SASC Staff & Faculty

Welcome to SASC! As you browse our website to meet our people and learn about our mission, we hope that you will feel a connection to our educational opportunity center and decide to join us. Walk in, explore our space, meet us in person. Our students, faculty, and staff are dedicated to your academic, personal, and professional success. We encourage you to take advantage of our programs, courses, workshops, services, and events as a proven way to develop your academic excellence while enriching your campus experience. We look forward to meeting you.

I am the Department Administrator for SASC managing operations and logistics to help SASC run as smoothly as possible so students, staff, and faculty all can call SASC a place they love. I am Colorado born and raised with my BS in Engineering from Colorado School of Mines and my MA in Higher Education from UCCS. I enjoy helping people navigate the complexities of higher education more easily and creating environments to foster community and belonging. Outside of work you’ll find me spending time with my husband and our two dogs camping and finding good places to eat.

I’m a first-generation college student who has been teaching in higher education for more than 20 years. My educational background includes Political Science, Rhetoric, and Philosophy. In my time with SASC I have taught classes in Writing and Rhetoric, Education, Leadership, and Humanities, and all of my courses focus on social justice issues and rhetorical strategies.

I have been an educator for over thirty years in settings ranging from preK-graduate level courses. As part of the SASC community, I teach leadership and humanities courses, and am also a McNeill Coordinator and on the Faculty Advisory Board for the McNair Scholars Program at CU. As a committed social justice educator, what I love most about our work here in SASC is opening spaces for difference and supporting one another in our academic, civic, and personal growth. My academic background is in sociology and education, deeply shaped by my identity as a non-traditional student and my Choctaw roots.

I am a graduate of CU-Boulder and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and have been part of the SASC community for more than 20 years. My passion is to serve communities underrepresented in higher education and am committed to student success. I’ve been privileged to work with so many amazing students during my time here and look forward to working with many more.

I am a graduate of CU Boulder and Duquesne University where I focused my studies on economics and mathematics. I am relatively new to the SASC community and teach the principles of microeconomics and principles of macroeconomics courses. Teaching is one of my passions and I love getting to know my students and providing a fun and energetic learning environment. My goal is to use active learning strategies and focus on real-world examples to illustrate how the lessons of economics can help students in every discipline. In my free time, I love reading, writing, baking, and playing video games with friends.

I was first in my family to attend college and I hold both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Sociocultural Linguistics. In my research, I have combined qualitative and quantitative data analyses to learn more about the intersection of language and identity on a college campus. My data was gathered by interviewing first-generation undergraduate students from the central Appalachian Mountain region who were attending a university in a small city more than an hour drive from their home counties. I began working with the McNair Scholars Program during its return to CU Boulder in 2017. Being from a first-generation, low-income background myself, I feel especially passionate about the mission of this prestigious, nationally recognized program to support students in their pursuit of graduate studies. I am excited to be able to work with McNair Scholars again as we continue in our second 5-year funding & programming cycle.

I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from California State University, San Bernardino. I am a proud Latino and son of a Mexican immigrant, and was the first in my family to earn an undergraduate degree and attend graduate school. While I’m still a mathematics enthusiast, I now work with the McNair Scholars to help other first-generation or underrepresented students like myself succeed in their academic careers.

I am a first-generation college graduate, proudly, from Denver, CO. My experiences as an undergraduate student at the University of Colorado Boulder sparked my passion for equity in Higher Education. I earned my BA in Ethnic Studies with an emphasis in Sociology from the University of Colorado Boulder and my MA in Higher Education from the University of Colorado Boulder. Prior to serving as Director, I supported McNeill as an...

I currently serve as a Program Manager at the McNeill Academic Program where I provide advising and insight to students. My focus is on providing resources to students and developing strategies for historically underrepresented students to succeed in their college careers and to develop community driven initiatives through anti-racist, equitable, community-oriented praxis. I identify as Chicano and was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. I am a first-generation college graduate. My experiences and time at the University of Colorado Boulder drove me to work towards an equitable future for all students. I earned my BA in Ethnic Studies – with a focus on Mexican/Chicano Studies – and a BA in Anthropology – with a focus on Cultural and Biological studies - from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Nancy Mora Dominguez (she/ella) currently serves as a McNeill Program Manager where she hopes to provide a supportive, inclusive, and helpful environment for historically excluded and non-traditional students, as a 1st generation womxn of color that transferred into the University of Colorado Boulder. Nancy identifies as Mexican American and was born and raised in Denver, CO. She grew up in North-East Denver (Montbello-Green Valley area) and continues to call this area home. As a non-traditional student, Nancy experienced a fair share of experiences on campus that helped grow her desire to promote equity in all aspects of her life and causes she has been involved in. Nancy earned her BA in Ethnic Studies with a Minor in History from the University of Colorado Boulder and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Military and First Responder Psychology.

Hello! I’m Joshua Noriega, SASC Program Coordinator, for the University of Colorado. I’m in charge of assisting SASC students, faculty and staff in their ongoing academic pursuits. My tenure in education started as a first-generation college student, where I obtained a degree in history and a certification in secondary education. Here I worked as a K-12 teacher, where I taught Social Studies. After working closely with aspiring college students, I decided to move to the realm of higher education. I have been working to transform student learning spaces into more equitable and engaging places that are growth-centered and put their needs first.

I am a first-generation college graduate with over a decade of experience teaching in higher education. I completed my undergraduate degree in mathematics with a minor in philosophy at Colorado Mesa University and my MS in applied mathematics at University of Colorado Denver. I teach Statistics, PreCalculus, and Calculus courses for SASC. I hope to inspire my students to see the beauty of mathematics and show them that you don’t need to be naturally mathematically inclined in order to do and enjoy mathematics.

I am a graduate of CU Boulder where I double majored in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology as well as Spanish Language and Literature. I am passionate about interacting with students and value small class sizes and one-on-one conversations. As part of the SASC community, I teach Biology and Human Anatomy. As both a coordinator and educator, my aim is to provide every student with the tools and support they need to excel while creating an inclusive environment which fosters lifelong learning for me and my students alike.

Originally from the Midwest and now proudly based in Colorado since 2015, my passion lies in creating equitable and effective learning environments in mathematics spaces through curriculum development, policy analysis, and fostering inclusivity. With degrees in Mathematics, Educational Policy, and Philosophy, I've embarked on a career journey aimed at bridging the gap between theory and practice in education.

Hello everyone, I teach math for SASC. I grew up in three different countries with three different languages. At first, I hated it that I had to move to a new country and relearn everything from the start, but now I really appreciate the experiences I had growing up with three different cultures and education systems. I have been part of the SASC since my freshman year of college as a McNeill student. I would not be able to attend college without McNeill’s support and resources.

Welcome to SASC! I teach chemistry in the department and am thrilled to be part of this multicultural community where we can focus on inclusive teaching through a small class size! I have been with SASC for 4 years, and it has been great to get to know students through their years at CU. I graduated from Yale in 2011 with a BS in chemistry and completed my PhD in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Tulane with a focus on computational chemistry. I am always thrilled to discuss my research and professional experience with students, which I support through both the SASC Emerging Health Professionals (EHP) and SASC STEM club events and workshops.

As a Program Manager, I seek to uplift, empower, and advocate for students. My passion for serving students comes from my experience of being a first-generation Latina graduate. I understand how challenging it can be to navigate higher education and how having a support system makes a positive difference. It brings me joy to support students through mentorship, care, and community. My educational journey started at Front Range Community College and then I transferred to Colorado State University. I received my Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Ethnic Studies. I continued my journey at CSU and graduated with a Master's in Student Affairs in Higher Education. During my free time I enjoy dancing, photography, writing poetry, and hanging out with friends.

As a proud University of Colorado alum, I am honored to serve the students of this university. I earned my Bachelor’s degree from CU Boulder in Political Science and Education and my Masters degree in Organizational Leadership and Project Management from Colorado State University (don’t tell anyone). Ever since I was a work-study student at CU, my passion has been to serve underrepresented communities and help students along to the next step in their journey. My goal as the Director of our programs and as a member of the SASC community, is to ensure every student who walks through our doors knows they belong on this campus and will succeed with the support of our community.

Originally from Mammoth Lakes, CA with roots in Michoacan, Mexico. I currently serve as a Program Manager for TRiO Student Support Services. Being a first-generation Hispanic college graduate and TRiO alumnus, I understand the obstacles that students face on the daily and the support they need to ensure they are successful along their academic journey. I have a passion to help guide and mentor students along their academic path. I am a firm believer in the power of education and believe that everyone should have the opportunity to further their education no matter their background. I am dedicated to the students and will do all I can to support students achieve their goals. I completed my undergraduate degree in Sociology in 2018 and my graduate degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Sports Management in 2021, both from Kansas Wesleyan University. I have spent my career advocating for underserved communities with roles in both K-12 and higher education. Outside of work, I love to be in nature, playing soccer, hiking, running, or snowboarding. I enjoy spending quality time with my fiancé and my family.

I am thrilled to be part of the SASC team! I am the Academic Director for the WAM/First Nations Program. I value academic development and I enjoy providing my students with all of the tools they need to achieve academic success, from Day 1 until they become CU-Boulder Graduates. I am a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, with a Bachelor’s degree in Science and Physical Education and I have a Master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling, with Special Emphasis for Native American students.