Ask not what your SHPE familia can do for you – ask what you can do for your SHPE familia! Join the leadership team and make an impact at the highest levels of the organization. Your resume will thank you too!
Seize the Moment
If you want to be in a position that cultivates leadership skills, encourages ownership, and presents invaluable networking opportunities, now is your chance to take a leadership role at SHPE.
Every spring, SHPE holds a nationwide election to determine the new, volunteer members of the National Board of Directors (NBOD) and the regional leadership. The NBOD creates the vision and manages the organization’s strategy while the regional leadership supports staff with operations like guiding the chapters. Do not hesitate to become a candidate in this year’s elections!
Opportunities
The NBOD has three professional positions that are filled via election. Professional positions are staggered in the following pattern, to preserve continuity.
In odd-numbered years (2021, 2023, etc.), the following positions open for office:
- Two National Board Of Directors members
- Regional Vice Presidents for Regions 1, 3, 5, and 7
In even-numbered years (2020, 2022, etc), the following positions open for office:
- One National Board Of Directors member
- Regional Vice Presidents for Regions 2, 4, and 6
The above professional positions have two-year terms which begin on July 1st.
Every year, three student members are elected to the NBOD:
- Two National Board of Directors members – Undergraduate
- One National Board of Directors members – Graduate
Every year, fourteen student positions are open at a regional level:
- Seven Regional Graduate Representatives
- Seven Regional Student Representatives
The above student positions have one-year terms which begin on July 1st.
The sole purpose of the regional leadership is to support, at the local level, the operationalization of SHPE’s mission and purpose. Each region’s leadership shall be made up of, at a minimum, the following four positions. Any additional positions are at the discretion of the Regional Vice President.
The Regional Leadership Team provides proactive leadership coaching to chapters and membership including SHPE leadership. Coaching, mentoring, and support are essential to maintaining and growing healthy chapters and members.
REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS (RVP)
- Represent the professional membership and lead the regional team for their respective region
- Communicate business to the region’s professional chapters and communicate business from them to the regional team and the member representative to the SHPE staff
REGIONAL GRADUATE REPRESENTATIVE (RGR)
- Represent the region’s graduate student membership
- Communicate business to the regional student chapters and communicate business from them to the student assembly and regional team
REGIONAL STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE (RSR)
- Represent the region’s undergraduate student membership
- Communicate business to the regional student chapters and communicate business from them to the student assembly and regional team
REGIONAL JUNIOR REPRESENTATIVE (RJR)
- Be a STEM professional or educator and will represent the junior membership within a region
- Communicate business to the junior chapter advisors
- Work with the Regional team and communicate with the Regional Vice President
Nominee Checklist
Professional Nominees
- Hi-res professional photo (.jpg or .png)
- Biography (300-word count limit)
- Nomination petition with 5 professional member signatures
- NOTE: Membership ID from members residing in the region are required for regional positions.
- Candidate Acknowledgement Agreement
Graduate Student Nominees
- Hi-res professional photo (.jpg or .png)
- Biography (300-word count limit)
- Nomination petition with 5 graduate student member signatures
- NOTE: Membership ID from members residing in the region are required for regional positions.
- Transcripts (official or unofficial) with a 3.25 GPA minimum
- Candidate Acknowledgement Agreement
Undergraduate Student Nominees
- Hi-res professional photo (.jpg or .png)
- Biography (300-word count limit)
- Nomination petition with 5 undergraduate student member signatures
- NOTE: Membership ID from members residing in the region are required for regional positions.
- Transcripts (official or unofficial) with a 3.0 GPA minimum
- Candidate Acknowledgement Agreement
Nominee Eligibility
Eligible candidates and members wanting to nominate and/or vote must have been members in good standing as of February 15. Student chapters wanting to vote needed at least 10 members in good standing as of February 15.
Whatever member category you are (ex. student, graduate, professional) on February 15 determines the positions you’re eligible for and the voting rights you have. If your status has changed since you joined, please be sure to make that update when you renew. Or you can email [email protected] to assign the correct member category.
Lifetime Members
If you’re a lifetime member and your membership category has changed (ex. student to graduate, graduate to professional, or student to professional), please email [email protected] before February 15 to update your profile and associated voting privileges.
Professional Nominees
- Must be a professional member in good standing by February 15
- For regional positions, must have resided in the region for the last 6 months
- Must have a Bachelor’s degree and 6 months of full-time work experience, OR graduate studies prior to start of term
Graduate Nominees
- Must be a graduate member in good standing by February 15
- Must have a 3.25/4.0 GPA
- Must have at least 1 more fall + spring semester before graduation
- For regional positions, must be enrolled at a university within the region
- Graduating undergraduate members wishing to run for a Graduate position are conditionally eligible to run. Evidence of graduate student standing shall be provided prior to start of term
Undergraduate Nominees
- Must be an undergraduate member in good standing by February 15
- Must have a 3.0/4.0 GPA
- Must have at least 1 more fall + spring semester before graduation
- For regional positions, must be enrolled at a university within the region
Elections Timeline
February 15: The membership payment is due to be eligible to nominate, vote or run for office.
March 15: Nominations submittal deadline at 11:59 pm PDT
April 5: Candidates may begin campaigning
April 14: Ballots go out and voting begins at 12:01 am PDT
April 30: Voting concludes at 12:01 am PDT
May 16: Election Results Announced
Election Resources
2023 Winners
National Board of Directors: Professional
Christian Buenrostro is a Mechanical Engineer and Project Manager for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. He oversees maintenance, construction and engineering teams that work together to keep the deliveries of water in California’s Central Coast and Central Valley.
He plays an important role in water infrastructure to develop projects for aging facilities and maintaining facilities to keep working as they were designed 60 years ago.
Christian has served in the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) in different leadership roles and currently serves as Regional Vice President for Central and Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska.
Christian has been in leadership positions close to a decade where he always looks for the greater good of others. His experience would be a great benefit when making decision on where the organization will be heading in the future.
Jimi Diaz is a Sr. Project Engineer at Clearway Energy Group (CEG) in the Solar and Energy Storage Project Engineering department, involved in the contracting, design review, construction, and commissioning of large scale, photovoltaic solar plants, and energy storage systems.
Volunteerism and Servant Leadership are very important to Mr. Diaz. He is involved with the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), this year as a Co-Chair of the Professionals in STEM Track at the 2023 SHPE National Convention in Salt Lake City, UT, after serving in the same capacity last year. Previously, he served as the President of the Phoenix Chapter for several years, and the Professional Chapter Liaison at SHPE de ASU. He has also been part of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Los D-Backs Ambassadors Council since 2013, helping the Diamondbacks and their Foundation reach and support the Hispanic community in Arizona. In addition, he previously served two, 2-year terms on the Adelante Healthcare Board of Directors, a Federally Funded Community Health Center serving Maricopa County.
Professionally, as an Electrical Engineer specializing in Power Generation, Jimi started at CEG in July 2019. He was previously employed at Arizona Public Service, the largest public utility in Arizona, for 11 years, seven of those in the Solar Generation group. In addition, Jimi was a founding member of both organizations’ Hispanic Employee Resource Groups, serving as Chair/President for both.
Jimi earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree from Arizona State University in 2009, after changing careers in 2004 from the broadcasting industry. Born in Bogotá, Colombia and raised in South Florida, he is fluent in English and Spanish. Jimi enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, traveling, listening to live music, skiing, and working on projects around the house.
Angie Gonzalez is a Principal Electronics Engineer at Northrop Grumman and has been with the company since 2018. At Northrop Grumman, Angie serves as the Membership Engagement Chair for Adelante Melbourne, Recruitment/Membership Engagement Committee Lead for Adelante Aeronautics Sector, and the Chair for Virtual Chapter of the Pride in Diversity Alliance (PrIDA). Angie is also a Developer on the Mujeres Initiative team, which is one for the Project Hispanic in Leadership (PHiL) efforts at Northrop Grumman. PHiL is a highly-selective, invite-only group of Hispanic/Latinx leaders at the company. Lastly, Angie is one of the Systems Engineering Talent Ambassadors that supports the Systems Engineering Functional Homeroom in different recruitment efforts.
Angie was born and raised in New York and graduated from NYU with a BS in Physics and a BS in Electrical Engineering in 2018, as well as from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a Master’s in Systems Engineering in 2022. During her time at NYU, she was a NACME Scholar, INROADS Intern, Point Foundation Scholar, and Opportunity Programs (CSTEP) scholar.
Angie was an active volunteer with Out for Undergrad (O4U), a non-profit for LGBTQ+ undergraduate students pursuing careers in engineering, tech, marketing, and business, from 2017-2021. She was previously on the leadership team of the O4U Engineering Conference team as an Admission Director in 2018, Admissions Lead in 2019, Programming Director in 2020, and the Conference Lead in 2021. Currently, Angie is an active volunteer and Lifetime Member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). In 2022, she hosted SHPE’s first ever Noche de Ciencias Pride Celebration and hosted two Equipando Padres sessions. Angie has also been a leader at Northrop Grumman for advocating for more employees to get involved with SHPE, as well as for Adelante chapters to get more involved with local colleges/universities and their SHPE chapters.
Leopoldo is a Mechanical Engineer with 27+ years of experience starting as a summer intern and growing his career at Bechtel and now at Kiewit. He’s excited and motivated in sharing the world of engineering with our next generation of professionals. He remembers his roots as a first-born American from Mexican parents who immigrated to the US for a better life. As a manager and project sponsor, he leads and manages global teams of engineers and designers who are assigned to multiple projects he oversees. He’s responsible for the execution of engineering, compliance with work processes and procedures, timely and quality delivery, and talent development. He lives by the mantra of paying back based on his life experiences and as an ally for the people. He has summarized diversity & inclusion with the following phrase, “It’s not about being invited to the party but being asked to dance.” He has taken on the challenge to mentor and develop talent in leadership roles. In his previous assignment, he made great strides considering the barriers which were in place by growing the number of Latin female leaders and by identifying new hires and early career talent which he could place in stretch roles for faster career growth. He continues to give back to the community by participating in projects with Engineers Without Borders and Junior Achievement. Over the past four years, he’s been recognized as a Champion of Change, the Spirit Award, Inclusive Person of the Year, and the SHPE STAR Award Manager of the Year. As a Lifelong member, he is very proud of the achievements he has made in initiating a new relationship between Kiewit and SHPE at both the local and national levels even though he has only been at Kiewit for one year.
Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mr. Perea holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from New Mexico State University. He currently resides with his family in Houston, Texas. A life-long core value is to be a servant leader for others, organizations, and within his community.
SHPE has been a part of Mr. Perea’s life for over 30 years becoming a member as a college freshman. As a Houston Professional member, he acknowledges the importance and value of SHPE for students and professionals to support individual development and provide opportunities. Mr. Perea has been active on the SHPE Industry Partner Council for 6 years guiding and supporting SHPE’s mission and strategies, he has supported NILA and National Conferences, and Mr. Perea was awarded the SHPE Diversity STAR Award for contributions in Hispanic advancement in job promotions, business development and a leader for diversity and inclusion in the workplace and community.
From 2018 – 2020, Mr. Perea served as President for the Global Organization for Advancement of Latinos (GOAL), ExxonMobil’s Hispanic Employee Resource Group successfully leading four strategy pillars: Professional Development, Recruitment, Community Outreach and Cultural Awareness. ExxonMobil’s GOAL has won several national awards including SHPE ERG of the Year and the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce ERG of the Year Runner-up.
He served a 4-year term as Vice-Chair and Chair for the New Mexico State University Engineering Dean’s Council. He served as a MAES, Latinos in Science and Engineering, National Board member as Associate Vice President of Operations and National Vice President of Administration. In 2015, he was honored with the MAES Medalla de Oro, the highest award presented to an individual.
As an ExxonMobil employee for ~30 years, Mr. Perea has had positions in Business Development, Commercial, Marketing, Planning, Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing, Project Management, Research and Talent Management.
Karen Santos is an early professional at IBM working as a Sales Engineer for Cloud. She is proud to call both Mexico City and California home, however, is currently residing on the East Coast. She is a recent graduate of The Ohio State University where she received a degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering and a minor in Humanitarian Engineering. During her time at Ohio State, she developed a strong passion for diversity and inclusion in STEM and is eager to now give back to the community that supported her.
Karen has demonstrated a strong commitment to advocating for Hispanics and minorities in STEM both in academia and professionally. Karen previously served on the SHPE National Board of Directors during her final year at Ohio State where she took part in creating the 2022-2025 strategic plan and supported the investment committee. At IBM she has been able to gain firsthand experience on the impact diversity can bring to teams that drive innovation and develop leaders. Through organizations such as We Are All Human, Karen has been able to dive deeper into data filled discussions that create solutions and action for the advancement of the Hispanic community.
As a volunteer with SHPE, Karen has engaged in various national, regional, and leadership-based conferences. For the last three years she has worked closely with NILA (National Institute for Leadership Advancement), most recently serving on the 2022 planning committee. Karen has also previously served as the Region 6 Student Representative and held executive office positions at Ohio State.
Karen is eager to contribute her skills and knowledge to SHPE. She hopes to leverage her experience as a young professional to bring a fresh perspective to the board and help the organization connect with professionals and students alike.
Leo Soto is an engineer from New Jersey, who currently resides in Los Angeles, California. He began his journey as a first-generation college student when he attended Union County College in Cranford, New Jersey. Upon completion of his Associate’s Degree, he transferred to Rutgers University where he obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Upon starting Rutgers University in 2006, Leo discovered SHPE. In his final academic year, Leo served as President of SHPE Rutgers University. In May 2009, he obtained his Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Afterwards, he relocated to Los Angeles, California to begin his career at Boeing Satellite Systems (BSS).
During his time at BSS he served various functions, including Structural Design Engineer and Mechanical Liaison Engineer. Leo sought ways to be remain involved with STEM Outreach initiatives, joining the Boeing Hispanic Employees Network (BHEN), where he served as their Director of Outreach from 2011 – 2015.
Additionally, Leo teamed with others to create what would become SHPE South Bay Los Angeles (SBLA) Professional Chapter. Leo served as the first President of the chapter.
In July 2018 Leo became the RVP for SHPE Region 2, where he served the chapters of the Arizona, Southern California, and Las Vegas area. Currently, Leo works at Boeing as a Structures Lead Design Engineer, overseeing the structural design & integration in Space Vehicle Design. Leo has over 13 years of industry experience, as well as over 16 years of experience within the SHPE organization.
His hobbies include travel, trail running, and martial arts.
Melanie Weber recently joined Blue Origin as a Flight Operations Engineer working on Orbital Reef, a new commercial low Earth orbit Space Station currently in development.
Previous to joining Blue Origin, Melanie was the Subsystem Lead for Crew and Cargo Accommodations and the Launch Pad Team Lead for the Boeing CST-100 Starliner. In 2019, she became the first woman and the first Hispanic person to lead a launch pad team on the day of launch of a spacecraft. Melanie was granted a US patent for the crew’s seats on the Starliner and worked to ensure safety of the astronauts during their missions, earning her the NASA Astronauts’ Silver Snoopy Award. She was featured in an episode of the Science Channel’s Impossible Engineering showcasing Starliner’s landing airbag system and was integral in unveiling Boeing’s spacesuit on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
As an active lifetime member of SHPE since 2007, Melanie currently serves as the Vice-Chair for the National Board of Directors. She became a member of SHPE in 1999 and has volunteered in numerous capacities including chapter vice-president, convention committee member for several conventions and as an RVP for Region 7 prior to joining the NBOD. In 2021, Melanie was awarded the Dr. Ellen Ochoa Star Award for her contributions within the aerospace industry and for advancing Latinas in STEM.
Melanie is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and was recognized as an Outstanding Young Texas Ex in 2020. An avid animal lover, Melanie supports various rescue groups, and enjoys spending time at home with her cat, guinea pigs, chinchillas, and bunny.
Karen Santos is an early professional at IBM working as a Sales Engineer for Cloud. She is proud to call both Mexico City and California home, however, is currently residing on the East Coast. She is a recent graduate of The Ohio State University where she received a degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering and a minor in Humanitarian Engineering. During her time at Ohio State, she developed a strong passion for diversity and inclusion in STEM and is eager to now give back to the community that supported her.
Karen has demonstrated a strong commitment to advocating for Hispanics and minorities in STEM both in academia and professionally. Karen previously served on the SHPE National Board of Directors during her final year at Ohio State where she took part in creating the 2022-2025 strategic plan and supported the investment committee. At IBM she has been able to gain firsthand experience on the impact diversity can bring to teams that drive innovation and develop leaders. Through organizations such as We Are All Human, Karen has been able to dive deeper into data filled discussions that create solutions and action for the advancement of the Hispanic community.
As a volunteer with SHPE, Karen has engaged in various national, regional, and leadership-based conferences. For the last three years she has worked closely with NILA (National Institute for Leadership Advancement), most recently serving on the 2022 planning committee. Karen has also previously served as the Region 6 Student Representative and held executive office positions at Ohio State.
Karen is eager to contribute her skills and knowledge to SHPE. She hopes to leverage her experience as a young professional to bring a fresh perspective to the board and help the organization connect with professionals and students alike.
Melanie Weber recently joined Blue Origin as a Flight Operations Engineer working on Orbital Reef, a new commercial low Earth orbit Space Station currently in development.
Previous to joining Blue Origin, Melanie was the Subsystem Lead for Crew and Cargo Accommodations and the Launch Pad Team Lead for the Boeing CST-100 Starliner. In 2019, she became the first woman and the first Hispanic person to lead a launch pad team on the day of launch of a spacecraft. Melanie was granted a US patent for the crew’s seats on the Starliner and worked to ensure safety of the astronauts during their missions, earning her the NASA Astronauts’ Silver Snoopy Award. She was featured in an episode of the Science Channel’s Impossible Engineering showcasing Starliner’s landing airbag system and was integral in unveiling Boeing’s spacesuit on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
As an active lifetime member of SHPE since 2007, Melanie currently serves as the Vice-Chair for the National Board of Directors. She became a member of SHPE in 1999 and has volunteered in numerous capacities including chapter vice-president, convention committee member for several conventions and as an RVP for Region 7 prior to joining the NBOD. In 2021, Melanie was awarded the Dr. Ellen Ochoa Star Award for her contributions within the aerospace industry and for advancing Latinas in STEM.
Melanie is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and was recognized as an Outstanding Young Texas Ex in 2020. An avid animal lover, Melanie supports various rescue groups, and enjoys spending time at home with her cat, guinea pigs, chinchillas, and bunny.
National Board of Directors: Graduate
Originally from Houston, Texas, Adrian is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Houston (‘12).
Looking to gain industry experience after undergrad, Adrian began working in oil and gas for Schlumberger as a Subsea Wellhead Design Engineer within Schlumberger’s Wellheads department. After receiving his Professional Engineering (P.E.) license in Texas, Adrian left Schlumberger to work for 3M where he was a product engineer reviewing Gas and Flame Detection equipment designs 3M had purchased from Johnson Controls. During his P.E. exam studies and as a result of his experiences at 3M, Adrian decided to return to academia and pursue his Ph.D. Whilst at Virginia Tech, he has been elected or appointed to multiple graduate leadership positions within SHPE including Graduate Vice- Chair and subsequently Graduate Chair at Virginia Tech, Region 4 Graduate Representative for ’20-’21 and ’21-’22, and SHPE National Graduate Committee Co-Chair for ’21-‘23. This past year, Adrian had the honor of serving on the National Board of Directors of SHPE and would love to continue improving the organization by bringing the graduate student perspective to strategic decisions for the future of the organization.
Adrian’s motivation for re-election to the SHPE National Board comes from his desire to continue giving back to the community that has supported him throughout his career. SHPE has helped him meet great mentors, friends, colleagues, and mentees that have helped him learn how to job hunt effectively, how to find funding for graduate school, and feel a sense of community thousands of miles away from his home. Adrian wants to continue being a resource for all members in SHPE wishing to acquire funding for school, assist SHPE to increase its graduate student population, and ensure that SHPE supports all members in accomplishing their educational and professional goals.
My name is Matteo Sanchez-Dahl Gonzalez, and I believe science captures the mystical melody of the universe with its musical notes written in mathematical equations. I’m pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering to fulfill my childhood desire to expand my imagination. As a first-generation Mexican-American, I will change the narrative about people from minority backgrounds succeeding in science by exemplifying excellence in every endeavor and empowering members of my community. As a fourth-year Biomedical Engineering student at The George Washington University, I’ve become increasingly involved in SHPE, both at my local chapter and nationally. Previously, I have been President of my university chapter, Sub-Regional Student Representative, and now I serve as an Undergraduate Representative on the National Board of Directors.
I will complete an MS in Biomedical Engineering Program before applying to Medical Scientist Training Programs to pursue an MD/Ph.D. degree. Throughout my career as a physician-scientist-humanist-leader, I will serve patient needs from all walks of life. I want to combine my interest in scientific research with my passion for social justice by utilizing epidemiology to shed light on the adverse effects systematic disparity has had on human health. I believe employing empathy to connect with new perspectives is part of the essence of scientific exploration. To become a holistic scientist, I will contribute my leadership abilities to create a culture that champions diverse ideas and perspectives. I believe we have a unique opportunity to design public policies that catalyze social innovation and add value to the lives of marginalized communities by creating self-sustaining entrepreneurial ecosystems. I aim to leverage my privilege and expertise to support social engineering initiatives tackling large-scale societal problems and disparities. We can pave the path to a more sustainable and equitable future by employing universal design principles to find innovative solutions.
Originally from Houston, Texas, Adrian is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Houston (‘12).
Looking to gain industry experience after undergrad, Adrian began working in oil and gas for Schlumberger as a Subsea Wellhead Design Engineer within Schlumberger’s Wellheads department. After receiving his Professional Engineering (P.E.) license in Texas, Adrian left Schlumberger to work for 3M where he was a product engineer reviewing Gas and Flame Detection equipment designs 3M had purchased from Johnson Controls. During his P.E. exam studies and as a result of his experiences at 3M, Adrian decided to return to academia and pursue his Ph.D. Whilst at Virginia Tech, he has been elected or appointed to multiple graduate leadership positions within SHPE including Graduate Vice- Chair and subsequently Graduate Chair at Virginia Tech, Region 4 Graduate Representative for ’20-’21 and ’21-’22, and SHPE National Graduate Committee Co-Chair for ’21-‘23. This past year, Adrian had the honor of serving on the National Board of Directors of SHPE and would love to continue improving the organization by bringing the graduate student perspective to strategic decisions for the future of the organization.
Adrian’s motivation for re-election to the SHPE National Board comes from his desire to continue giving back to the community that has supported him throughout his career. SHPE has helped him meet great mentors, friends, colleagues, and mentees that have helped him learn how to job hunt effectively, how to find funding for graduate school, and feel a sense of community thousands of miles away from his home. Adrian wants to continue being a resource for all members in SHPE wishing to acquire funding for school, assist SHPE to increase its graduate student population, and ensure that SHPE supports all members in accomplishing their educational and professional goals.
National Board of Directors: Undergraduate
Leah was born in Jalisco, Mexico, and she was raised in the Metro Detroit area.
She is currently a student at Michigan State University studying Industrial Engineering. She takes a lot of pride in her Hispanic/latina heritage so she joined SHPE, a community that embraces her heritage and helps her develop professionally.
She served as Secretary, Academic Chair, and Chapter President in her SHPE Chapter.
Leah is currently the SHPE Region 6 Student Representative serving as the liaison with 30+ chapters by communicating with them and voicing student pain points to SHPE Staff, Committees, and the National Board of Directors.
Leah has taken initiative to give students a voice such as hosting a feedback session after SHPE Nationals 2022 with various National Board of Directors Present to listen to students concerns, and she continues to work with the Board Chair and CEO to make sure the student feedback gets implemented.
Leah worked with the Region 6 team to create a regional retreat to help chapters grow and build community. She worked with chapters to help them thrive by addressing challenges they face. She created a Master Document with resources from nationals and some she created to support chapter finances, corporate sponsors, recruitment and retention; this document was shared with SHPE chapters all over the country. She has other leadership experiences such as being an Ambassador for the MSU College of Engineering Women in Engineering K-12 Outreach, and a being a Mentor for HeadStart.
SHPE means a lot to Leah as it has given her a community, leadership, research and internship opportunities! She wants help other students in the same ways SHPE has helped her in her career; she wants to continue to give back to SHPE by being the voice of the students at a national level.
Hi! My name is Rogelio Mendoza, and I’m a senior studying mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas as a proud first-generation college student with a Mexican heritage. Transitioning from high school to college was very challenging for me as I was leaving home for the first time without any guidance and anyone to look up to, but this quickly changed as I was able to find a home in SHPE. I could see people who looked like me and shared many of the same experiences as me, so I made many new friendships. Along with many new friends, I found mentors who helped me navigate my time in college through their continuous sharing of wisdom, lessons learned, and personal testimonies.
My SHPE journey did not stop there, as I wanted to give back to the community that gave me so much. I decided to run for various leadership positions that I was passionate about and believed I could best give back to support Hispanic STEM students. Each leadership position taught me more about myself and what it truly takes to be an effective leader that values those around him. I currently serve as chapter President where I learned that my hard work has helped transcend my SHPE chapter to a better position. My most important takeaway is the true power of a familia as I learned to trust my leadership team and ensure our work helped others find a home in SHPE. As this year is coming to a close, I realized that I have much more to give back to my SHPE familia, inspiring me to run for the Undergraduate position on the SHPE Board of Directors to continue expanding SHPE’s mission on a national level!
Andrea Rivera is a junior Aerospace Engineering student at Texas A&M University minoring in Astrophysics and Mathematics. She’s been involved in SHPE since her freshman year and has been actively involved during her time at Texas A&M SHPE’s chapter where she previously served as the Chapter’s SHPEtina representative, as a Vice-Regional Student Representative for Region 5 for the 2021-2022 year, and as the current Regional Student Representative for Region 5 in the 2022-2023 year. She was titled Lead Engineer in the Extreme Engineering challenge at the 2021 SHPE National Convention and at the 2022 SHPE National Convention where she led her team to First Place as the team’s Mock CEO in the competition. In her undergraduate career as a student, Andrea has interned twice with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mission and the Psyche Mission, The Boeing Company, SpaceX, and has an upcoming internship with NASA JPL for the Summer 2023 with the Europa Clipper Mission. She’s held various leadership roles through serving Program Manager roles in NASA Academies, undergraduate research, engineering publications, and her extracurricular engineering activities. Upon graduation, Andrea plans to pursue her graduate degree at Stanford University or MIT University in Aerospace Engineering before working full time in industry as an engineer at NASA JPL.
Outside of engineering, Andrea enjoys an active lifestyle and being a life-long learner. She’s loved working as an RSR where she’s helped contribute to exercising SHPE’s missions and values that she’s so passionate about across her Region and community. Andrea’s biggest passions include helping other students, especially minorities, around her succeed and reach their fullest potentials in their personal and professional careers, as she values the importance of mentorship and guidance to others by being an immigrant and the first engineer in her family.
Hi! My name is Rogelio Mendoza, and I’m a senior studying mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas as a proud first-generation college student with a Mexican heritage. Transitioning from high school to college was very challenging for me as I was leaving home for the first time without any guidance and anyone to look up to, but this quickly changed as I was able to find a home in SHPE. I could see people who looked like me and shared many of the same experiences as me, so I made many new friendships. Along with many new friends, I found mentors who helped me navigate my time in college through their continuous sharing of wisdom, lessons learned, and personal testimonies.
My SHPE journey did not stop there, as I wanted to give back to the community that gave me so much. I decided to run for various leadership positions that I was passionate about and believed I could best give back to support Hispanic STEM students. Each leadership position taught me more about myself and what it truly takes to be an effective leader that values those around him. I currently serve as chapter President where I learned that my hard work has helped transcend my SHPE chapter to a better position. My most important takeaway is the true power of a familia as I learned to trust my leadership team and ensure our work helped others find a home in SHPE. As this year is coming to a close, I realized that I have much more to give back to my SHPE familia, inspiring me to run for the Undergraduate position on the SHPE Board of Directors to continue expanding SHPE’s mission on a national level!
Andrea Rivera is a junior Aerospace Engineering student at Texas A&M University minoring in Astrophysics and Mathematics. She’s been involved in SHPE since her freshman year and has been actively involved during her time at Texas A&M SHPE’s chapter where she previously served as the Chapter’s SHPEtina representative, as a Vice-Regional Student Representative for Region 5 for the 2021-2022 year, and as the current Regional Student Representative for Region 5 in the 2022-2023 year. She was titled Lead Engineer in the Extreme Engineering challenge at the 2021 SHPE National Convention and at the 2022 SHPE National Convention where she led her team to First Place as the team’s Mock CEO in the competition. In her undergraduate career as a student, Andrea has interned twice with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mission and the Psyche Mission, The Boeing Company, SpaceX, and has an upcoming internship with NASA JPL for the Summer 2023 with the Europa Clipper Mission. She’s held various leadership roles through serving Program Manager roles in NASA Academies, undergraduate research, engineering publications, and her extracurricular engineering activities. Upon graduation, Andrea plans to pursue her graduate degree at Stanford University or MIT University in Aerospace Engineering before working full time in industry as an engineer at NASA JPL.
Outside of engineering, Andrea enjoys an active lifestyle and being a life-long learner. She’s loved working as an RSR where she’s helped contribute to exercising SHPE’s missions and values that she’s so passionate about across her Region and community. Andrea’s biggest passions include helping other students, especially minorities, around her succeed and reach their fullest potentials in their personal and professional careers, as she values the importance of mentorship and guidance to others by being an immigrant and the first engineer in her family.
Region 1
Ernesto Zurita Ruiz is an Optomechanical Engineer with Applied Materials in Portland, Oregon. In 2021, Ernesto received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management from the University of Portland as first-generation student. Ernesto joined SHPE in 2017 where he helped start up a SHPE chapter at his university. Since joining SHPE, Ernesto assumed the role of chapter president at SHPE University of Portland in addition to serving two years as SHPE Region 1’s Junior Representative.
Ernesto is passionate about bringing more faces from underrepresented and minority communities into the STEM field, providing avenues of professional and financial support for these individuals and getting them into higher positions up the business and organization ladders. As a Mexican-born immigrant to the U.S., Ernesto always had a heart for inspiring and supporting grade-school students from Spanish-speaking households to pursue higher education, for pushing and supporting first-generation and immigrant students at colleges, universities, and trade schools to achieve their educational goals, and to help them as new professionals navigate through first year barriers, pushing them to dream big and pursue bigger goals.
Ernesto is excited for the opportunity to be the voice of the junior, undergraduate, graduate, and professional members within SHPE Region 1. When challenges and uncertainty come knocking on the door, members need a leader who will listen and lead efforts to find resolve. Ernesto is ready to step into those shoes and help Region 1 members excel and progress forward.
Region 2
I grew up in Indiana and graduated from Purdue University in 2019 with a degree in chemical engineering. After working for a year as a product quality engineer for DuPont, I went back to school to pursue my Masters in Computer Science at the University of Southern California, where I am currently attending. I have been a SHPE member for 6 years and have attended 6 national SHPE conventions, as both a student and recruiter, as well as NILA and RLDC. I have served as marketing chair for the SHPE New Jersey professional chapter, been a member of the SHPE graduate student committee at USC, and I am currently on the executive board as one of two graduate student representatives for our SHPE chapter at USC. Through my work with SHPE I’ve been involved with various activities including Equipando Padres, Día de Ciencias, and Future GRADS MentorSHPE, as well as planning and executing programming catered towards graduate students. In my free time I enjoy reading, taking up new hobbies, and playing with my dog!
Region 3
I was born in Denver and raised in Commerce City, Colorado, a Denver suburb, with a predominately Hispanic population. I went to high school with a freshmen class of 900 students and a graduating class of less than 300. I worked part-time throughout high school, which taught me the importance of hard work and dedication. I graduated Salutatorian of my class and continued my studies at the University of Colorado Denver in the fall of 2006.
My first experience with SHPE was attending a national conference in Denver in 2007 and have been a member since. I held my first leadership role as president of my school chapter in the 2008-2009 school year and was elected Region 3 RSR the following year. As a member, I attended several national conventions and RLDCs and NILA as chapter leader and RSR. I graduated in 2010 with a major in civil engineering and minor in applied leadership.
Soon after graduation, I moved to Houston, Texas where I worked at a third-party contractor engineering firm in the oil and gas industry. After four years at the company, and advancing to Engineer III with a specialty in pipeline, I became a Project Manager at ZAP Engineering in Colorado and have been there since. I have been fortunate to continue working in the same industry and most recently as Senior Project Manager.
Over the last year I have served as the interim RVP and after convention I feel there is a lot of untapped potential in the region and would like to have the opportunity to work with the region on achieving that potential. Prior to taking the position, the last three years I’ve been an active leader in SHPE, as VP of Operations, VP of Corporate Relations and again as VP of Operations in the Denver professional chapter.
I am Leonardo Aragón and I am running to be your 2023-2024 Region 3 Graduate Student Representative. Region 3 holds as special place in my heart as I come from a small town in Northern New Mexico called Mora, currently I attend Colorado School of Mines, and will be attending the University of New Mexico for my PharmD program. I have been involved in SHPE since my freshman year of college where I have served as an outreach member as well as Co-President of the chapter. I’ve learned many valuable lessons through my involvement with SHPE and I hope to share those with my fellow students. Two which are particularly important to me are the lessons in flexibility and networking.
One focus that I will hold in this position will be the importance of being flexible in academia, the workplace, and life. I began my journey at Mines as a mechanical engineering student but ended up finding my calling within biochemistry and pharmacy. Through this, I’ve come to realize the versatility of an engineering background and I want to share that perspective with others in order to diversify their options and help them find their calling. I want to be a resource for my peers and those interested in graduate school and help them to realize their fullest potential.
Part of that includes helping people make the right connections. I pride myself on my networking skills and want to share that with others. It’s imperative that the SHPE graduate student body feels heard and understood while also ensuring that the right people are hearing our voices. Lastly, I want to help those interested in graduate school connect with the appropriate resources to ensure their success. I want to be there for you!
My name is Eliseo Barreno, and I have always been intrigued by automobiles and airplanes. Growing up, I was curious about how they worked, and as I progressed through high school, my fascination grew into a passion for engineering. During high school, I enrolled in the Washburn Institute of Technology, where I learned the skills required to become an automotive service technician. This experience cemented my love for engineering and helped me realize I wanted to pursue a career in the field.
During my senior year of high school, I became worried about the financial burden of college. However, my hard work paid off when I graduated as valedictorian of my class and was selected as a recipient of the Rudd Foundation scholarship. This scholarship gave me the opportunity to attend Wichita State University. Since then, I have been studying Mechanical Engineering and working hard to apply my skills and knowledge to real-world challenges. As a sophomore, I am excited about what the future holds and am eager to continue my education.
Aside from my academic pursuits, I am actively involved in several extracurricular activities at Wichita State University. One organization that I am particularly proud to be a part of is the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). SHPE has allowed me to connect with like-minded individuals who share my passion for engineering. Recently, I was honored to be selected as an executive member of the Wichita State chapter of SHPE, which has been a rewarding leadership experience. I am also a member of the Wichita State Soccer Club, and during my free time, I enjoy photography and traveling.
In conclusion, I am thrilled to be a Mechanical Engineering student at Wichita State University, and I look forward to applying my skills and knowledge to solve real-world challenges.
Region 4
Carlos Gutierrez is a DACA student pursing a PhD in Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) working on breast cancer detection through thermal analysis, computational modeling, and infrared imaging. Carlos has a BS in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mathematics from SUNY Polytechnic Institute, and a MS in Mechanical Engineering from RIT. He has served the SHPE familia at the chapter, regional, and national levels through mentoring and community engagement. He is currently the Chapter President for the RIT SHPE Chapter and has served numerous positions in the chapter throughout his time in graduate school. He also serves as the RIT Grad Chair in the SHPE Region 4 Regional Graduate Leadership Committee (RGLC), helping graduate students learn about career opportunities through organizing and hosting various events.
I am a third-year aerospace engineering student at the University of Virginia. I grew up in northern Virginia along with one younger sister. From a young age I often visited my family in Bolivia and Peru. As a first year in college, I joined SHPE and have never looked back. What I love most about SHPE is that I have been given so many opportunities to meet members from all over the country. Meeting professionals and students and hearing their stories is truly inspiring. I was a subRSR in 2021-22 for the mid-Atlantic region. I am the current Region 4 RSR because I loved my experience as a sub RSR. I am now running again because I want to continue working with the region to strengthen chapters and also bring back unity and sense of familia to the region. Outside of SHPE I am also a member of SWE and AIAA. In terms of hobbies, I enjoy cooking, traveling, and reading mystery/thriller books.
Region 5
Cindy Sanchez is an alumna of the University of Houston, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering in May 2017. She started her career as a rotational engineer with SLB, where she completed four different rotations in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. She was a Project Coordinator for 3 years, managing subsea equipment projects in the Gulf of Mexico, before starting her current role, Digital Learning & Development Lead. Cindy is also a SLB Diversity Campus Manager, in which she supports the recruitment team through Diversity and Inclusion events and initiatives.
As a college student, Cindy was an active member of multiple engineering organizations, served as a workshop facilitator and held multiple leadership roles at the local and regional levels of SHPE, in which her leadership efforts led to SHPE-UH receiving the National Large Chapter of the Year title for the first time in chapter history in 2014. She continued on to serve the Houston Professional Chapter in different capacities the last 6 years, with last year completing her term as the Internal Vice President. In her free time, she enjoys training at Alphaland, seeking out the best boba shops in the city, and traveling to learn about new places and culturas.
My name is Sofia Murillo Sanchez, and I was born in Colombia before moving to the United States at a young age. I am currently a Computer Science major with a specialization in AI and Machine Learning at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas. My journey with SHPE started in high school when I tried to start a SHPE Jr. chapter and host a Noche de Ciencias with the help of SHPE Houston. As a result of my efforts, I was awarded the Leader of Tomorrow award by SHPE Houston as a High School senior, an award historically given to college students. Since then, I have continued to serve the SHPE community and have held various positions within SHPE SMU. Currently, I am serving as President and Region 5 Vice Regional Student Representative, serving the North, Central, and West Texas collegiate chapters. During my term as President of SHPE SMU, the chapter has grown significantly and achieved numerous milestones, we: Raised over $10,000 to sponsor 20 students to the National Convention Launched our official alumni network with over 20 members Hosted a Networking Luncheon with over 100 attendees, never seen before by SMU Initiated the sponsorship process for our first-ever SHPE Jr chapter at Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep Obtained over 5 corporate sponsors SHPE SMU continues to reach new milestones every day. I was honored to be awarded the 2022 Region 5 Undergraduate Outstanding Lobo Award and hope to continue serving the SHPE community in a larger capacity as the Regional Student Representative. I am passionate about SHPE because of my desire to help others excel in all areas of life. I believe that I can make a positive impact as Regional Student Representative and help Region 5 collegiate chapters make history.
Region 7
William Gonzalez is a SHPE Professional member who has been involved with SHPE for 11+ years, starting at the University of South Florida as a freshman in 2012. While at the University of South Florida, he was able to support the chapter members through servant leadership over his 5 years in Undergrad. After serving at USF as a chapter president he continued to volunteer with SHPE National, by supporting NILA and creating new workshops/events for the National Conventions. His areas of focus for young professionals are Professional Development, Financial Acumen and Servant-Leadership skills. After graduation William went to go work at Rockwell Automation for 3 years as an Account Manager based out of Houston. Today William works for Microsoft Corporation as a Partner Technology Strategist. Outside of SHPE, William works with the HOLA ERG at Microsoft and volunteers to engage with K-12 students to expose them to Latinos in STEM.
As RVP he wants to continue supporting the student and professional efforts in the region. Region 7 has helped shape the person he is today, and he hopes to continue providing service to the members.