Leadership for the Future
The PREP leadership team proudly contributes to the program’s continuing success by remaining engaged with key community partners, updating curriculum, and designing innovative learning experiences.
UTSA PREP Team
Araceli Martinez Ortiz, Ph.D.
PREP Director
Dr. Araceli Martinez Ortiz is a leading voice in engineering education. Born in Mexico City and raised in Detroit, she excelled at math and science, and participated in multiple summers of the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP), a program similar in approach to PREP. Dr. Ortiz became a first- generation college student at the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering where she received a Bachelors degree in industrial engineering. She earned her Ph.D. in engineering education at Tufts University in Massachusetts. Dr. Ortiz spent 15 years in industry as an engineer and engineering manager followed by a teaching and administrative career in K-12 STEM education. She has been a university professor for more than ten years and is now the UTSA Microsoft President’s Endowed Professor of Engineering Education and the Director of PREP.
Ydania Medina-Pezzat, DHSc. PREP
PREP Assistant Director
Dr. Ydania Medina-Pezzat is an educator with years of experience serving as a mentor, professor, administrator, and conference speaker. With a passion for equity, she has successfully launched new educational programs and community partnerships that provide access to learning opportunities to all students, especially those from underserved areas of San Antonio. Dr. Medina-Pezzat earned a bachelor’s degree in clinical laboratory science and a master’s degree in educational administration from the University of Texas Pan American. She also holds a doctorate degree in Health Sciences with an emphasis in Leadership and Organizational Behavior from A.T. Still University
Gabriela Gomez, Ed.D.
Curriculum and Profressional Development Manager
Dr. Gabriela Gomez is a San Antonio native with a bachelor’s degree in biology and secondary education, an M.Ed. in C&I with a focus in integrated science, and an Ed.D. in higher education administration. After 13 years as a high school science teacher and holding various teacher leadership positions, she transitioned into higher education. Dr. Gomez began teaching C&I courses at UTSA, followed by her current position in PREP. As a former PREP student, she is grateful for the opportunity to contribute her expertise and continue to give students the opportunity she was once offered.
Mia De Leon
Senior Events Coordinator
Mia de Leon is originally from Corpus Christi, Texas. She completed her undergraduate degree from Texas State University in December 2015 where she majored in Public Administration with a minor in Diversity studies. Here, she became committed to serving the community. After a career in the San Antonio event world, Mia achieved her goal of working for a university. While she is new to the PREP team, she has worked for UTSA for five years.
Prep Advisory Board
The PREP advisory board is comprised of professionals who believe in the PREP mission and support strategic initiatives by sharing their experience, skills and network support. Members contribute their time and talent to lead special projects, raise program funds, and to provide much-needed guidance. PREP Advisory Board members are an extension of PREP in their own spaces. They play an integral role in strengthening our relationships with leaders who will champion the cause to the larger organization and community. They also encourage more families and their students to consider participating in our transformative PREP programming.
- Mrs. Stephanie Bocanegra Suarez; Vice President Integrity Roofing and Siding
- Mr. Enrique Bonugli, BSIE, MSBME; Technical Director, Biodynamic Research Corp
- Ms. Angelica M. Collazo, CISSP, GSLC; Airforce Cybersecurity Expert & Senior Lecturer, The University of Texas at San Antonio
- Mr. Cory J. Cortese; Clinical Manager, MCS South Central Region, Abbott Labs
- Dr. Kelle Cruz; Astrophysicist, Associate Professor, Hunter College
- Mrs. Bianca P. De Hoyos-Woods; Director, Information Technology - USAA
- Mr. Ernest C. Gomez; Assistant Director HR, Southwest Research Institute
- Mr. Brandon J. Middleton-Pratt; Senior Associate, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
- Martha Tijerina; San Antonio Community Leader; Journalist & Communications Professional
The Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design and the College of Education and Human Development partner to support the UTSA PREP program. The mission of the Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design is to identify and solve grand challenges where humanity intersects the physical world. The vision is to cultivate a lively, diverse and resilient community where new knowledge and innovative solutions are developed through exploration and research that substantially improve lives in our local area and around the globe. The Klesse College focuses on identifying and solving grand challenges where humanity intersects the physical world. It serves as an incubator for academic research and inquiry across disparate, yet complimentary, academic fields that work cohesively to improve the world around us. Recognized as a leader for social mobility, cultural diversity and equity of opportunity, our students are challenged to leverage their unique skills and perspectives in hands-on, experiential learning opportunities preparing them to excel in the workplace.
The College of Education and Human Development’s mission is to be an international model for developing inclusive, transformative leaders guided by principles of community, integrity, equity, excellence, diversity, scholarship and service. The college will have a critical impact on the realization of human and community potential through its leadership in education, health and wellness, human development and policy studies. All programs of study include a focus ondeveloping competencies for working effectively in multicultural and cross-national contexts.
