Servingness Spotlight: Faculty/Staff

Dr. Gurtina Besla

Assistant Professor of Astronomy, Department of Astronomy

Dr. Besla is currently developing local programs and arranging mentorships dedicated to supporting students of color who are pursuing degrees in physics and astronomy.

In her efforts, she has helped to create the two following programs:

• Astrocharlas -  The Spanish Astronomy Public Lecture Series 

• TIMESTEP -  Tucson Initiative for Minority Engagement in Science and TEchnology Program

Michael D. L. Johnson, PhD

Assistant Professor, Immunobiology
Assistant Professor, BIO5 Institute

Creating Remote Research Opportunities for BIPOC Undergraduate Students in Microbial Sciences. Dr. Michael Johnson launched the National Summer Undergraduate Research Project, a community-driven initiative to create rewarding remote summer research opportunities for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) undergraduates in microbial sciences.

HSI Fellow, Dr. Adriana Zuniga and her colleagues recently published "Urban Resilience & Green Infrastructure Systems: Towards a Multidimensional Evaluation", an assessment of urban resilience from green infrastructure, arguing that the assessment of urban resilience requires participatory processes and a wide diversity of voices to help avoid injustice.

Director of Mexico Programs for Arizona Global

Dr. Nadia Alvarez Mexia has devoted her professional and teaching career to creating collaborations that link people and institutions, nourishing the extraordinary beauty of diverse and inclusive communities. Fueled by curiosity and a strong commitment to serve others, Nadia creates safe learning spaces and remarkable academic experiences that have brought recognition from the University of Arizona, as well as from NAFSA in the U.S. and institutions of higher education in Mexico.

The University of Arizona received a $750,000, three-year grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to integrate library services into data-intensive research to produce open-access humanities scholarship on the U.S.-Mexico Border. The organizing team includes Shan Sutton, dean of University Libraries, Megan Senseney, head of the Office of Digital Innovation and Stewardship, and Verónica Reyes-Escudero, head of Special Collections.

Cindy Trejo, MBA, PhD Candidate in Mexican American Studies

Cindy Trejo has advocated for improved education in Arizona for nearly three decades. Her career began working with families in public health and transitioned to serve parents, and students at the school, school district, and state education department levels. Driven to improve structures and systems for underrepresented, low-income, and first-generation college students, she is determined to lead activities in the Title V, Outreach FAMILIA Grant, which will expand and enhance institutional capacity to increase students entering higher education and earning postsecondary degrees.

NEH Faculty Fellowship: Dr. Derrais Carter

Dr. Derrais Carter has been awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities - Fellowship Award supporting research and writing on Blaxploitation! The NEH Fellowship Award for Faculty Programs for HSIs is listed in the NEH official notice of new awards today.