UTEP - Key Persons


Ahmad M. Itani

Job Titles:
  • Vice President for Research and Innovation / Administration

Ajeleth V. Orozco

Job Titles:
  • Administrative Associate

Alfredo Corchado

Job Titles:
  • Chief for the Dallas Morning News
  • Dean Howard C. Daudistel
Alfredo Corchado Jimenez attended the University of Texas at El Paso to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming an investigative journalist and a foreign correspondent. Alfredo graduated in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and quickly dedicated his life to bridging the gap that Americans and Mexicans perceive deeply divide our countries "and keep us from recognizing our similarities." For more than 15 years, Mr. Corchado has served as the Mexico Bureau Chief for The Dallas Morning News and was the lead reporter during Mexico's 2000 presidential election. He was the first to interview President Vicente Fox following Fox's historic win, and was among a select group of experts who briefed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton prior to her first trip to Mexico. Mr. Corchado Jimenez' work covering United States-Mexico relations, border violence, immigration and other border issues has earned him numerous accolades and awards including the prestigious 2007 Maria Moors Cabot Prize from Columbia University for outstanding reporting in Latin America. In 2009, he was named a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.

Amanda Vasquez-Vicario

Job Titles:
  • Vice President for Enrollment Management

Andrea Cortinas

Job Titles:
  • Vice President and Chief of Staff / Administration Building, 500

Andy Castellanos

Job Titles:
  • Technology Implementation Manager ( TIM ) and Webmaster

Arizvé Ochoa-Retana

Job Titles:
  • Director
  • Member of the Leadership Team

Ashley Munoz

Job Titles:
  • Employee Support
  • Generalist

Barbara Divis

"UTEP provided the foundation for a singing career that took Barbara Divis across the U.S. to perform lead roles in well-known operas such as Giacomo Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" where she performed as the title character Cio-Cio-San in seven productions." Read more...

Bertha Toscano

Bertha Toscano, B.A., Spanish, '33; UTEP's oldest known living alumna and former human resources director for ASARCO. Toscano's remarkable career spanned nearly 40 years. For much of that time, she was one of the company's only female executives.

Beth L. Brunk

Job Titles:
  • Dean - Extended University

Beverly Penn

Beverly Penn, B.F.A., studio art/sculpture, '82; art and design professor at Texas State University in San Marcos for the past 20 years. Some of Penn's pieces are in the permanent collections of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York and the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.

Carlos Chavez

Job Titles:
  • Administrative Specialist I

Cathy Chen-Arriaga

Job Titles:
  • Founder and Executive Director / Fab Lab El Paso

Catie McCorry-Andalis

Job Titles:
  • Vice President for Student Affairs

Claudia Velasquez

Job Titles:
  • Onboarding Manager

Clifton Tanabe

Job Titles:
  • Dean - College of Education / Education Building, 414

Cristina A. Lopez

Job Titles:
  • Manager

Cynthia Serrano

Job Titles:
  • HRIS Specialist

Daniel Cereceres

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Director

Danielle Garcia

Job Titles:
  • Accounting Specialist I

David A. Montoya

As the first Hispanic inspector general of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Honorable David A. Montoya knows that UTEP was a critical part of his career path. Read more...

David Sanchez

Job Titles:
  • Manager

Deborah Arvizu

Job Titles:
  • Manager

Dr. Alfonso R. Batres

Dr. Alfonso R. Batres' pursuit of his undergraduate degree was temporarily interrupted when he joined the Army and fought in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969. Yet this decision to serve his country would be the impetus and inspiration to earn his bachelor's degree in psychology from UTEP in 1975. "UTEP provided me with a solid academic foundation at a time when I was personally struggling with my readjustment back to civilian life from Vietnam," he said. "I wanted to help my fellow veterans with their readjustment needs and found that psychology was the right choice." In 1978, Dr. Batres received his Master's of Social Work from the University of Louisville and earned his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1984. He became the Chief Officer of the Readjustment Counseling Center, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, in 1994. Under his resolute leadership, the quantity and quality of services provided through community-based Vet Centers nationwide were expanded and improved to meet the unique needs of an ever-growing number of combat veterans and their families. These services include specialized counseling, medical and benefit referrals, and job assistance. "Dr. Batres has led the program to record levels of service provision over many years," said Dr. Robert Petzel, the VA Undersecretary for Health. "The opportunity to serve veterans and their families as a civil servant through the Vet Center program has been a dream realized and an honor," Batres told the Partnership for Public Service when awarded the 2011 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal. The career medal recognizes the significant accomplishments of a federal employee throughout a lifetime of achievements in public service and is the highest award bestowed on a civil servant outside the government. He other most recent awards include: the Presidential Distinguished Service Rank Award for Senior Executives, the highest award that can be achieved within civil service; the Presidential Meritorious Service Rank Award, a Presidential Citation for saving veterans lives; and, many others. "I love working with and for veterans," he said, "and have been blessed with a job that I love." He has also held various academic appointments and is currently an Adjunct Professor of Medical and Clinical Psychology with the F. Edward Herbert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences.

Dr. Anadeli Bencomo

Job Titles:
  • Dean
  • Dean, College of Liberal Arts

Dr. Caitlyn Muniz

Job Titles:
  • Associate Dean
  • Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies
As Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, Dr. Muniz's responsibilities include enhancing research productivity by mentoring faculty in grantsmanship and research, connecting faculty to funding opportunities, and reviewing and approving proposals before submissions. She serves as a liaison between CoLART and the ORSP Research Council and the Rocky Mountain Research Data Center. Dr. Muniz is responsible for coordinating and promoting internal awards such as the Career Enhancement Awards (CEAs) and the Liberal Arts Community Engagement (LACE) initiative. She oversees the Ph.D. fellowship opportunity and faculty research teams and works with the Ph.D. students and faculty to strengthen their research proposals. Dr. Caitlyn Muniz is the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies. She holds a doctorate degree in criminology from the University of South Florida. Her research centers around victimology and criminological theory. Her work has been featured in top outlets in her field such as Journal of Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice & Behavior, Social Science Computer Review, and Child Abuse & Neglect. Dr. Muniz joined UTEP in 2019 as an assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Security Studies.

Dr. Charles Boehmer

Job Titles:
  • Associate Dean for Faculty
  • Kruszewski Family Endowed Professor
As Associate Dean for Faculty, Dr. Boehmer's responsibilities include supporting faculty needs and success by assisting with policies that affect faculty. He manages promotion and tenure cases, post-tenure reviews, third-year reviews, emeritus reviews, faculty development leave, and other faculty matters. He also engages in faculty development by offering various workshops and mentoring programs. Dr. Boehmer is a Kruszewski Family Endowed Professor in Political Science and a recipient of the 2013 University of Texas Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award. He served as Chair of the Graduate Council and the Graduate Assembly (2012-2014) in the Faculty Senate Executive Council and the UT Faculty Advisory Council. He is the former Chair of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration and the Director of Graduate Studies (2007- 2011 and 2017-2018).

Dr. Rafael Valadez

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Dean

Dr. Selfa A. Chew Meléndez

Job Titles:
  • Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies

Edgar Lechuga

Job Titles:
  • Onboarding Representative

edgar monroy

Job Titles:
  • Human Resources Representative I

Emma Schwartz

Job Titles:
  • Managing Director / Ecotone Investment Fund

Eric Navarro

Job Titles:
  • Talent Acquisition Specialist

Erick Reza

Job Titles:
  • Business Center Manager

Felipa Solis

Job Titles:
  • English Literature

Florence Pankow

Job Titles:
  • Compensation Analyst
  • Senior Compensation Analyst

Florina Barnett

Job Titles:
  • Director

Gabriela Montes

Job Titles:
  • Associate Director

Heather Wilson

Job Titles:
  • President / Administration
  • University Administration

Humberto Lugo

Job Titles:
  • Business Center Specialist

Irene Chavez

Chavez's determination helped her overcome detours and earn a bachelor's in political science from UTEP.

Irene Zarate

Job Titles:
  • Administrative Manager

Jake Logan

Job Titles:
  • Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Jennifer Ceniceros

Job Titles:
  • Director

Jennifer Miramontes

Job Titles:
  • Business Center Specialist

Jesus-Diago R. Pompa - President

Job Titles:
  • President
  • Senior Benefits Specialist

Jim Senter

Job Titles:
  • Vice President and Director of Athletics

John Aranda

Job Titles:
  • Director of Advancement - College of Liberal Arts Liaison

John Hadjimarcou

Job Titles:
  • Dean - Woody L. Hunt College of Business

John Wiebe

Job Titles:
  • Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs / Administration

Jonathan Childress

Job Titles:
  • Community Engagement Manager / Microsoft

Jorge E. Guerrero

Job Titles:
  • Accountant I

Jose (Cheo) Carrillo

Job Titles:
  • Talent Acquisition Specialist

Josh Diaz

Job Titles:
  • Leave Specialist

Judith Heredia-Perry

Job Titles:
  • Assistant to the Dean

Julian Carreno

Job Titles:
  • Business Center Specialist

Julianna Castillo

Job Titles:
  • Senior Employee Relations Specialist

Julie Saenz

Job Titles:
  • Senior HRIS Analyst

June Urbina

Job Titles:
  • Talent Acquisition Specialist

Kenith E. Meissner II

Job Titles:
  • Dean - College of Engineering / Engineering

Leslie K. Robbins

Job Titles:
  • Dean - College of Nursing

Lisa Srigley

Job Titles:
  • Chief of Staff
  • Senior Benefits Specialist

Lucas Roebuck

Job Titles:
  • Vice President for Marketing and Communications

Luis Hernandez

Job Titles:
  • Vice President for Information Resources

Lydia Cisneros - VP

Job Titles:
  • General Manager
  • Vice President

Margarita Garcia

Job Titles:
  • Talent Acquisition Specialist

Marianna Villarreal

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Director

Mark McGurk

Job Titles:
  • Vice President for Business Affairs / Administration

Martin Holguin

Job Titles:
  • Talent AcquisitionSpecialist

Mauricio Gaillard

Job Titles:
  • Business Center Specialist

Max Villaronga

Job Titles:
  • Staff Member

Melissa A. Carrillo

In 2014, Melissa Carrillo celebrated her 15-year tenure with the Smithsonian Latino Center Institution.

Mike Martinez

Job Titles:
  • Gold Nugget, Bachelor of Arts - Communication, 2011
In a career spanning 60 years, Mike Martinez has helped transform major corporations, organizations and institutions the world over. But he first applied those tremendous talents at the then-Texas College of Mines and Metallurgy in 1949. A journalism student, Martinez led the charge to change the college's name to Texas Western University - a name he asserted would better reflect its growth since its founding as a small engineering and mining school in 1914. The University of Texas System and State Legislature approved the change to Texas Western, but insisted on "College" instead of "University." That remarkable achievement helped launch an even more remarkable career. Tapped early for an advertising management position with Sears, he left the college (which became UTEP in 1967) nine credit hours shy of his degree. His bilingual, bicultural communication skills helped propel him into executive positions with top national marketing, advertising and public relations firms. He handled Fortune 500 clients including Coca-Cola, Ford Motor Co. and Exxon, expanding their international presence. Today, he is president and CEO of his own consulting firm, Strategic Management Services, in Dallas.

Monica Ramos

Job Titles:
  • Associate Director

Monica Rosskopf

Job Titles:
  • College Administrative Officer

Ms. Estela Casas

As one of the most recognizable faces on El Paso television, Ms. Estela Casas has been keeping local audiences informed of current events for over three decades. Read more...

Natalie Littlefield

Job Titles:
  • Senior Vice President, Strategy and Business Development / the BorderPlex Alliance

Nicholas Komorowski

Job Titles:
  • Manager / Human Resources Data Support Center

Noelia A. Salinas

Job Titles:
  • Onboarding Representative

Noemi Dimuzio

Job Titles:
  • Wellness Coordinator

Omar Macias

Job Titles:
  • Onboarding Specialist

Patrick Ornelas


Ray Malooly

Ray Malooly originally attended Texas Western College in hopes of earning a medical degree. After several classes and labs, he realized medicine was not intended for him. He graduated in 1959 with a B.A. in History and English. Read more...

Robert A. Kirken

Job Titles:
  • Dean - College of Science / Chemistry & Computer Science Building, 3.0202

Rosemary Chavez

Job Titles:
  • Talent Acquisition Specialist

Sabrina Perez

Job Titles:
  • Business Center Specialist

Sara Chávez

Job Titles:
  • Director of Events and Engagement

Sarah Nell Newsome

Job Titles:
  • Onboarding Representative

Stacy Wagovich


Stephanie Otero

Job Titles:
  • Vice President of Operations / El Paso Community Foundation

Stephen Crites

Job Titles:
  • Vice Provost - Graduate Studies / Dean - Graduate School

Sunshine Loya

Job Titles:
  • Onboarding Representative

Susana Navarro

Born and raised in El Paso, Susana Navarro followed her father, uncles, aunts, and great uncle to UTEP, continuing a legacy of higher education that she has in turn worked to help countless families attain. Read more...

Tami L. Keating

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Leadership Team
  • Interim Associate Vice President

Terry McGreehan - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman

Vania Chavira Navarrete

Job Titles:
  • Immigration Service Specialist

Zaida Barron

Job Titles:
  • Employee Relations Compliance Specialist