Founding Directors
, Dr. Megan Peters
Megan received her B.A. from Brown University, where she majored in Cognitive Science and graduated magna cum laude. She spent time overseas teaching English as a Second Language to elementary and junior high school students just outside of Tokyo, Japan, before earning her Ph.D. in Computational Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2014. She then joined the Bioengineering department at UC Riverside, and has now moved to being an Assistant Professor of Cognitive Sciences at UC Irvine. Megan uses her knowledge of human memory, learning, and perception to help design powerful and effective curriculum options for Acceso's students. Megan has taught standardized test preparation to students in the Los Angeles area for over 14 years, and is also an admissions interviewer for applicants to Brown in the Southern California region. |
Dr. Marissa Ericson
Marissa earned dual bachelor's degrees at Cornell University in BioPsychology and Comparative Literature (Italian Literature concentration), and graduated magna cum laude. At Cornell she was a teaching assistant and tutor for the psychology department, as well as tutoring many subjects, including the SAT, for a national company. Marissa then received her Ph.D. in Clinical Neuroscience from the University of Southern California, where she focused her research on learning and memory systems and cognitive processes. She uses her knowledge and experience to develop Acceso's academic and educational programs. Over the past 15+ years Marissa has helped hundreds of students secure admissions to top tier universities, including Yale, Dartmouth, Berkeley, Cornell, USC, and many others. She is also a Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador for the Southern California region, as well as a certified college counselor.. |
Dr. Francisco Valero-Cuevas
Francisco majored in Engineering from Swarthmore College. After spending a year in the Indian subcontinent as a Thomas J Watson Fellow, he joined Queen's University in Canada, for a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering. He then earned Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University. Francisco joined the faculty of the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University, and was tenured in 2005. In 2007, he moved to Los Angeles to join the faculty at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and the Division of Biokinesiology & Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California. He was promoted to Full Professor in 2011. In 2013 he was elected Senior Member of the IEEE, and in 2014 to the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineers. His book, Fundamentals of Neuromechanics, was published by Springer-Verlag London in 2015. |
Samantha Sklaar
 Senior Program Coordinator & Secretary
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Samantha is thrilled to be working with Acceso Academy and is so proud of each and every student who has successfully completed this rigorous and unique program. Hailing from New York, Samantha holds a BFA in Dramatic Writing from The Conservatory of Theatre Arts & Film at SUNY Purchase and works as an editor/college coach when she is not busy organizing classes. She is more than happy to answer questions about all that Acceso Academy has to offer. Please feel free to contact her at apply@accesoacademy.org or by phone at (213) 674-0475. She looks forward to speaking with you!
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Board Members
Pamela Starr, Ph.D.
Board Member
Dr. Starr is the Director of the U.S.-Mexico Network and a university fellow at the USC Center on Public Diplomacy. Previously, she was the senior analyst responsible for Mexico at the Eurasia Group, one of the world's leading global political risk advisory and consulting firms; prior to that, she spent eight years in Mexico as a professor of Latin American political economy at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), a private university in Mexico City. Dr. Starr is an active speaker, commentator, and author on Mexican politics, economics and foreign policy, and on economic reform and policy making in Latin America. She is the author of a 2009 Pacific Council on International Policy report, “Mexico and the United States: A Window of Opportunity?”, the Council on Foreign Relation’s special report on the 2006 Mexican election, “Challenges for a Postelection Mexico: Issues for US Policy”, and is currently writing a book on Mexico entitled " A Quarter Century of Policy Reform in Mexico: Unexpected Drivers and Unintended Consequences.
Dr. Starr has also worked as a consultant to investment banks and securities firms, has briefed officials on both American and Mexican officials on the bilateral relationship, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, US Ambassador Carlos Pascual, Mexican Senator Carlos Navarrete, and gatherings of staffers from the Foreign Relations Committees of the US and Mexican Senates.
Dr. Starr’s research and writing focuses on three main topics: U.S.-Mexico relations, the politics, economy and foreign policy of contemporary Mexico, and the politics of economic policy-making across Latin America. In a series of books and book chapters, peer-review journal articles and policy-oriented publications, Dr. Starr has also illuminated the interplay between political and economic developments in shaping economic policy in Mexico and Latin America. On the basis of this research, Dr. Starr has given talks throughout the hemisphere to a wide range of audiences, including the World Economic Forum, the IMF, the Inter-American Development Bank, the US Department of State, the US Embassy in Mexico City, the US State Legislative Leaders Foundation, the Mexican legislature and the Ecuadorian Central Bank. Dr. Starr has held research positions in Argentina and Brazil and at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC.
She has received grants and fellowships from the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Earhart Foundation, the Organization of American States and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Dr. Starr is an associate of the Inter-American Dialogue and an active member of the Latin American Studies Association and the American Political Science Association. After receiving her PhD from the University of Southern California in 1993, Dr. Starr worked as a visiting assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles before moving to ITAM in 1997.
Board Member
- Associate Professor (Teaching) of International Relations and Public Diplomacy at USC
- Ph.D. International Relations, University of Southern California, 1993
- M.A. Latin American Studies, Tulane University, 1983
- B.A. Political Science, California State University, Northridge, 1982
Dr. Starr is the Director of the U.S.-Mexico Network and a university fellow at the USC Center on Public Diplomacy. Previously, she was the senior analyst responsible for Mexico at the Eurasia Group, one of the world's leading global political risk advisory and consulting firms; prior to that, she spent eight years in Mexico as a professor of Latin American political economy at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), a private university in Mexico City. Dr. Starr is an active speaker, commentator, and author on Mexican politics, economics and foreign policy, and on economic reform and policy making in Latin America. She is the author of a 2009 Pacific Council on International Policy report, “Mexico and the United States: A Window of Opportunity?”, the Council on Foreign Relation’s special report on the 2006 Mexican election, “Challenges for a Postelection Mexico: Issues for US Policy”, and is currently writing a book on Mexico entitled " A Quarter Century of Policy Reform in Mexico: Unexpected Drivers and Unintended Consequences.
Dr. Starr has also worked as a consultant to investment banks and securities firms, has briefed officials on both American and Mexican officials on the bilateral relationship, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, US Ambassador Carlos Pascual, Mexican Senator Carlos Navarrete, and gatherings of staffers from the Foreign Relations Committees of the US and Mexican Senates.
Dr. Starr’s research and writing focuses on three main topics: U.S.-Mexico relations, the politics, economy and foreign policy of contemporary Mexico, and the politics of economic policy-making across Latin America. In a series of books and book chapters, peer-review journal articles and policy-oriented publications, Dr. Starr has also illuminated the interplay between political and economic developments in shaping economic policy in Mexico and Latin America. On the basis of this research, Dr. Starr has given talks throughout the hemisphere to a wide range of audiences, including the World Economic Forum, the IMF, the Inter-American Development Bank, the US Department of State, the US Embassy in Mexico City, the US State Legislative Leaders Foundation, the Mexican legislature and the Ecuadorian Central Bank. Dr. Starr has held research positions in Argentina and Brazil and at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC.
She has received grants and fellowships from the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Earhart Foundation, the Organization of American States and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Dr. Starr is an associate of the Inter-American Dialogue and an active member of the Latin American Studies Association and the American Political Science Association. After receiving her PhD from the University of Southern California in 1993, Dr. Starr worked as a visiting assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles before moving to ITAM in 1997.
Terence McKiernan, J.D.
Board Member
Terry McKiernan is a staff attorney with the law firm Munger Tolles & Olson LLP. His primary practice is privacy law, trade secret, employee mobility, complex case management and eDiscovery. Mr. McKiernan received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern California in 1996, with a dual major in International Relations and Religion. He then attended Loyola Law School, where he received his Juris Doctor in 1999.
Mr. McKiernan was actively involved with the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles, where he was a troop leader for eleven years. He served on committees for Girl Scout summer camps and advised their STEMs Program (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) regarding the creation of a rocketry program.
Mr. McKiernan is a member of the Rocketry Organization of California (ROC), a registered 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation. ROC holds monthly amateur rocket launches for students and adults. As a member, Mr. McKiernan has volunteered his time assisting with the incorporation of ROC as well as coordinating and running launches.
Board Member
- Staff Attorney at Munger Tolles & Olson LLP
- J.D. Loyola Law School
- B.A. University of Southern California
- http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Member/Detail/204043
Terry McKiernan is a staff attorney with the law firm Munger Tolles & Olson LLP. His primary practice is privacy law, trade secret, employee mobility, complex case management and eDiscovery. Mr. McKiernan received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern California in 1996, with a dual major in International Relations and Religion. He then attended Loyola Law School, where he received his Juris Doctor in 1999.
Mr. McKiernan was actively involved with the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles, where he was a troop leader for eleven years. He served on committees for Girl Scout summer camps and advised their STEMs Program (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) regarding the creation of a rocketry program.
Mr. McKiernan is a member of the Rocketry Organization of California (ROC), a registered 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation. ROC holds monthly amateur rocket launches for students and adults. As a member, Mr. McKiernan has volunteered his time assisting with the incorporation of ROC as well as coordinating and running launches.
Gisele Ragusa, Ph.D.
Board Member
Dr. Gisele Ragusa is a professor at the University of Southern California (USC) in the Viterbi School of Engineering's Division of Engineering Education. She chairs USC's STEM Education and Research Consortium. Her research interests and areas of expertise include: engineering education, college access, STEM mentorship, STEM teacher education and retention, literacy education, content literacy, early childhood, special education and deaf education as well as assessment and measurement in STEM education. She teaches courses in research design, measurement theory, critical pedagogy in STEM and courses in learning and instructional theory. She has extensive expertise in assessment, psychometrics, advanced quantitative analyses, and multimodal research design. Prior to joining USC, Dr. Ragusa held an appointment as an assistant professor in special education and bilingual education at California State University, Northridge in addition to a faculty position at Pacific Oaks College. She is active in many professional associations in engineering education. She has been the principal investigator on several federal grants through the US Department of Education, the National Institute of Health, and the National Science Foundation.
Board Member
- Associate Professor of Research in Engineering Education at USC
- Ph.D. Educational Psychology -- Literacy, Language, and Learning, USC, 2002
- M.A. Education, USC, 1992
- B.S. General Studies & Business Administration, USC, 1982
Dr. Gisele Ragusa is a professor at the University of Southern California (USC) in the Viterbi School of Engineering's Division of Engineering Education. She chairs USC's STEM Education and Research Consortium. Her research interests and areas of expertise include: engineering education, college access, STEM mentorship, STEM teacher education and retention, literacy education, content literacy, early childhood, special education and deaf education as well as assessment and measurement in STEM education. She teaches courses in research design, measurement theory, critical pedagogy in STEM and courses in learning and instructional theory. She has extensive expertise in assessment, psychometrics, advanced quantitative analyses, and multimodal research design. Prior to joining USC, Dr. Ragusa held an appointment as an assistant professor in special education and bilingual education at California State University, Northridge in addition to a faculty position at Pacific Oaks College. She is active in many professional associations in engineering education. She has been the principal investigator on several federal grants through the US Department of Education, the National Institute of Health, and the National Science Foundation.
Robert Smyth, M.D.
Board Member
Born in Mexico, Dr. Smyth completed his medical degree at Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana X. Dr. Smyth-Medina completed his internship in Medicine and Surgery at Maimonides Medical Center at State University of New York and a glaucoma Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. Prior to practicing in the United States he specialized in general medicine and was the Director of a medical clinic in Mexico. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Smyth-Medina is a volunteer with Eye Care America, and has been featured on many Spanish language news programs as a spokesman for Eye Care America and the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Board Member
Born in Mexico, Dr. Smyth completed his medical degree at Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana X. Dr. Smyth-Medina completed his internship in Medicine and Surgery at Maimonides Medical Center at State University of New York and a glaucoma Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. Prior to practicing in the United States he specialized in general medicine and was the Director of a medical clinic in Mexico. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Smyth-Medina is a volunteer with Eye Care America, and has been featured on many Spanish language news programs as a spokesman for Eye Care America and the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Kalina Michalska, Ph.D.
Board Member
Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of California Riverside
Ph.D. in Psychology, The University of Chicago, 2009
Dr. Michalska is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside and the director of the Kids Interaction and Neuro Development (KIND) Lab, where she leads a research program on the brain bases of socioemotional development. She holds additional appointments in the Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Neuroscience, the Department of Psychiatry at the School of Medicine at UCR, and the Presley Center for Crime and Justice Studies. Prior to joining UCR, Dr. Michalska spent 4 years as a fellow in the Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience at the National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program. In her work, she combines neuroimaging (fMRI), physiological measures, and behavior observations to understand the brain systems underlying typical and atypical emotional development processes. In addition, she has a longstanding interest in public policy and early intervention programs targeting socioemotional development and social mobility. She has worked with Professor James Heckman at the University of Chicago on issues of skill formation and remedial and long-term effects of early childhood education and is invested in applying her expertise to the needs of youth in Southern California.
Board Member
Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of California Riverside
Ph.D. in Psychology, The University of Chicago, 2009
Dr. Michalska is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside and the director of the Kids Interaction and Neuro Development (KIND) Lab, where she leads a research program on the brain bases of socioemotional development. She holds additional appointments in the Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Neuroscience, the Department of Psychiatry at the School of Medicine at UCR, and the Presley Center for Crime and Justice Studies. Prior to joining UCR, Dr. Michalska spent 4 years as a fellow in the Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience at the National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program. In her work, she combines neuroimaging (fMRI), physiological measures, and behavior observations to understand the brain systems underlying typical and atypical emotional development processes. In addition, she has a longstanding interest in public policy and early intervention programs targeting socioemotional development and social mobility. She has worked with Professor James Heckman at the University of Chicago on issues of skill formation and remedial and long-term effects of early childhood education and is invested in applying her expertise to the needs of youth in Southern California.