
Cumbre De Excelencia Latina
Celebrating Latiné Voices

About the Conference
Cumbre de Excelencia Latina is an in-person conference designed to honor the outstanding achievements of Latiné scholars, professionals, and students. This day brings vibrant opportunities for Latiné doctoral and postdoctoral scholars to have meaningful discussions and explore different facets of their identities while building a strong community with inspiring Latiné professionals from the DMV area.



2nd Annual Cumbre De Excelencia Latina
October 18, 2024
At the Imagine Center
Event Details
Celebrate Latiné Excellence
Through motivational talks, panel discussions, and key presentations, the conference amplifies Latiné voices in academia and beyond while appreciating their rich heritage.
Foster Community and Belonging
Cumbre encourages networking, collaboration, and mentorship opportunities, empowering attendees to forge valuable connections that promote industry and personal growth.
Empower Latiné Doctoral and Postdoctoal scholars
By providing the opportunity to form community, meet role models, and resources, we strive to inspire and equip our Latiné students with tools to excel in their academic and professional endeavors.

Meet Our Keynote

Elizabeth Zamudio
Elizabeth Zamudio is the Vice President of Education at UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization. Elizabeth leads all education programmatic work for the organization including womb to career planning, family and community, engagement, and strategic impact with UnidosUS Affiliate Network. In previous roles, Elizabeth served as Vice President of Program and Impact at the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) and as Vice President of Programs at Fulfillment Fund, where she began her career as a high school counselor.
A first-generation graduate herself, Elizabeth holds bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Chicana/o studies and a Master’s degree in School Counseling from Loyola Marymount University, is a graduate of the University of Southern California’s Non-Profit Resilient Leaders program, and is a Doctoral Candidate in Organizational Leadership at Pepperdine University. She serves as Board Chair for Open Paths Counseling Center, a mental health center working to remove barriers to psychotherapy for Angelenos.

Student Panelists

Joshua Garcia Colon

Juan Cortes

Rodrigo Guerra

Jimena Rodriguez, PhD

Lorena Velasquez
Cumbre Guest Speakers

Ana Reyes Albarracin
Ana Reyes Albarracín
Program Manager, Smithsonian Institution
Ana works to advance pathways for underrepresented groups in museums and in the non-profit sector broadly, work that she believes contributes to building more representative institutions that better serve our society. She has over fifteen years of experience serving various roles in the nonprofit sector and currently oversees the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino’s internship program, helping to develop pathways for emerging professionals in museum studies. Ana holds a master’s degree in Latin American and Latino Studies, a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Spanish Language and Literature, and a Nonprofit Executive Certificate.

Dr. Angie Bautista-Chavez
Dr. Angie Bautista-Chavez
Assistant Professor, Political Science, JHU
As a scholar of American Politics, I examine the politics of migration, borders, bureaucracy, race, and citizenship. My work examines the dynamic interplay between states and racialized migrants – at one level, how Latiné immigrants are regulated by and contend with the American state, and at another level, how the United States expands its regulatory reach beyond its borders. In my book project, Exporting Borders, I trace the policy choices and bargains between the United States and Mexico, two asymmetrically positioned states, to explain the making of current and still unfolding interdependent externalization and containment regimes. I am committed to creating more inclusive systems of knowledge production via my research, teaching, and mentorship. I come from generations of women-led migration from San Luis Potosí to Texas, and it was through the support from educators and members of Lockhart, Texas community that I was able to attend Rice University as a first-generationl college student. I earned my PhD at Harvard University, and I served as an Assistant Professor at Arizona State University from 2021 to 2024.

Nicoletta de la Brown
Nicoletta de la Brown
Award Winning Interdisciplinary artist
Nicoletta Darita de la Brown, a Panamanian-American interdisciplinary artist and curandero chamána (shamanic practitioner), creates art that nourishes others and heals herself as a Black-Latin Woman. She is a MacDowel Fellow, Artist-in-Residence at Baltimore School for the Arts, and holds fellowships at Johns Hopkins University and Vermont Studio Center. Nicolette has taught at Townson University and Maryland Institute of College of Art. Her performances and exhibitions have been featured at prestigious venues like The National Aquarium, The Phillips Collection, and the Tribeca Film Festival. Her work is part of several private and public collections, including The Sheridan Libraries at Johns Hopkins University.

Beatriz Suzette Gutiérrez-Malagón
Beatriz Suzette Gutiérrez-Malagón, M.S.
Assistant Director of Life Design, JHU
Beatriz (she/her), also known as Bea, is a Cuban-Panamanian first-generation college graduate from Florida State University with a bachelor’s in Criminology and International Affairs, and a master’s in Higher Education Student Affairs. Moving to Maryland in 2019, Bea began her career at the University of Maryland as Coordinator for Leadership, where she developed leadership programs and supported student success. Now, as the Assistant Director of Life Design at Johns Hopkins, Bea guides first-year students in creating intentional and fulfilling collegiate experiences.

Dr. Adrián Hernández
Dr. Adrián Hernández (they/them/el)
Mental health Services Clinician, JHU
Dr. Adrián Hernandez immigrated to Miami, FL from Cuba with their family as a child. It was straddling two cultures and two countries that nurtured a passion for mental health and community work. Thus, they began working as a mental health peer educator at Florida International University as they earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. After noticing the few numbers of Spanish-speaking and Latine psychotherapists within the mental health field, and subsequent health disparities for Latines, they decided to pursue higher education in the hopes of contributing to closing that gap. Currently, Adriáa works as a Mental Health Services Clinician at Johns Hopkins University. They transitioned to this role in August 2024 after completing a clinical internship there was the last requirement for their Psy.D. in Clinical Psychological from Point Park University. Their clinical, outreach, and research interests center on facilitating meaningful grown at the intersections of Trans-and-Latine communities.

Dr. Adrián Hernández
April Lugo
Professor, Chemistry, JHU
April Lugo joined Allstate Corporation in 2021 as a Senior Manager for Inclusive Diversity and Equity (IDE) integrating IDE into daily operations through partnerships with business leaders. Previously, she worked at Johns Hopkins Medicine, enhancing diversity in healthcare and supporting non-English speakers and LGBT inclusive policies. April is Vice President of Operations for ALPFA Baltimore Chapter and serves on the boards of Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, The Y in Central Maryland, and Maryland Latino Unidos. She also runs a LinkedIn blog titled “The Corporate Latina”. Her Puerto Rican heritage and being the first in her family to attend college inspires her work in equity and opportunities for women of color. She holds a BA from Johns Hopkins and a MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. In 2023, she was named a Top 50 Latina Rising Star.

Dr. Rigoberto Hernandez
Dr. Rigoberto Hernandez
Professor, Chemistry, JHU
Dr. Rigoberto Hernandez, who is a Gompf Family Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University since 2016, also directs the Open Chemistry Collaborative in Diversity Equity (OXIDE) and holds professorships in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering. Born in Havana, Cuba, he earned his B.S.E. from Princeton University and a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley. Dr. Hernandez has published over 180 articles and received numerous awards, including the NSF CAREER Award and the ACS Award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students in Careers in Chemical Sciences. He is a fellow of AAAS, ACS, APS, and the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Anya Marino, JD
Anya Marino, JD
Director of LGBTQI Equality, National Women’s Law Center
Anya A. Marino (she/her) serves as the National Women’s Law Center’s Director of LGBTQI Equality and drives the Center’s legal and policy efforts to protect and advance the rights of LGBTQI+ people. She is also a professor of practice and directs the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law LGBTQI Equality Clinic. Before joining NWLC and Maryland Carey Law, Anya instructed Harvard Law School’s LGBTQ+ Advocacy Clinic. She also served as Deputy Legal Director for the ACLU of Florida. Anya was the first openly transgender woman of color to serve in any senior legal position throughout the ACLU’s federation of national and affiliate offices and was the first transgender woman of color to teach at Harvard Law School. Throughout her career, Anya’s work has including representing the most marginaized and vulnerable members of the LGBTQ+ community, including transgender, non-binary, and gender non-confirming people; LGBTQ+ people of color; LGBTQ+ people in southern communities. Anya has been honored with multiple awards such as the National Hispanic Medical Association Trailblazer on LGBTQ+ health equality, and recognized by Liaison International as one of seven women who shattered the glass ceiling in higher education. Anya graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law and is the law school’s 2022 Rising Star Award recipient. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Johns Hopkins University. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, attending concerts, studying foreign cultures and languages, and spending time with her teacup chihuahua. She is the reigning Miss Trans USA.

Dr. Gian Carlo Molina-Castro
Dr. Gian Carlo Molina-Castro
Consultant & Neuroscientist, boston consulting group
Dr. Gian Carlo Molina-Castro is a consultant, neuroscientist, and speaker, currently serving as a Management Consultant at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Washington DC. Gian has supported both commercial and public clients across the US and Canada, spearheading data-driven strategic initiatives to create tangible value and drive business success for clients in diverse industries. Prior to BCG, Gian served as the Assistant Director of PHutures, Johns Hopkins’s doctoral career design hub, overseeing the day-to-day operations and strategic planning and designing career education programming and conferences. In his free time, Gian serves as a regional caseworker for the services to the armed forces at the American Red Cross, Puerto Rico Chapter, supporting military families, service members, and retirees during their times of need. Gian obtained a PhD in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins in 2023 and a BS in Cellular/Molecular Biology from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus in 2018. In addition, he obtained a Professional Certificate in Non-Profit Management from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaüez Campus in 2015, and in Human Resources Management from the Ana G. Mendez University in 2022.

Dr. Randy Ontiveros
Dr. Randy Ontiveros
Associate Professor, Director, University of Maryland
Professor Randy Ontiveros is the Director of Honors Humanities and an Associate Professor in the English department, with affiliations in U.S. Latina/o Studies, Caribbean and Latin American Studies, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexualities studies at the University of Maryland. He received his PhD in 2006 from the University of California, Irvine. At Maryland, he researchers and teaches in the field of Latiné literary and cultural studies Professor Ontiveros has published articles and book chapters on topics ranging from Latiné environmentalism to television coverage of the Mexican-American civil rights movement. Professor Ontiveros won the prestigious University System of Maryland Board of Regents’ Faculty Award for Teaching, as well as the Donna B. Hamilton Award for Teaching Excellence in General Education at the University of Maryland.

Dr. Julia Massimelli Sweall
Dr. Julia Massimelli Sewall
Program Director, Lecturer, Biomedical Engineering, JHU
Dr. Julie Massimelli Sewall is a senior lecturer in the Department of Biomedical Engineering where she serves as program director and member of the leadership team supporting the Biomedical Engineering PhD program. As a program director, she works collaboratively with the leadership team to support the BME PhD program’s quality during its entire life cycle, from admissions to graduation. Prior to joining Hopkins, she was the program director of the MSc Biobased Materials, MSc Systems Biology and MSc Imaging Engineering portfolios at the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, The Netherlands. Her research focuses on microbiology and STEM education. In particular, the development and validation of education instruments and tools for assessment, curriculum alignment, and program development.

Dr. Abel Vargas
Dr. Abel Vargas
Computational Research Scientist, NSWC – Carderock
Dr. Abel Vargas is a mechanical engineer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division (NSWCCD), specializing in Computational Fluid Dynamics. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at El Paso and a D.Sc. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the George Washington University. Over his 17-year career at NSWCCD, Dr. Vargas has significantly contributed to the design of future Navy ships, including submarines, amphibious vehicles, unmanned underwater vehicles, and towed systems. Currently his research focuses on surface roughness modeling and the maneuvering characteristics of unmanned underwater vehicles. Dr. Vargas also serves as the Hispanic Special Emphasis Program Manager and has worked on diversity and inclusion initiatives. He has completed detail assignments at the Pentagon, gaining valuable experience in autonomous technology and future applications.

Parking and Logistics
Location:
The Imagine Center for Integrative Learning and Life Design
113 W. University Pkwy
Baltimore, MD 21210
Parking
Parking lot at the Imagine Center is restricted to special permits. There is street parking available ($0.50/hour) on University Parkway in front and near the Imagine Center.
JHU Shuttles
You can take the Homewood-Peabody-JHMI shuttle and get off at stop #8 (Interfaith Center). The Imagine Center is a 8-min walk from Interfaith Center.
You can also see real time information on the shuttles here: JHU Shuttles