PI Dr. Elba Serrano is Regents Professor of Biology at New Mexico State University and the lead NMSU investigator for the NSF Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) National STEM Resource Hub. A first generation-to-college student, Dr. Serrano earned her PhD in biology (neuroscience/biophysics) from Stanford University and her bachelor’s degree in physics with a chemistry minor from the University of Rochester. Her research focuses on development of the sensory systems for hearing and balance and on the role of neuroglia in maintenance of brain function.

Contact: serrano@nmsu.edu

See Dr. Serrano's lab website for more information

Co-PI Dr. Charles Shuster is the Department Head and Professor of Biology at New Mexico State University. His lab studies the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton during cell division, cell motility, and early development. He employs echinoderm embryos and culture human cells using fluorescent protein fusions and biosensors and markers for the cytoskeleton.

Contact: cshuster@nmsu.edu

Co-PI Dr. Sara Fuentes-Soriano is a College Assistant Professor of Biology and New Mexico State University and Herbarium Director and Curator of the NMSU Biology Herbarium (NMC). Dr. Fuentes-Soriano seeks to understand the diversification and evolutionary innovations of flowering plants, related to their palynology, genomics, and ecology to address pressing questions related to the effect of climate change on plant morphological, molecular, and spatial distribution patterns. She complements her research with the study of natural history collections data, fieldwork, and molecular phylogenetic findings.

Contact: sfuensor@nmsu.edu

Co-PI Dr. Jennifer Randall is a Professor within the Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Weed Science at New Mexico State University and the current director of the Molecular Biology and Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Program. Dr. Randall completed her B.S. in Biochemistry, a Master of Science degree in Molecular Biology with a minor in Toxicology and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology studying plant genetics and development at New Mexico State University. As a post-doc, she studied Plant Pathology and began to study plant-microbe interactions. Her lab focuses on the genetic and molecular mechanisms of plant development and plant microbe interactions, especially in pecans.

Contact: jrandall@nmsu.edu

See Dr. Randall's lab website for more information

Co-PI Dr. Igor Sevostianov was a Professor in the department of Mechanical Engineering at New Mexico State University. Sevostianov earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in solid mechanics from St. Petersburg State University, Russia. His research interests were in the quantitative characterization of microstructures of non-homogeneous materials, microstructure-properties relationships, and connections between different physical properties. His research has important implications in additive manufacturing, radiation damage control, development of new materials for bone implants. Dr. Sevostianov passed away unexpectedly in 2021.

See here to learn more about the life of Dr. Sevostianov 

Lab Manager Stanley Cheng joined NMSU in 2023 to oversee the BioAFM and other shared equipment within the departments of Biology and Chemistry. Stanley received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Indiana University, worked in the plant biology industry, and then in biomedical engineering at the University of Notre Dame before coming to NMSU. He is the main contact for BioAFM users and will help with training and outreach.

Contact: scheng2@nmsu.edu