Board of Directors

President. Steve Cox received his PhD in Mathematics at RPI in 1988. He taught Mathematics at Rice University from 1988 to 2016, departing as Emeritus Professor. While in Houston he was also adjunct Professor of Neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine for 10 years, during which time he created BrainSTEM, an afterschool neuroscience program, and chaired the interdisciplinary committee that established a neuroscience major at Rice. He left Houston to nurture STEM culture in Northern New Mexico - where he is now Associate Professor of Engineering Technology at Northern New Mexico College in Espanola.

Secretary. Janice Badongen Patal-e is a Chemical Engineer with 15 years of industry experience, she worked with Wistron managing RoHS compliance in the Philippines, overseeing the RoHS Laboratory in Mexico, and contributing to New Product Introduction and Project Management before transitioning to education. Now in her eighth year at Espanola Valley High School, she has expanded her goal of connecting industry and students from math to STEM. Her students have earned state and national awards, and she has been recognized as the NMMESA Advisor of the Year, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow State Winner Advisor, and Society for Science Advocate.