Education Steering Committee
Aimee Bernard, PhD
Dr. Aimee Bernard is the Executive Director of the Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Initiative (HI3) and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Immunology & Microbiology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She is actively involved in the CU School of Medicine Trek curriculum reform, serves on the advanced sciences committee, and is a course director for the Year 3 Trek advanced sciences immunology and immunotherapy course. She also teaches immunology within the graduate school, medical school, dental school, and the Child Health Advocate / Physician Assistant (CHA/PA) program on the Anschutz Medical Campus. Aimee is also the faculty director for Think Like a Scientist (TLaS), an after-school community outreach science program offered for free in elementary schools surrounding the Anschutz campus that serve a majority of historically underrepresented groups in STEM.
Rebecca Bloch, MS
Rebecca Bloch is the founding school director of Aurora Science & Technology, Denver School of Science and Technology’s first campus to open in Aurora. Prior to joining DSST, she worked as an English teacher at the Noble Network of Charter Schools in Chicago, IL, and has previously worked for Teach for America and the Clark County School District in Las Vegas. She holds a B.A. in Secondary English Education from Indiana University, Bloomington, and master’s degrees in Special Education and in Educational Administration from The University of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Dominican University in Chicago, Illinois.
Evelinn Borrayo, PhD
Dr. Evelinn Borrayo is a Professor in the Department of Community & Behavioral Health at the Colorado School of Public Health, Associate Director of Research at the Latino Research & Policy Center (LRPC), and Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement with the CU Cancer Center. Dr. Borrayo’s research focuses on health disparities in the prevention, control, and treatment of cancer among medically underserved Latinos. Her research projects have focused on the psychological, cultural, and social factors involved in cancer prevention and control and in the treatment of lung and head-and-neck cancers among Latinas and Latinos affected by these cancers.
Steven Denham, PhD
Dr. Steven Denham is an Integrated Science Educator at Aurora Science and Tech (AST) Middle School where he also serves as the Manager of STEM Partnerships. In that role he develops external partnerships and programs that support student development necessary to increase the diversity and preparedness of the biomedical sciences. Dr. Denham studied microbiology and immunology at Colorado State University (BS) and the University of Utah (PhD) where he researched human fungal pathogens. During his time in Salt Lake City, I was also a science communication fellow and K-12 field trip facilitator at the Natural History Museum of Utah.
Sonia C. Flores, PhD
Dr. Sonia Flores is a Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine. In addition to her research on pulmonary vascular remodeling in HIV, she developed several research education programs funded by NIH, including the NHLBI-funded GEMS program (Graduate Experiences for Multicultural Students) and the Colorado PRIDE program focused on Impact of Ancestry and Gender on omics of lung diseases. In addition, she is a PI on the NIGMS-funded MARC*USTAR program at the Denver campus. In 2016, she was appointed as Vice Chair of Diversity and Justice where she has focused on implicit bias and microaggression training of faculty, staff and trainees.
Erin Golden, PhD
Dr. Erin Golden is the Director of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities at the University of Colorado Denver as well as the Director of the Denver Metro Regional Science & Engineering Fair. In both roles, she helps emerging researchers access training, funding, and mentorship opportunities and embrace the unique perspectives they bring to the world of research science. She completed her PhD in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University in 2015 and her post-doctoral fellowship at CU Anschutz in 2019.
Teri Hernandez, PhD, RN
Dr. Teri Hernandez is the Associate Dean for Research and Scholarship in the College of Nursing, and she has a long-held appointment in the Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes. She has been teaching in the graduate school for >10 yrs and actively mentors both pre- and post-doctoral trainees and Jr. faculty. She finished her PhD at CU in 2009. Dr. Hernandez’s research focuses on intrauterine influences, such as maternal nutrition, on fetal growth patterns. She is a nurse scientist at Children’s Hospital Colorado, and is the Associate Director of the CCTSI Early Life Exposures Research Program. She is a cardiac nurse by training and worked as an oncology nurse earlier in her career.
Ross Kedl, PhD
Dr. Ross Kedl is a professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology and is heavily invested in teaching and training medical and graduate students, both in the classroom and in the lab. He served as the Immunology course director for 6 years, the Associate Director of the Graduate Program in Immunology for 9 years, and continues to serve on the Graduate Program Steering Committee and Department of Immunology Executive Committee. He is the Co-PI for the “Training Program in Immunology”, a T32 training grant held by the department for the last 30 years.
Dominic F. Martinez, EdD
Dr. Dominic Martinez is the Assistant Vice Chancellor for the Office of Inclusion and Outreach and is an Assistant Professor in the CU School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. He oversees the Office of Inclusion and Outreach, Undocumented Student Services, CU Denver Colorado-Wyoming Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (CO-WY AMP) Program, and the Colorado Clinical & Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI) Summer Undergraduate Multicultural Mentoring in Translational Science(SUMMiT), and Denver Student Training in Research Science (STaRs) Programs.
Mary E. Reyland, PhD
Dr. Mary Reyland is a Professor in the School of Dental Medicine. She has served as the Program Director of the Cancer Biology Graduate Program since 2010. She also is co-PI of a NCI T32 that supports cancer biology training for pre and post-docs, and PI of an NCI R25 that funds the Cancer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (CREU) summer internship program through the Cancer Center.
Kristine M. Sikora, PhD
Dr. Kristine Sikora is the Assistant Dean and Director of Recruitment and Marketing for the Graduate School at CU Denver and CU Anschutz. She develops recruitment tools and strategies for graduate and summer research programs, specifically focusing on diversity and equity.
Meredith Tennis, PhD
Dr. MeredithTennis is an Associate Professor in the Division of Pulmonary Science and Critical Care Medicine with research interests in lung cancer, premalignant lesions, and chemoprevention. She has been involved in biomedical science outreach and informal education since graduate school and now directs the CU Science Discovery Anschutz program, which offers summer camps and research experiences for middle and high school students on the Anschutz Medical Campus.
John Tentler, PhD
Dr. John Tentler is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology. In addition to his research on developmental therapeutics for melanoma, breast, and GI cancers, Dr. Tentler serves in education leadership roles at the undergraduate, graduate, and School of Medicine levels. He is co-PI for the NCI R25 funded Cancer Research Experience for Undergraduates and is an Associate Director for Mentored Scholarly Activity for medical students in the School of Medicine. Additionally, he is a course and curriculum director for several courses at the Anschutz Medical Campus and at CU Boulder. He received his PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine.
Gionni Thompson, EdD
Dr. Gionni Thompson, Chief Education Officer, is a Colorado native with extensive experience in education at all levels. He earned his Doctorate degree in Education with an emphasis in Leadership for Educational Equity. He has a Master’s degree in Education Administration & Supervision and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry. Before his current career in non-profit, Gionni was a Chief Operations Officer, Executive Director, High School Principal, and Secondary Teacher. He has a wealth of experience in public education and valuable leadership skills. While most recently serving the non-profit sector, he focuses on legislative initiatives, federal programs, grants, and regulatory compliance. He combines his deep understanding of K-12 education and operations, to develop legislative strategies and solutions which support the vision and mission of public schools and higher education.