SACNAS Elects New Board Members To Take Office January 2019

SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science) announces the election of the following individuals to its national Board of Directors. They will take office in January 2019:

General board members:

Roberta Pokphanh, PhD (Cherokee), Assistant Vice Provost, University of Kansas

Monica Ramirez Basco, PhD, Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Texas Southwestern

Corey Welch, PhD (Northern Cheyenne), Director, STEM Scholars Program, Iowa State University

Student board member:

Ana Gabriela Vergara, Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD Candidate, Washington State University

“We are excited to welcome on the new board members. They bring a wealth of experience from their professional backgrounds and from their involvement with SACNAS over the years,” said SACNAS President Dr. Lino Gonzalez.

Current President-Elect Dr. Sonia Zárate will also assume her role as president in January. She is the fourth woman in the organization’s 45 year history to hold the office of president. Previous female presidents were, Drs. Maria Elena Zavala, Marigold Linton, and Maggie Werner-Washburne. Zárate said, “The Presidency is a position that I enter into with hope, with humility and with an unwavering commitment to the mission of SACNAS. As custodians of this Society, this is our moment to work together to ensure that the diverse and inclusive scientific community our founders envisioned 45 years ago is actualized.”

About SACNAS
SACNAS is an inclusive organization with a 45-year history of fostering the success of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans, from college students to professionals, in attaining advanced degrees, careers and positions of leadership in STEM.

SACNAS serves approximately 6,000 members, a larger community of 20,000, and with 115 SACNAS student and professional chapters throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.