New Team Members

Dr. Denise Garcia is the new Associate Director of OTRES. Dr. Garcia is a Professor in the Department Biological Sciences at CSUSM and she has a strong record of providing education and support to students from underrepresented groups. She received her PhD in Genetics in 1991 from Texas A&M University and then performed research at the Australian Institute of Marine Science and Tufts University prior to joining CSUSM in 1996. Among her many contributions to the campus, she served as Chair of Biological Sciences from 2005-2010 and Associate Dean of CoEHHS from 2012-2017.

She is currently Principal Investigator and Director of the CSUSM NIH-Bridges to the Future Program, and Principal Investigator and Director of the CSUSM McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program. Both programs are aimed at providing professional development and support to students from low-income/first-generation/underrepresented backgrounds to help them succeed in their coursework and prepare for graduate-level careers in their respective fields. Dr. Garcia is also a part of the writing and leadership team for the successful HHMI Inclusive Excellence Grant, for which she runs a yearlong STEM Faculty Learning Community that brings knowledge of active learning strategies in STEM. She has provided leadership across the campus over the 23 years she has been at CSUSM. Her background and skills make her a perfect match for leadership in OTRES.

Dr. Richard Armenta (Kinesiology) and Dr. Carlos Luna Lopez (Biology) are OTRES Faculty Fellows for the 19/20 academic year.

Dr. Armenta will be offering professional development to OTRES Scholars in our workshop and seminar series. Dr. Luna Lopez will be guiding OTRES Scholars in the development of fellowship proposals. And both will provide advice on the selection and training of OTRES Scholars.