Ramon E. Lopez received his B.S. in Physics in 1980 from the University of Illinois, and his Ph.D. in Space Physics in 1986 from Rice University. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) and a member of the UT System Academy of Distinguished Teachers. Dr. Lopez leads a research group that is working in both space physics and science education, and he has won numerous awards for his work in both areas, including the 2002 APS Nicholson Medal, the 2010 SACNAS Distinguished Scientist Award, the 2012 APS Edward A. Bouchet Award, and two NASA Group Achievements Awards. Dr. Lopez is a Fellow of the APS, the AAPT, and of the AAAS. He is the President of the National Society of Hispanic Physicists (NSHP) 2018-2019.

Professional Development Session: 
Empathy as a Community Building Tool

Dr. Nicole Cabrera Salazar is a Latina astronomer who is passionate about social justice in science and technology. After creating multiple initiatives in graduate school for marginalized students, she decided to shift her career away from research to focus on integrating the STEM community through her company Movement Consulting. Nicole is also a dedicated mentor, helping Black and Brown scientists uncover their full potential.

After completing her PhD in physics at the University of Michigan, Midhat Farooq joined the American Physical Society as the Careers Program Manager. In this role, Midhat works on developing career resources and professional development programs intended for physics degree holders at all levels as well as for faculty and industry professionals mentoring students and early career physicists in various stages of their career paths. 

Dr. Kermin J. Martinez is an Associate Professor in the Chemistry Department at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York. He is an active NRMN/CIMER Master Facilitator across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. He has vast experience facilitating: Entering Mentoring, Facilitator Training for Entering Mentoring, and Culturally Aware Mentoring. He has also done synchronous online research mentor training (RMT) to mentors participating in the NSF Research Experiences of Undergraduate (REU) programs including graduate students, postdocs, and faculty. He has led trainings at national scientific conferences including the American Society for Microbiology, the Society for Neuroscience, Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), and others as well as several colleges and universities.

Dr. Lelemia Irvine is a lineal descendant from the aboriginal families that sprouted out of the land of Waiʻanae, Oʻahu. He is the first-ever tenure-track Physics faculty at the University of Hawaiʻi at West Oʻahu. Dr. Irvine is an alumnus of Leihoku Elementary School (1997), Waiʻanae Intermediate (1999), and Kamehameha Schools Kapālama Campus (2003). He earned his Bachelor’s (2009) and Masters (2011) of Science degrees in Biological Engineering and Masters (2017) of Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM). In May 2019, Dr. Irvine became the first kāne (male) of Native Hawaiian ancestry to earn a PhD in any engineering discipline from the College of Engineering at UHM. In his doctoral research, Dr. Irvine studied the physics of stormwater within a bioswale system using predictive and computational approaches. In 2013, he was a recipient of the Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Lelemia is a self-described rain farmer seeking to connect sky to aquifer through the physics of fluids.