Benjamin Flores

Dr. Benjamin C. Flores joined the faculty of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in 1990 after receiving his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from The Arizona State University. He is a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and has held held a number of administrative positions including Dean of the Graduate School, Associate Dean of the Graduate School, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies for the College of Engineering, Founding Director of the Division of Computing and Electrical Engineering, interim Chair of Computer Science, and Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering.  He is currently serving as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for the College of Engineering.

Dr. Flores is an expert in retention strategies for non-traditional undergraduate and graduate students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).  Since 2005 he has been the PI and Director of the UT System Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) and the Bridge to the Doctorate Program. Dr. Flores was recognized by President Barack Obama with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentorship (2010) for his work under the NSF funded Model Institutions for Excellence (MIE), a national-award winning institutional effort to increase the enrollment, retention, and graduation of Latinos and Latinas in STEM.  

Dr. Flores was the first one in his family to go to high school, enroll in college and earn a bachelor’s degree.  As an undergraduate student, he worked as a research assistant and a mathematics tutor; he also co-authored two journal articles in organometallic chemistry. He proudly includes these early achievements in his CV.