The Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities (HSRU) has announced the inaugural cohort of ASCENDR Fellows for the ASCENDR Fellowship Program, a one‑year, cohort‑based initiative supporting doctoral STEM students from HSRU member institutions.
ASCENDᴿ, which stands for Advancing STEM Careers through Education, Networking, and Development plus Research, is a partnership between HSRU and the U.S. Department of War (DoW). The ASCENDᴿ Fellowship Program is designed to prepare emerging scientists and engineers for careers aligned with the national security agenda through defense‑relevant research experiences, mentorship, and structured professional development.
As the inaugural cohort of the ASCENDᴿ Fellowship Program, the selected fellows represent an important milestone in the ongoing launch of the ASCENDᴿ initiative. The 31 fellows reflect the strong research talent and future leadership emerging across the HSRU. Participants were selected based on academic merit, research alignment, and interest in defense‑related science and technology fields.
Fellows will conduct faculty‑mentored research at their home institutions while participating in a coordinated sequence of professional development activities. Through seminars, cohort engagement, mentorship, and exposure to defense-focused topics and experiences, fellows will be introduced to national security challenges, the defense innovation ecosystem, and career pathways within the DoW science and technology enterprise.
Through this integrated model, the ASCENDᴿ Fellowship Program supports the development of early‑career researchers equipped with the knowledge, skills, and professional networks needed to engage in defense‑aligned research and related career pathways. The program also strengthens institutional capacity for mentorship and research collaboration across the HSRU Alliance.
The inaugural cohort includes fellows representing institutions across the HSRU. Participants will begin with a program orientation this spring, officially launch the fellowship experience in August 2026, engage in fellowship activities over the program year, and conclude with a culminating experience.
Arizona State University
Farhad Alemi
Justin Bower
Marco Casareto
Maya Khoury
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Catherine Eno
Ryan Lee
Isha Rai
Roberto Torres
New Mexico State University
Marco Gomez Fierro
Ilse Tolentino
The University of Texas at Arlington
Calvin Heyl
Maria Olds
The University of Texas at El Paso
Arturo Garcia
Andre Molina
Raul Ramos
University of Arizona
McKenna Dunmyer
Liam Frank
University of Central Florida
Emil Alunno
Taylor Brown
Nathan Dreyer
Delbert Hart
Cooper Mills
Alejandro Puerta-Alvarado
Valerie Rodriguez
Diego Ruiz Peña
Spencer Smith
Bryan Suarez
University of Illinois Chicago
Rosa Mendoza
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Luis Cardenas
Zahir Castrejon
Quinn Summerfield
The ASCENDR Research and Leadership Program is part of the HSRU ASCENDR Consortium — Advancing STEM Careers through Education, Networking, and Development + Research — a multi-institutional initiative funded by the DOW National Defense Education Program (NDEP), advancing research, talent, and innovation in defense-relevant STEM fields aligned with national priorities.
