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Dr. Ramos-Chavez is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Texas at El Paso where she studies the intersection between the environment, energy and education. Specifically, her research focuses on community-based participatory research and community-centered outreach. She is interested in understanding how student perceptions and behaviors are influenced by immersive environmental and engineering education programming.

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Jennifer Taylor is the director of pre-college engineering with the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Colorado Boulder. She leads the Pre-College Engineering Education Program, engaging K-12 students in hands-on engineering experiences to broaden STEM education impacts and supporting K-12 educators to increase teacher capacity in classroom engineering education. Jennifer led the Creative Engineering Design project to advance the NSF-funded ASPIRE Engineering Research Center's roadway electrification efforts in the pre-college engineering space.

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Dr. Ivonne Santiago is an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and the Co-Director of the NSF Engineering Research Center for Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification (ASPIRE). She is deeply committed to advancing equity, particularly in providing access to safe drinking water and promoting clean transportation solutions as catalysts for social mobility. Through her work, she actively advocates for these causes and engages her students in hands-on learning experiences at local, regional, and international levels.
Dr. Santiago's expertise spans four key areas:
1. Equity and Environmental Impacts of Clean Transportation and Electrified Infrastructure: Dr. Santiago ensures that the voices of community partners are heard and incorporated in decisions regarding the placement of electrified infrastructure. Her work includes modeling greenhouse gas emissions on regional and national scales, supported by funding from NSF through ASPIRE and the Federal Highway Administration through the City of El Paso.
2. Water Treatment, Resource Recovery, and Conservation: She leads pilot-scale projects on water reuse, resource recovery, and brine reduction from desalination, utilizing advanced technologies such as membrane processes and electrodialysis. These efforts are funded by El Paso Water, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the National Alliance for Water Innovation, and NOAA.
3. Engineering Workforce Development: Dr. Santiago champions the success of Hispanic students and Latinas in STEM and academia. She provides opportunities for UTEP students to engage in study-abroad programs in Colombia, Brazil, and Haiti. These initiatives are supported by NSF, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Education.
4. Community Outreach to Underserved and Indigenous Communities: Her outreach efforts focus on providing safe drinking water to communities along the U.S.-Mexico border and in Colombia. These projects are funded by the U.S. Department of State, NIH, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
Beyond her academic and research roles, Dr. Santiago has served as Chair of the Public Service Board, overseeing El Paso Water and contributing to the management of critical water resources.
Dr. Santiago’s impactful contributions have earned her numerous prestigious awards, highlighting her dedication to her profession, students, and community. Among her notable accolades are the 2025 Best Practice Award for the World Expo under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” for her collaboration with Colombian partners on the "Uni Masaquerí Alliance: Clean Water Supply for the Future of Communities;" the 2023 El Paso Women of Impact Award, the 2023 McDonald's Hispanos Triunfadores in STEM Award, the 2014 University of Texas System Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award, the 2018 ASCE Texas Section "Service to the People" Award, and the 2019 Engineer of the Year Award from the Texas Society of Professional Engineers in El Paso. These honors underscore her unwavering commitment to sustainable development, equity, and excellence in engineering.

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