Dr. Melissa Nicole Ortega
Dr. Melissa N. Ortega is a lifelong El Pasoan and proud graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso. She earned her Ph.D. in Teaching, Learning, and Culture (STEM emphasis) in 2018 and completed doctoral coursework in Transnational Feminism through the InterGender Research School at Umeå University in Sweden. Since 2018, she has taught in the Women’s & Gender Studies program, offering courses including Introduction to Women’s Studies, Global Feminisms, History of Women, Women’s Health, and Women in STEM: History, Pathways, and Community.
Dr. Ortega’s research bridges feminist theory, education, and the geosciences, with a focus on gender, identity formation, belonging, and access in STEM learning environments. Her scholarship examines mentorship, professional identity development, and structural barriers faced by women and historically marginalized populations, particularly within field-based and community-engaged educational contexts. She also conducts research on equity-centered and ethical applications of artificial intelligence in education, exploring how emerging technologies shape learning, participation, and power.
Beyond the university, Dr. Ortega is deeply engaged in community service across the El Paso region, particularly in initiatives that expand access to STEM education, outdoor learning, and youth engagement. She is an outdoor enthusiast and an advocate for experiential learning, drawing on these commitments in both her teaching and research. Dr. Ortega is also a mother of three daughters, a perspective that informs her feminist scholarship and public-facing work. She previously served as an elected member of the State Board of Education for the State of Texas, where she worked on curriculum and instruction policy affecting public education statewide.
Her work has been presented at regional, national, and international conferences, and her publications address feminist pedagogy, science education, mentoring, and educational technology. Dr. Ortega is an active member of Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social (MALCS), Association for Women Geoscientists (AWG) and the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Through her teaching, scholarship, and service, she is committed to advancing feminist inquiry, amplifying underrepresented voices, and connecting theory to practice in ways that reflect the social and cultural realities of borderland communities.
