Current BSA Members

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Dr. Milena A. Melo is a broadly trained cultural and medical anthropologist whose work focuses on immigration, healthcare inequalities, the U.S-Mexico borderlands, citizenship, and public policy. Motivated by her own experience as a DACA recipient and undocumented immigrant growing up in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands of South Texas, Dr. Melo is committed to conducting research that reduces barriers to healthcare, confronts social inequality, and combats the disenfranchisement faced by marginalized populations in the United States.

Dr. Melo graduated with her Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2017. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Ford Foundation, School for Advanced Research, American Anthropological Association, and other local and institutional sources. She is currently a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Anthropology and the curator of the Border Studies Archive at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Email: milena.melotijerina@utrgv.edu

Office: (956) 882-7379 (Brownsville) and (956) 665-5921 (Edinburg)

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Andrik Gonzalez (Research Lead) is a medical anthropology and border studies researcher whose work focuses on structural health inequities, public policy, and healthcare access in the U.S.–Mexico borderlands. Raised in the Rio Grande Valley, he is committed to community-based research that addresses systemic barriers to healthcare through ethnography, oral history, and interdisciplinary analysis. His work also explores cultural resilience, identity, and memory in border communities.

Andrik is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology and history at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, where he serves as curatorial assistant at the Border Studies Archive. He has contributed to projects focused on healthcare access in colonias, developed community oral history initiatives, and supported the expansion of regional collections related to healthcare, policy, and identity. He plans to pursue a Master of Public Health with a focus on applied research, health equity, and policy advocacy.

Email: andrik.gonzalez01@utrgv.edu

Office: (956) 665-2909 (Edinburg)

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Eduardo Diaz-Santana (Research Assistant - Envoronmental Studies) is a cultural anthropology and border studies researcher focused on everyday adaptations to climate change, community resilience, and environmental policy in the U.S.–Mexico borderlands. Raised in the Rio Grande Valley, he documents how border communities navigate challenges such as water scarcity, flooding, and shifting climate conditions through oral history, ethnography, and interdisciplinary analysis. He earned a B.A. in anthropology from Brown University and is pursuing an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies (Anthropology) at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. As a graduate research assistant, he works under Dr. Milena Melo and Dr. Anna Erwin on a multi-year NSF-funded project investigating climate adaptation in the Texas Borderlands. At the Border Studies Archive, he helps expand collections and support community-based initiatives that preserve the lived experiences and everyday narratives of resilience in South Texas. Eduardo plans to pursue a Ph.D. in anthropology with the goal of returning to the Valley and contributing to the growing body of research rooted in the region’s communities and landscapes.

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Chantal Patiño (Research Assistant – Maternal Health) is a student at the University of Texas pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Legal Studies. With aspirations of pursuing law degree, Chantal is passionate about the intersection of health, policy, and justice. Under Dr. Milena Melo, her current research focuses on maternal health through the Birth Stories Project in the Rio Grande Valley, examining how women’s experiences with childbirth reflect broader disparities in healthcare. Committed to amplifying underrepresented voices, she is particularly interested in how policy decisions impact diverse communities of women.

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Celeste Medrano (Research Assistant – Maternal Health) is a research assistant for the Border Studies Archive. She is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Medical and Health Humanities, with a minor in Biology and Forensic Anthropology. Celeste was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley. Growing up with an interest in medicine, she gravitated towards medical anthropology, with a focus on border health and health disparities. Currently, Celeste is working on the Maternal Health project under Dr. Milena A. Melo. When she’s not working on research, Celeste is going on walks, crocheting, or shopping!

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Julissa Pena (Research Assistant – Maternal Health) is a medical anthropology and border studies researcher from Zapata, Texas, with a passion for bridging scientific discovery and practical health applications. She is currently completing a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Biology and Psychology and a minor in Health Service Technology at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and she joined the Border Studies Archive research team in Fall 2025.

Deeply committed to her community, Julissa focuses on understanding the unique challenges and strengths of the Rio Grande Valley. Through her work with the Maternal Health Project, she conducts interviews with local participants to collect data, analyze trends, and gain insights into maternal health outcomes. Her research is guided by a desire to use this knowledge to inform practices, policies, and initiatives that can directly benefit border communities.

In addition to the Maternal Health Project, Julissa contributes to a variety of projects with the Border Studies Archive, exploring health, social, and cultural issues that impact the region. She aims to advance knowledge in ways that not only expand academic understanding but also provide practical support and solutions to the people and communities she cares about.

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Brisa Araiza (Research Assistant – Archival Studies) joined the BSA team in June 2025, as part of the Puentes Museum Internship Program. She is currently in her final semester towards obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree, majoring in history with a minor in anthropology. Brisa is passionate about social justice issues and hopes to use her experiences here at UTRGV and with the BSA to further her education into law school. Outside of school, she is an avid movie enthusiast and record collector, and enjoys spending her free time outside in nature and traveling.

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Born in Mission TX, Abram McKee (Research Assistant – Transborder Studies) is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in History & Political Science, and minors in Anthropology, Globalization Studies, and Asian Studies. Born to a mixed family, one from Ontario, Canada the other from Nuevo Leon, Mexico, Abram fell in love with the world and the cultures within it, wanting to study them and let their voices be heard. Research interests are in politics and the intersections that contain political aspects, such as the intersection of politics and the environment and the impact on local communities. In his free time Abram enjoys reading, hanging out with friends, video games, and learning about the world.

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Naran Normendez (Marketing) joined the team in September 2025. He was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley and is pursuing a degree in Graphic design. He has been passionate about the community in the RGV and takes inspiration from the environment around him. When not creating or photographing, he takes time to take care of his plants and learn more about the animals of the world around him.

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Elyssa Ruvio was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Clinical Psychology at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She joined the team in June 2025, driven by a growing interest in population health and border studies following her recent internship with UTRGV’s department of Population Health. Her current research interests focuses on maternal health and birth experiences in the Rio Grande Valley. Outside of her academic work, Elyssa enjoys traveling, baking, and spending time with her cats.