Maria L. Espino, M.A

Research Group/Project Coordinator | SSTEM Project Lead
PhD student in Higher Education, Iowa State University
She/Her/Hers
Graduation: Spring 2022
Research interests: College Access, Community Colleges, Early College High Schools, Dual-Enrollment, First-Generation, Low-Income, Diversity & Equity Institutional Policy, Critical Race Theory, Feminist Theory, Multicultural students, LGBTQ+ Students, STEM Students, Multicultural Greek Letter Organizations, Marginalized Communities, Recruitment & Retention, Intersectionality, Student Identity Development, Environment Theory
Professional goals for the future: Upon completion of the PhD, Maria would like to continue to be a voice and advocate for students in Higher Education while being an educator and researcher. She aspires to work as faculty while, providing services and mentorship to students.  
Email: mespino@iastate.edu 
more: ​Linkedin

Brian Le

SSTEM Research Volunteer 
Research interests: 
Additional job/assistantship: Brian works full time as the Undergraduate Program Coordinator for the Science Bound Program, a full tuition scholarship for students who are pursuing an ASTEM (Agriculture, Science, Technology, and Math) degree at Iowa State University.
Professional goals for future: Brian hopes to pursue a PhD in Higher Education and ultimately work in a director type position where he will be able to help students from marginalized backgrounds.  
​Research Interests: Retention of First Gen/Low Income Students pursuing an ASTEM Degree, Recruitment & Retention, STEM Students, First Gen/ Low Income
 
Email: ble@iastate.edu 
Social Media: Linkedin

Thomas Brooks, M.S.

COVID-RAPID Graduate Project Lead
PhD Student in Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University-Commerce 
He/Him/His
Graduation: Spring 2021
Research interests: Human sexuality, trauma-informed education, social psychology of fandoms 
Professional goals for the future: After graduating with his PhD in Educational Psychology, Thomas would like to become a professor of psychology and continue to pursue research and teaching students. 

Email: thomasrbrooksiii@gmail.com 
Website: sexography.org
Twitter: @TBrooks_SexPsy

Hannah Hightower, B.S.

Hispanic Serving Community Colleges - Developmental Math Education Project Lead
Specialist in School Psychology (SSP) student, Texas A&M University-Commerce
She/Her/Hers
Graduation: May 2022
Research interests: Autism spectrum disorders, Bilingualism and Autism, Transition to college, Intersectionality, Perceived Control and Anxiety, Anxiety and COVID-19
Professional goals for the future: Upon completion of her SSP, Hannah would like to work as a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP) in the public schools, where she hopes to help students overcome learning, social-emotional, behavioral, and mental health difficulties. She also hopes to one day obtain a Ph.D. in School Psychology and become a licensed psychologist. 
Email: hhightower@leomail.tamuc.edu
​

Norma Garza Reyes, M.S.

Latinas in STEM Project Lead
PhD student in Experimental/Social Psychology, The University of Texas at Arlington
She/hers/ella
Graduation: December 2021
 
Research interests: attitudes toward immigrants and immigration, acculturative stress, bi-cultural identity, right-wing authoritarianism, nationalism, patriotism, underrepresented students in higher education, Latinas in STEM fields, voter turnout, political efficacy. 
 
Professional goals for the future: after graduation, Norma would like to continue working in a higher education institution, ideally as a professor, but she is open to other positions as well. She aspires to be a source of mentorship for students while conducting research related to her interests. 
 
Email: norma.garza2@mavs.uta.edu
other: LinkedIn