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

Norma Garza Reyes, M.S.

Amanda Stevens, M.S.

SSTEM Research Assistant
PhD student in Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University - Commerce
​She/Her/Hers
Graduation: December 2022
Research interests: metacognition, metamemory judgments, student learning behaviors
Professional goals for the future: Once I have earned my PhD in Educational Psychology, I plan to enter academia as a professor of psychology. I hope to attain a position that will allow me to engage in teaching, mentoring, and research.
Email: astevens@leomail.tamuc.edu