Faculty and Staff
Dr. Eva M. Moya
Chair and Professor
Ph.D., The University of Texas at El Paso • MSSW, The University of Texas at Austin • BA, The University of Texas at El Paso • LMSW, State of Texas • Fellowship, Kellogg National Fellows Leadership Program • Practice Experience: Border health, community organization, bi-national social work and public policy • Research Interests: Homelessness, intimate partner violence, health disparities, community health, engaged scholarship, Photovoice method, HPV Food Equity• Bilingual: Spanish and English
emmoya@utep.edu
(915) 747-8493
Expertise Connector Profile
Alma R. Armendáriz
Clinical Instructor and Field Coordinator, Interim MSW Program Coordinator
MSW, New Mexico State University • BSW, The University of Texas at El Paso • Practice Experience: Child welfare • Research Interests: Foster care system and youth aging out of foster care • Bilingual: English and Spanish
ararmendariz2@utep.edu
(915) 747-6595
Curriculum Vitae
Erica R. Balderrama
Clinical Instructor and BSW Coordinator
MSW, The University of Texas at El Paso • BSW, The University of Texas at El Paso • Research Interests: LGBTQI population and life experiences, child welfare, foster care • Bilingual: English and Spanish
erbalderrama@utep.edu
(915) 747-8306
Expertise Connector Profile
Dr. Bruce Friedman
Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University
MSW, Washington University • BA in Religion and Sociology, Case Western Reserve University • Practice Experience: Management and program development, and individual, marriage and family counseling • Authorship: Academic texts in the areas of community-based participatory research, public health and health inequalities, teaching, and toolkits for research in the social sciences; cook book using food recipes to explain theoretical concepts to practicing social workers • Research Interests: Community-based participatory and action research, culture/ethnicity, health disparities, social systems, transdisciplinary practice, homelessness, substance abuse, management/administration, international issues, spirituality • Bilingual: English and Hebrew
bdfriedman@utep.edu
(915) 747-8078
Curriculum Vitae
Barbara Stives, BMS
Administrative Assistant
bherrera8@utep.edu
(915) 747-5095
Dr. Hyejin Jung
Associate Professor
Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin • MSW, University of Alabama • BA, Pukyong National University • Practice Experience: Mental health care in hospital settings • Research Interests: Community-based practice, disparities in mental health care, mental health literacy and education, measurement and survey development, mental health in subsidized housing • Bilingual: English and Korean
hjung2@utep.edu
(915) 747-5453
Curriculum Vitae
Dr. Jason Mallonee
Assistant Professor
DSW, University of Pennsylvania • MSW, University of Southern California • MA in Education, Antioch University • BA in Visual Art, Oberlin College • Practice Experience: Trauma and mental health treatment across the lifespan; assertive community treatment, crisis intervention, program development and administration • Research Interests: Mental health treatment engagement, mental health disparities, help-seeking, community-engaged research, program development and implementation, the therapeutic relationship, food insecurity, cyberbullying, and factors impacting the provision and receipt of mental health services.
jrmallonee@utep.edu
(915) 747-8588
Curriculum Vitae
Virginia Martinez
Coordinator, Child Welfare Training Program
MSSW, The University of Texas at Austin • BSW, The University of Texas at El Paso • LCSW, State of Texas • Board Approved Clinical Supervisor, State of Texas • C-ASWCM – National Association of Social Workers • Practice Experience: Management and program development in social work health care • Research Interests: Health and mental health • Bilingual: Spanish and English
vlmartinez9@utep.edu
(915) 747-8317
Rosario Olivera
Clinical Instructor
MSW, Boston University • BA, Psychology and BA Social Sciences, Westfield State College • Practice Experience: Integrated behavioral health care, policy and advocacy practice, mental health programs administration in child, adult, forensic and specialty care services • Bilingual: Spanish and English
reolivera@utep.edu
Dr. Viridiana Ortiz
Clinical Assistant Professor
• Ph.D., Our Lady of the Lake University • MSW, The University of Texas at El Paso • BSW, The University of Texas at El Paso • LCSW-S, State of Texas • Board Approved Clinical Supervisor, State of Texas • Practice Experience: Medical social work, integrated medical and behavioral health model, mental health services with Native American and Hispanic children, adolescents and adults, crisis intervention, mental health program administration and development • Research interests: Mental health disparities in minority communities, cultural competence, community-based behavioral health practice, and immigration • Bilingual: English and Spanish
vortiz19@utep.edu
Dr. Yok-Fong Paat
Associate Professor
CHS Faculty Fellow for Scholarship and Research, Provost's Faculty Fellow for Community-Engaged Scholarship
Ph.D., University of Oklahoma • MPS, Pennsylvania State University • MSW, University of Oklahoma • BSW, Western Michigan University • LCSW, State of Texas • Practice Experience: Child welfare, social services, and clinical counseling • Research Interests: Family health, health behavior, community health, mental health, child well-being, interpersonal violence, targeted violence, education, social integration, social justice, altruism, migration, immigration, and homeland security • Trilingual: English, Chinese and Malay
ypaat@utep.edu
(915) 747-5789
Christina Saenz
Clinical Instructor
MSW, The University of Texas at El Paso • LMSW, State of Texas
crsaenz2@utep.edu
(915) 747-0272
Dr. Jennifer J. Salinas
Associate Professor
Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin • MSW, The University of Pennsylvania • BA, The University of Massachusetts at Amherst • LMSW, State of Texas • Practice Experience: inpatient medical, outpatient/inpatient psychiatry, community engagement, disease prevention • Research Interests: Health disparities, social determinants of health, healthy eating and active living, cancer and chronic disease prevention• Bilingual: Spanish and English
jsalinas7@utep.edu
(915) 747-7292
Professor Emeritus
Dr. Candyce Berger
Professor Emeritus
cberger2@utep.edu
Dr. Mark Lusk
Professor Emeritus
Ed.D and MSW, University of Kentucky • BA, New Mexico State University • LMSW, State of Texas • Practice Experience: Mental health, international development • Research Interests: Migration, trauma, resilience • Fulbright Scholar (Peru and Brazil) • Tri-lingual: English, Spanish and Portuguese
mwlusk@utep.edu
915-929-4200
Adjunct Faculty
Yahell Zuñiga
Lecturer
MSW, University of Denver • BSW, The University of Texas at El Paso • LCSW, State of Texas• Practice Experience: Children and adolescent mental health, early childhood intervention, children with disabilities, family court services, clinical counseling, clinical supervision • Research interests: family dynamics, early attachment, nurturing parenting • Bilingual: English and Spanish
yzuniga@utep.edu
Affiliate Faculty
Arturo Acosta
Lecturer
MSW, New Mexico State University • BSW, The University of Texas at El Paso • Associate of Arts, El Paso Community College • LCSW, State of Texas • LCDC, State of Texas • Practice Experience: Substance abuse • Bilingual: Spanish and English
aacost96@epcc.edu
(915) 747-5095
Dr. Silvia M. Chavez-Baray
Lecturer
Ph.D. in Psychology, Instituto Humanista de Sinaloa, Mexico • Master of Science in Child Psychology, Instituto Humanista de Sinaloa • Licenciada – Psychology, Centro de Estudios Universitarios, Monterrey • Practice Experience: Child welfare, clinical counseling, guardianship, foster care and adoption • Research Interests: Health, intimate partner violence and clinical assessment, migration • Bilingual: Spanish and English
smchavezbaray@utep.edu
