning to educate both our students and communities on how STEM and STEAM make up a large part of that vision and our future.

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Dr. Cory Brozina is an assistant professor and the Director of First-Year Engineering at Youngstown State University. He completed his B.S. and M.S. in Industrial & Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech, and his Ph.D. is in Engineering Education, also from Virginia Tech. His research interests include learning analytics, student support and success, first-year engineering, and assessment.

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Helen Geller is the Program Manager for the STEMGROW grant, funded by the Department of Education at the University of Texas at El Paso.

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Carolina Favela is currently a Senior at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and plans to graduate with her Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering in the Fall of 2018.
Carolina is currently a yearlong university Undergraduate Research Student and Development Specialist for the STEMGrow program, a partnership with El Paso Community College (EPCC) that focuses on achieving the next generation of student engagement and professional preparation. As a current STEMGrower, Ms. Favela strives to innovate and improve university diversity through exemplary mentoring, merging students who transition between UTEP and EPCC to improve the graduation rate of students in STEM fields. She also encourages students with disabilities (or as one calls it “special abilities”) to pursue degrees in STEM as well as break barriers for women in engineering to create a broad spectrum of opportunities and meet the 21st century STEM demands.
Although having a passion of helping beyond students learning, Carolina also had advocated and helped students who major in Mechanical Engineering as an exemplary Teachers Assistant in the Mechanical Engineering department laboratory “Lockheed Martin” to have a reflection of a real-world engineering experimental environment. She has also pushed the most updated modern engineering revolution of 3D printing to its limits by showing several students the importance of creativity, critical thinking, team building and problem solving.
As a lifelong learner, Carolina plans to pursue a Masters in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Propulsion as well as attain a doctorate degree in Aerospace Engineering to meet the demands of a future employer such as NASA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, or Space X.

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