Meet our writers

We are an extended family and we take advantage of opportunities to work together.

  • Gary M. Stern

    +60 articles

    Gary Stern, a contributing writer for HO  has written hundreds of articles that have appeared in such leading publications as The Wall Street Journal, Investor's Business Daily, USA Weekend, Crain's New York Business, Electronic Business, and Tennis. 

  • Frank DiMaria

    +60 articles

    Frank DiMaria is a freelance writer living South Carolina. When he’s not writing he teaches computer science and digital literacy in a middle school in Fort Mill.

  • Gustavo A. Mellander

    +50 articles

    Dr. Mellander was a university dean for 15 years and a college president for 20.

  • Mary Ann Cooper

    +50 articles

    Whether the subject is health care or movies, women's issues or trends in television, Mary Ann has written about it or spoken about it. She is the author of more than 100 book projects including “Natural Cures for Common Diseases,” “101 Ways to Pamper Yourself,” and "Easy Ways to Lower Your Cholesterol." She was a nationally syndicated columnist for 30 years and contributing writer to an eclectic group of magazines including Hispanic Outlook, Women's World, Television Week, GRAND Magazine, Boxoffice Magazine, Looking Good Now Magazine, and American Media Special Magazines.  

  • Peggy Sands Orchowski

    +40 articles

    Peggy (Dr. Margaret) Sands Orchowski Ph.D. has been the credentialed Congressional Correspondent for the Hispanic Outlook on Higher Education magazine in Washington DC since 2006.  Her new book “The Law That Changed the Face of America: the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965” was published by Rowman & Littlefield in September in time for the 50th anniversary of its signing.

  • Enrique Del Risco

    +40 articles

    Enrique Del Risco Arrocha, also known as Enrisco, was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1967. He has a degree in History from the University of Havana and a doctorate in Latin American Literature from New York University (NYU), where he currently works. as a teacher in the department of Spanish and Portuguese. He was a finalist for the Cintas Foundation Fellowship for Creative Writing -for the project “Trilogía cubana del Hudson” (2011), and has received the following awards: Prize of the Contest Trece de Marzo 1993, Prize of Short Story magazine “Revolución y Cultura” 1994, Villa Awards de Madrid 1996 and V Ibero-American Cortes de Cádiz Award 2008, for the works: Shrunken Works (1992), Loss and recovery of innocence (1994), Crocodile tears (1998), Leve Historia de Cuba (2007), and ¿Qué Will they think of us in Japan? (2008).

All our writers

Edgar Beas, M.A

Edgar Beas, M.A. Graduate Officer and Mentor at the University of California, San Diego and doctoral student in Higher Education at CSU Fresno, focused on advancing access to Graduate Education and building STEM talent pipelines. eabeas@ucsd.edu 

Ellen Alderton

Ellen Alderton, a development associate for Hispanic Access Foundation, is passionate about supporting underserved communities. She has worked for the Bretton Woods Committee, the United Nations, Hispanic Radio Network, and the Peace Corps.

Audrey Baca Lopez, Ed.D.

Dr. Audrey Baca Lopez (she/her) is a first-generation, Latina-mama-scholar, and tenured professor at Mt. San Jacinto College. She creates academic counter-spaces using anti-racist and culturally relevant practices in transfer level English courses to expose the hidden curriculum of academia.

Alicia Chavira Medina, B.A.

Alicia Chavira Medina (she/ her) is a current first-generation Latinx graduate student who works for the PALS program at Mt. San Jacinto College. She advocates for students’ needs, providing an academic counter-space for MSJC’s diverse student population.

Citlalli Franco-Amezcua

Citlalli Franco is a first-generation college graduate and Latina from Imperial Valley, CA, with degrees from UC Irvine and SDSU. As an Event Assistant at CSU Fullerton and a CCHALES researcher, she supports student transitions, accessibility, retention, and equity in higher education.

Cynthia Estrada

Dr. Cynthia Estrada is an Assistant Professor at CSU Channel Islands, and a first-generation Latina scholar affiliated with CCHALES. Her research examines racial equity, race-conscious college access programs, and the experiences of Students and Leaders of Color across higher education.

Martin Mares

Martin Mares is the founder and CEO of Ivy League Project and has led the program for more than 35 years.

Dr. Patricia Arredondo

Dr. Patricia Arredondo believes in the power of transformative change and has been committed to supporting women’s empowerment and leadership opportunities throughout her long career as an academic administrator, researcher, and consultant Early in her career as a licensed psychologist, she worked exclusively with professional women and graduate students. She identified barriers to women’s confidence, relationship management, and career advancement based on gender socialization and structural barriers in the workplace. Since then, she has disseminated thought leadership on Mujerista principles and practices, inclusive leadership and other related issues.  Dr. Arredondo is currently president of the Arredondo Advisory Group and past Chair of the AAHHE Board of Directors. She resides in Phoenix and Mexico City.  

Filomena Nunes

Filomena Nunes is a professor of physics at Michigan State University.

SWE Staff

The Society of Women Engineers supports Latinas in STEM through its Latinos Affinity Group and broader initiatives offering mentorship, leadership development, research, and educational resources. These efforts foster community, promote inclusion, and strengthen academic persistence and career advancement for women in engineering.

Lynette E. Orellana Feliciano

La Dra. Lynette E. Orellana Feliciano es Profesora del Programa de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos y actual Decana y Directora Interina del Colegio de Ciencias Agrícolas de la Universidad de Puerto Rico en Mayagüez. Cuenta con un doctorado en Ciencia de Alimentos (énfasis en Microbiología de Alimentos) de Washington State University, así como una maestría en Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos y un bachillerato en Microbiología del sistema UPR. Desde su ingreso al recinto en 2004, ha desarrollado una trayectoria sólida en docencia, investigación y administración académica, destacándose en la formación de estudiantes graduados, investigación y el desarrollo de programas académicos en el Colegio. Dr. Lynette E. Orellana Feliciano is a Professor in the Food Science and Technology Program and currently serves as Interim Dean and Director of the College of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico–Mayagüez. She holds a Ph.D. in Food Science, with an emphasis in Food Microbiology, from Washington State University, as well as a master’s degree in Food Science and Technology and a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from the University of Puerto Rico system. Since joining the campus in 2004, she has built a strong career in teaching, research, and academic administration, standing out for her graduate student mentorship, research contributions, and leadership in developing academic programs within the College.

Luis Santos-Rivas

Luis Santos-Rivas is director of the Latino Resource Center at NIU, where he leads initiatives focused on student belonging, retention and leadership development. With more than a decade of experience in higher education, he advocates for equitable access and culturally responsive support for Latinx and first-generation college students.  

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