Teaching and Research Integration in the Classroom and Community

TBA 00, 2026 - 00:00pm-00:00pm Maria Cecilia Montenegro, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology Psychological Science

Yuririam Rodriguez Lab Member

Sam Solis Lab Member

Navigating College on the Spectrum: Needs and Experiences of Autistic Students at UTRGV

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Maria Cecilia Montenegro
I am a faculty for the Clinical Psychology PhD program and director for the Pathways to Adulthood Collaborative. For the last 6 years I’ve worked with autistic children and families, offering psychoeducation and early interventions. As a new faculty, I want to expand my work to focus on helping autistic adults in college. Autistic individuals experience specific challenges (e.g., social, sensory, and executive functioning differences), which, when ignored, can result in a negative college experience. Due to these challenges and limited support, autistic individuals are less likely to attend or complete college. As such, my long-term goal is to increase the support mechanisms for autistic students through increased understanding of their experiences for a more accepting and inclusive learning environment.

September 17, 2025 - 11:00am-12:00 p.m. Uma Ganesan, Ph.D Assistant Professor of STEM Education, Department of Teaching and Learning Undergraduate Research Faculty Fellow, Engaged Scholarship and Learning, Office of Student Success

Bridging Cultural Assets and Environmental Justice: Implementing Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining STEM Education in the Rio Grande Valley.

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I am an Assistant Professor of STEM Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning. I earned my Ph.D. in Educational Studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, receiving the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award. My educational journey began in India with a bachelor’s degree in zoology and a master’s in environmental toxicology, followed by 30 years of teaching in pharmacy colleges in India, international schools in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and two universities in the United States.

At UTRGV, I teach doctoral and master's courses while chairing and serving on doctoral dissertation committees. I recently received the 2024 Jhumki Basu Scholar Award from the National Association of Research in Science Teaching (NARST), recognizing contributions toward more equitable STEM teaching and learning.

My research focuses on culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogy for multilingual learners in STEM education. I have published in top-tier journals including Cultural Studies of Science Education, Teaching and Teacher Education, Discover Education, and SN Social Sciences. My community-engaged research includes the Raíces y Ciencia project, implementing culturally sustaining environmental STEM education in Rio Grande Valley high schools, bridging cultural knowledge with scientific investigations to address environmental justice issues affecting Hispanic/Latinx students.

My teaching philosophy emphasizes asset-based approaches that honor students' cultural and linguistic resources, creating inclusive learning communities where students develop critical consciousness and skills for community transformation.

In my TRICC session, "Bridging Cultural Assets and Environmental Justice," I demonstrate how community-engaged research transforms STEM learning for Hispanic/Latinx students. Participants explore strategies for validating students' bilingual assets, connecting family knowledge with environmental justice investigations, and positioning students as community researchers, providing evidence-based frameworks for culturally sustaining pedagogy at Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

October 15, 2025 - 9:00am-10:00 a.m. Katherine Christoffersen, Ph.D Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics and Associate Vice Provost for Bilingual Integration Department of Writing & Language Studies, College of Liberal Arts

Teaching through Research: Exploring Bilingualism in the Borderlands

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Katherine Christoffersen
I am an Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics and Associate Vice Provost for Bilingual Integration at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. I earned my PhD in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching and my MA in English Language and Linguistics from the University of Arizona. My teaching and research are closely connected, as I study bilingualism in classrooms and communities. I teach undergraduate and graduate courses in applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, and bilingualism, and I strive to create learning experiences that are research-informed and community-engaged. I co-created the Corpus Bilingüe del Valle (CoBiVa), an online, publicly accessible database of sociolinguistic interviews that documents bilingual language practices in the Rio Grande Valley. The CoBiVa is central to my work; it supports student research, informs my teaching, and serves as a tool for community-based scholarship. I frequently integrate the CoBiVa into my courses and present it as an alternative text, thereby attributing prestige to local bilingual language varieties. My research has been supported by internal and external grants, allowing me to mentor undergraduate and graduate research assistants. Through my work, I aim to promote locally relevant approaches to language education and research.

Julio Ciller
I’m an Assistant Professor of Translation in the Department of Writing and Language Studies. I hold a Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics from the University of Arizona, and my research focuses on translation pedagogy, language learning and teaching, sociolinguistics, and program administration. I specialize in exploring pedagogical approaches for developing language and translation skills, and I’ve also conducted research on language attitudes within the field of sociolinguistics. As part of my work, I mentor undergraduate and graduate students alongside Dr. Chrisroffersn through the CoBiVa (Corpus Bilingüe del Valle) project, supporting their educational journey as they engage with research early in their academic careers. I also integrate CoBiVa into my courses to explore language ideologies in the context of bilingual communities.

Carolina De Anda
Raised in Mexico until age 13, is a 5th-grade Gifted and Talented Dual Language teacher at Carmen Anaya Elementary for the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District. She is a first-generation graduate and holds a B.A. in Bilingual Education and Mexican American Studies from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Her advocacy and commitment to her students earned her recognition as 2025 RGV-TABE (Rio Grande Valley- Texas Association of Bilingual Education) Teacher of the Year and 2025 TEA (Texas Education Agency) Title III Rising Star.

Luis (Javier) Arias
Raised in Mexico until the age of 17, is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer science. For the past year, he has been working with the Department of Writing & Language Studies and the Office of Bilingual Integration, where he helps maintain, update, and improve the websites of various projects.

Sara Elizabeth Azua
Is a third-generation Mexican American student at UTRGV studying English and Philosophy with a minor in Mexican American Studies. She has a passion for studying languages and cultures, particularly advocating for the preservation of the languages and cultures of her home, the Rio Grande Valley. She worked at UTRGV’s Writing Center for two years and is now a Student Assistant in the Philosophy department. She’s currently conducting a research project with faculty member, Dr. Alex Stehn, to explore the impacts of B3 (bilingual, bicultural, biliterate) philosophy classes on UTRGV students.

Yelzy García
I was born in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Nuevo León, Mexico. Growing up in Mexico shaped my cultural identity and gave me a strong connection to my roots, but in 2016 I returned to the United States to continue my education and personal growth. Because of this journey, I proudly consider myself a Mexican-American, embracing both cultures as part of who I am.

I graduated from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a teacher certification, which has allowed me to share my language and culture with others in the classroom. Currently, I am also pursuing my master’s degree in Spanish Linguistics at UTRGV, where I continue to expand my knowledge and prepare for new opportunities in teaching and research. My goal is to contribute to education and help students appreciate the richness of the Spanish language and Hispanic culture.

Jorge Salazar
I was born and raised in Matamoros, Tamaulipas. I am currently pursuing my master's degree in Spanish with a concentration in creative writing. I have been working with the Office of Bilingual Integration for a year. I was a student athlete during my bachelor's degree at UTRGV.

Miroslava Rangel
I am a bilingual professional whose life has been shaped by a transborder trajectory. I completed my childhood and early schooling in Mexico, while my adolescence and adulthood unfolded in the United States. For more than 13 consecutive years, I crossed back and forth between Mexico and the U.S. to study and work—living in Mexico but pursuing my education and professional opportunities in the United States. This experience allowed me to embrace the best of both worlds, strengthening my identity and deepening my commitment to language and culture.

I hold an M.A. in Spanish from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, where I also earned my B.A. in Spanish with a minor in Mexican American Studies. My academic focus includes heritage language education, sociolinguistics, and Spanish literature. My previous professional experiences include teaching Spanish, as well as serving in various administrative and support roles in higher education, where I developed skills in program coordination, event planning, and student engagement.

Currently, I serve as a Program Assistant in the Office of Student Success at UTRGV, where I support program administration and student initiatives. At the end of the day, teaching and promoting Spanish is my personal act of resistance, uplifting the voices of our communities in the United States.

November 21, 2025 - 12:30pm-1:30 p.m. Debasish Bandyopadhyay, Msc., Ph.D Associate Professor, School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences (SIBCS) & School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences (SEEMS) College of Sciences

Family Centered Pedagogy: A Tool for Bonding Ancestral Insights with Modern Science through Strengthening Family Bond

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I am Dr. Debasish Bandyopadhyay, an Associate Professor in the School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences (SIBCS) & School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences (SEEMS) at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). My journey in chemical world began with a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Calcutta, one of the oldest universities in Asia, where my early work ignited my passion for the intersection of organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and drug discovery. Throughout my career, I have enjoyed exploring the complexity of natural products, valorizing food/agricultural/forestry wastes and neglected botanicals, green chemistry, and in silico design, validation, and synthesis of bioactive molecules, and their applications in developing novel therapeutics, especially for cancer and neglected tropical diseases.

At UTRGV, I am deeply committed to transforming the learning experience by integrating both teaching and research with broader societal needs. In my classes, I emphasize active and inclusive learning strategies, aiming to spark critical thinking and hands-on discovery in students from diverse backgrounds. My teaching philosophy is rooted in connecting scientific theories to real-life applications, encouraging students to question, analyze, and collaborate—both within the classroom and with their families and communities.

I believe that the most substantial educational impact comes from fostering intersections—between different scientific disciplines, between cultural backgrounds, and between research advancements and community benefit. As a result, I have championed the Family-Centered Pedagogy model, which bonds ancestral wisdom with modern science. My goal is for both my research and teaching to inspire students to pursue knowledge that makes a tangible difference in society, while strengthening the ties that support lifelong learning and well-being. I have authored a hundred peer-reviewed journal articles, two patents, eight book chapters, 112 national/international presentations, myriad state/local presentations, and one book (edited). I am an Associate Editor of a peer-reviewed journal (Q1), an Editorial Board Member of 4 international journals (Q1/Q2), and a reviewer of 63 journals (mostly Q1/Q2). Research lies at the heart of my mission as an educator and scientist. My laboratory is engaged in developing sustainable approaches for the identification and synthesis of bioactive compounds from nature, with particular focus on their anticancer and antibacterial properties. Most recently, I led a research team investigating how discarded aloe vera peels can be transformed into potent and eco-friendly insecticides. This project connects our region’s agricultural resources to innovative solutions for public health.

September 20, 2024 - 1:15pm-2:15 p.m. Bin Wang, PhD. Professor, Information Systems, Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship

Graduate curriculum innovation and cutting-edge research: A lifelong-learning approach

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I am the Robert C. Vackar Professor of Business and Professor and Chair in the Department of Information Systems at the Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship. I received UTRGV’s Faculty Excellence Awards in Teaching (Tenured/Tenure-Track) in 2018 and Service in 2023. I have published over 60 refereed journal articles on social media, healthcare analytics, and technology adoption and serve as a senior editor at Electronic Commerce Research and Applications.

In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, the field of information systems is increasingly shifting towards analytics in both teaching and research, with new topics and techniques continually emerging. Embracing the concept of lifelong learning, I have adapted to this trend by developing and teaching two new courses on social media analytics at the master’s and doctoral levels, focusing on social network analysis and text mining. In these courses, students learn to collect and analyze social media data from platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and Reddit, enabling them to identify social influencers, understand user sentiment, and explore key topics of discussion. The capability to collect and analyze social media data also allowed me to apply these cutting-edge analytics techniques and mentor doctoral students on social media-related research topics such as the diffusion of fake news and the effectiveness of rebuttals, discussions of COVID, MMR, and flu vaccines, the interplay between tweets and Bitcoin pricing, and how linguistics characteristics affect the virality of tweets by humans vs. bots. The synergy between my teaching and research has resulted in research publications in top information systems journals and successful student placements in R1 and R2 institutions and major tech companies.

October 29, 2024 - 12:30pm-1:45 p.m. Teresa Patricia Feria, PhD. Professor, School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences (SIBCS), College of Sciences Associate Dean for Faculty Success, Interim Director of SIBCS

Community and Service Learning – Addressing Local Issues with Global Significance

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I am a full Professor in the Biology Department at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). I serve as Associate Dean for Faculty Success at the College of Sciences (COS) and as interim Director for the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences at the College of Sciences. I have mentored high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, and new faculty at UTRGV. To create a supportive community, I founded a program at UTRGV called “Juntos al Exito” - together, we succeeded – where a panel of faculty/administrators and students share their successful testimonials. Topics included a sense of belonging, family culture, education, student mentoring, and more. My extensive and culturally responsive teaching and mentoring strategies and activities include icebreakers, self-reflections, creating support networks, community and service-learning activities. I have mentored more than 100 students doing research in my lab. I pioneered the development of Service Learning and Community engagement bilingual courses, and collaborative online learning courses at COS. I have received ~8M dollars in external grant funding as PI and CoPI. I received the Provost’s International Studies Award (2011) and the Excellence in Teaching Award from the College of Science and Mathematics (2012), the USDA Kika de la Garza Science Fellowship (2013). In 2028, I received the Outstanding International Faculty Female at UTRGV Excellence Award in Community Engagement at the College and University levels and the Fred W. and Frances H. Rusteberg Fellowship. I was Chair of the Women’s Faculty Network at UTRGV from 2018-2019. In 2022, I co-founded the Women in Science Network at COS. I received the prestigious UT System Regent’s Outstanding Teaching Award in 2020 and was inducted as a UT and UTRGV System Distinguished Teacher in 2023.

September 18, 2023 - 11:00am-12:00 p.m. Alyssa G. Cavazos, PhD Director, Center for Teaching Excellence Associate Professor/ Department of Writing and Language Studies

Alonso Troncoso, Undergraduate Student                                       SaLT HSI Student Partner Leader Business Management

Understanding Undergraduate Latinx Students’ Learning Experiences in STEM Courses: Prioritizing Student Voices in Teaching and Learning

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Alyssa Cavazos

I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Writing and Language Studies where I teach undergraduate and graduate coursework in writing studies. Additionally, I also serve as the Director for the Center for Teaching Excellence where I oversee a plethora of professional development activities and partnerships. I am also fortunate to co-lead and direct our Students as Learners and Teachers at a Hispanic Serving Institution (SaLT HSI) program where we have opportunities to explore meaningful and engaging teaching and learning experiences centered on student voices and success.

I graduated from the University of Texas-Pan American with a Bachelor's degree in English and a minor in Spanish in 2006 and a Master's of Arts degree in English with a concentration in Rhetoric and Composition in 2008. After I earned a doctoral degree in Rhetoric and Composition from Texas Christian University in 2012, I was fortunate to return to the Rio Grande Valley to continue working with students, faculty, and staff from our community. My pedagogical and scholarly interests center on language difference in the teaching of writing, translingual writing across communities, students' learning experiences in higher education, professional development in higher education, and border rhetorics. I am committed to designing linguistically all-round pedagogies, which can lead to students’ academic success across academic disciplines in higher education.

I am fortunate that my scholarly and teaching efforts have been recognized through both internal and external awarded grants where I have had the opportunity to research students' learning experiences as well as design innovative teaching and learning practices responsive to students' needs and student success. I am also grateful that my care for and commitment to meaningful teaching and learning experiences have been recognized through various teaching awards, such as the University of Texas System 2017 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award, the 2017 UTRGV Excellence Award in Teaching, the 2022 Center for Online Learning and Teaching Technology Online Teaching award. Additionally, I currently serve as a fellow in the UT System Academy of Distinguished Teachers. When I am not working, I enjoy exploring nature with my family.

Alonso Troncoso

My name is Alonso J. Troncoso, and I am currently a Senior majoring in Business Administration with a minor in psychology. I plan to graduate on May 2024. Currently, I am a Student Partner Leader with Students as Learners and Teachers at a Hispanic Serving Institution under the Center for Teaching Excellence, and I also served as a Research Assistant with Dra. Alyssa Cavazos for an internal Faculty Research Seed grant where we explored the learning experiences of students in STEM undergraduate courses. I believe that education is constantly evolving, and it would be great if we adapt to these changes in education, so we can succeed. As a student, I care about our education, and I am sure that our contributions through SaLT HSI will help our current students and future generations as well.

October 05, 2023 - 11:00am - 12:00pm Alejandra Ramirez, PhD Assistant Professor/Writing & Language Studies

Jaqueline Medina, Graduate Student Teacher/Curriculum Design Committee Member

Thania Robles, M. ED., M.A Teacher/Educational Diagnostician

Studying Anzaldúa in her context, the Rio Grande Valley, as a process of conocimiento and decolonization: healing in research, writing, and teaching.

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Alejandra Ramirez

Is an award winning artist and scholar whose research has been published in public news outlets and academic journals. Her edited collection with Routledge, Transnational Decolonial Arts Praxis, is set for publication in early 2024.

Jacquelyn Ann Medina

Is currently a graduate student working towards a Master’s Degree of Art in English with a concentration in Rhetoric, Composition, and Literary Studies. For the past 7 years, Jacquelyn has dedicated herself to educating underprivileged, at-risk students in Donna ISD. Aside from her roles and responsibilities in the classroom, she has written curriculum for the district for 4 years. As a graduate student, much of her work entails developing and creating culturally-relevant lessons for the students she serves.

Thania Robles

Is a certified teacher and educational diagnostician. Over the past eight years, Thania has worked on helping at-risk students in the RGV use their cultural knowledge and learn new skills to amplify their voices by creating and delivering culturally relevant, evidence based lessons.

November 09, 2023 - 12:00pm-1:00pm. Anthony T. Marasco, PhD Assistant Professor of Music Technology and Composition, School of Music

Integrating Burgeoning Research and Career Paths into the Music Technology Curriculum

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I am a composer and performer of electronic and electroacoustic music, a designer of hardware and software instruments, and an educator. As an internationally recognized artist, my music and installations have been presented across the United States as well as in Norway, Italy, Brazil, Denmark, and Canada. As a composer, I write music that showcases the features and functionality of computer music instruments by highlighting their sonic flexibility and varied expressive interface options. The core tenets of my compositions and interactive multimedia installations are to exhibit the artistic viability and performance potential of music technology, using tools that are low cost, modifiable, or open source.

The central focus of my research is to demystify and advance the use of computers as musical instruments. By building new tools to expand their prowess as expressive, collaborative musical instruments, my research—in the form of papers, compositions, live performances, workshops, and software/hardware systems—aims to bring these devices to wider audiences outside of academia and showcase what they provide to musicians of all skill levels. My research has reached a global audience through forums such as the New Interfaces for Music Expression (NIME) Conference, the International Computer Music Conference (ICMC), the Web Audio Conference, the Hybrid Live Coding Interfaces workshop, the Association for Technology in Music Instruction (ATMI) conference, the Society for Electroacoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS) conference, and the Sound, Image, and Interaction Design Symposium.

I received my degrees at Lebanon Valley College (BM), Towson University (MM) and Louisiana State University (PhD). I’ve been the recipient of numerous awards and grants such as the grand prize for the 2013 UnCaged Toy Piano Festival's Call for Scores, a UTRGV Faculty Seed Grant, the UTRGV College of Fine Arts Emerging Scholar Faculty Excellence Award, and an Alumni Award for Creative Achievement from Lebanon Valley College.