Emely Evangelista is the Alumni Coordinator at NACME, where she’s dedicated to strengthening the alumni community. Her work involves reconnecting with graduates, organizing networking events, and hosting the 'Innovating Forward 'podcast, which features insightful conversations with professionals in engineering and computer science. Previously, Emely served as a Communications Intern at the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), where she contributed to public health campaigns aimed at the Hispanic community. Her role included website management, creating graphics and media plans, and analyzing campaign effectiveness. Emely is a Brooklyn native, and holds a degree in Cultural Anthropology and International Affairs from George Washington University. She brings a unique blend of energy, and community spirit to everything she does.

Dr. Elise Grace is the Global Vaccines Business Operations Director at Merck & Co. where she oversees operations for global marketing franchises. Her role involves standardizing and developing marketing tools and processes, creating value-added digital tools and resources, and continuously improving speed and efficiency in operations. Previously, she served as the Strategic Alliances Director, supporting institutional business and localization operations. Dr. Grace has experience in Supply Chain Management, External Manufacturing operations, Vaccine Manufacturing, Technology Transfer, Project Management, and various roles within Merck's Manufacturing Division. She was also a part of the ERVEBO® Vaccine Technical Product Transfer Acceleration Team in Burgwedel, Germany. She holds a Doctor of Engineering in Engineering Management, an MBA in Marketing, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Grace is also actively involved in employee resource groups and serves as the Global Strategy and Operations Co-Chair of the League of Employees of African Descent (LEAD) at Merck. She is also the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) Board Liaison. Dr. Grace is actively involved in employee resource groups and is passionate about talent development. and mentoring. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, spending time with family, and working out.

After graduating from Louisiana State University (LSU) with a B.S. in Computer Science and an MBA, NACME Alumni Scholar Jazmine Staten launched her career as an IT Product Manager in the tech industry. She led the development of software solutions for various departments, including supply chain, human resources, and marketing. Jazmine later transitioned into media and entertainment, where she now excels as a Program Manager supporting streaming services. With six years of corporate experience, Jazmine has demonstrated remarkable success and is now paying it forward with Careerisma, an up-and-coming tech startup dedicated to helping young professionals and students transition into the workforce. Passionate and purpose-driven, Jazmine is excited about the future and the positive impact she plans to make.

Mauricio Iglesias is the CEO of Bastazo, a cybersecurity company focused on mitigating risk and exposure for operational technology. He attended the University of Arkansas on the ECAP scholarship, where he studied Electrical Engineering. After graduation, Mauricio started his career at Texas Instruments, then founded and exited his own company. He later worked at Capital One before taking on his current role at Bastazo

NACME President and CEO. Michele Lezama, M.S. and MBA, was the Graduate and Organizational Diversity Strategist for Purdue University's Minority Engineering Program (MEP). In this role, she was responsible for recruiting domestic underrepresented graduate students for Purdue's College of Engineering as well as enhancing Purdue's relationships with national organizations focused on diversity in STEM. Michele was the CEO and Executive Director of The National GEM Consortium prior to her role with MEP. GEM, a 501(c)(3) organization is dedicated to increasing the number of underrepresented individuals who pursue and receive a masters or Ph.D. in engineering or science by providing full fellowships. Michele is credited for creating a national program called GRAD Lab (Getting Ready for Advanced Degree Laboratory), leveraging GEM's national network of university partners, to provide students with critical information on the STEM graduate application process and national funding opportunities. During her tenure at GEM, Michele was an employee of Notre Dame, Educational Testing Service, and ultimately positioned GEM as a stand-alone organization where she reported solely to the GEM Board of Directors. Prior to GEM, Michele served as Executive Director of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), a 501(c)(3) student run organization. She is credited for turning around the organization's financial position from risking payroll to acquiring a new headquarters facility tripling the organizations capital position and creating a long-term investment structure. Under her leadership, NSBE received the 2003 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (awarded by the White House's Office of Science and Technology). Prior to NSBE, Michele was the Director of Satellite Scrambling Operations at Home Box Office (HBO), a Time Warner Company, and prior to HBO she served as the Associate Director of Broadcast Operations and System Integration at Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). Prior to her media career, Michele was an engineer with IBM in their Poughkeepsie, Manhattan, and Brooklyn facilities. Michele earned her B.S. in Industrial Engineering at Northwestern University, and both her M.S. and MBA in Finance and Accounting from Columbia University. She was inducted into Tau Beta Pi, Alpha Pi Mu, and is an alumnus of Robert Toigo Financial Services and The National GEM Consortium fellowship programs. A native New Yorker, Brooklyn by way of The Bronx, Michele's straight forwardness and dry wit would make the city proud. She is married to Ricardo Lezama. They have two daughters.