TAMIU Center to Counter Human Trafficking

Studies identity, immigration, and labor.

Dr. Ariadne Gonzalez is an Associate Provost and Associate Professor of Communication at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU). She holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Communication from Texas A&M University-College Station, a Master's in Communication from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from TAMIU. Her research explores issues of difference in Latino/a/x, immigrant, and transnational work-life and border life experiences. She has examined the experiences of Latino workers patrolling the Texas-Mexico border, the stigmatization of immigrant labor, and how bilingual nurses engage in job crafting and communicate resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her work also investigates how workers navigate occupational identity and resilience, particularly in professions shaped by migration, bilingualism, and border dynamics.

Her research has been featured in Communication Monographs, Health Communication, Howard Journal of Communication, and Frontiers in Communication, contributing to scholarly discussions on identity, resilience, and workplace dynamics.

Beyond research, Dr. Gonzalez is an experienced educator, teaching courses such as Health Communication, Organizational Communication, Leadership Communication, and Qualitative Research Methods. She has contributed to academic publications and presented her findings at national and international conferences. Her commitment to advancing knowledge on immigrant labor and border studies continues to shape conversations on identity, resilience, and workplace dynamics.

Examines organized crime and drug trafficking.

Dr. Nilda Garcia is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU). She holds a Ph.D. in International Studies from the University of Miami, where she specialized in International Relations Theory and International Political Economy. She also earned an MBA in International Trade and a Bachelor's in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from TAMIU. Her academic journey has included international study experiences at the University of New Brunswick and the Superior de Commerce in France.

Dr. Garcia's research focuses on organized crime, drug trafficking, international relations, and security studies. She has extensively examined the role of social media in criminal networks, particularly in the context of Mexican drug cartels. Her book, Mexico's Drug War and Criminal Networks: The Dark Side of Social Media, explores how digital platforms have transformed criminal communication and operations. Additionally, she is the co-author of Drug Policy Revolutions, a newly published work that analyzes shifts in global drug policy.

Beyond her publications, Dr. Garcia has contributed to academic discussions through peer-reviewed articles, book reviews, and media commentary. She has been featured in various outlets, including NBC News and Univision, for her insights on security and organized crime. She has also participated in research collaborations and advisory roles, such as reviewing book proposals on security studies and the U.S. War on Drugs.

At TAMIU, Dr. Garcia teaches courses on American government, international political economy, drug trafficking, and security studies, helping students navigate complex global issues. Her dedication to scholarship and education continues to shape critical conversations on crime, security, and policy reform.

Focuses on science, health, and mentoring.

Dr. Marcus Ynalvez is the Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Sociology at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU). His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, where he has also served on the Committee of Visitors and as a panel reviewer. His scholarly work centers on the sociology of science and advanced quantitative methodologies, with a particular interest in global scientific collaboration and research capacity-building in developing countries.

Dr. Ynalvez has led multiple study and research abroad programs, fostering cross-cultural academic exchange and experiential learning. He actively mentors both graduate and undergraduate students, guiding them through independent research projects and professional development. He has also served on review panels for the National Institutes of Health and has presented his work at international conferences across Asia, Europe, and North America.

A recipient of numerous teaching and research awards, Dr. Ynalvez is committed to advancing interdisciplinary scholarship and promoting inclusive excellence in higher education.

Studies sociology, media, and political communication.

Dr. Isaac Kimmel is the Associate Researcher for the Center to Counter Human Trafficking at Texas A&M International University. He holds an M.A. in Sociology from the University of Notre Dame, where he will complete his Ph.D. in Sociology in 2025, and a B.A. in Philosophy (Magna cum laude, University Scholar) from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. Kimmel maintains affiliations with the deNicola Center for Ethics and Culture (dCEC) at Notre Dame and the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life (CITAP) at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. Kimmel's research interests include cultural and media sociology, the framing of social problems in political communication, and the exchange of knowledge and meaning across institutional boundaries.

With the Center to Counter Human Trafficking, Kimmel analyzes the institutional cultures, practices, and resources of South Texas practitioners in multiple fields, in order to identify and address the gaps and misconceptions that impede interdisciplinary response to human trafficking. Kimmel's prior administrative experience as the Center to Counter Human Trafficking's inaugural Program Manager shapes his survivor-centered, contextually sensitive approach to organizational problem-solving. Kimmel's doctoral study, "Needs To Be Done: Congressional Campaign Messaging and Critical Information Needs", assesses congressional candidates' social media content during the 2020 election cycle as a source of critical information about COVID-19 for their constituents.

Kimmel argues that the symbolic properties of coronavirus countermeasures, scientific institutions, and places all informed how politicians narrated the pandemic and what information they included or left out. In both his research at Notre Dame and his work at TAMIU, Kimmel demonstrates his passion for sifting through high-level discourse to pinpoint and address human needs from the ground up.

Researches immigration, violence, policing, and terrorism.

Areas of Interest

Human trafficking, public views of crime and policing; Immigrant and refugee integration; Ethnic violence; Terrorism; Restorative justice; Peacemaking criminology.

Dr. Aziz Rahman is an interdisciplinary scholar with extensive experience in research, teaching, and community development. At TAMIU CCHT, he conducts a project on identifying victims of human trafficking in South Texas and developing training curricula for healthcare and education professionals. Previously, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration at Toronto Metropolitan University, where he examined refugee entrepreneurship using qualitative interviews and Canadian census data.

Dr. Rahman earned his Ph.D. in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Manitoba, Canada, with prior master's degrees in Sociology (Bangladesh), Regional Development Planning (Germany/Philippines), and Criminology (Canada). His doctoral research focused on labor market integration of resettled refugees in Canada. He has received several competitive research grants, including the SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier Doctoral Scholarship and the SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Dr. Rahman has taught criminology, sociology, and migration studies at the University of Winnipeg, University of Manitoba, Canada, and at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Bangladesh. His scholarly work includes peer-reviewed articles, books, and conference presentations on topics such as refugee integration, ethnic violence, terrorism, and gig work. He recently co-edited Criminology and Criminal Justice: An Introduction to support criminology education in Bangladesh. He has served as Executive Editor of the Bangladesh Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Dr. Rahman has founded and led several organizations, including the Bangladesh Society of Criminology (BSC), the Center for Criminological Research Bangladesh (CCRB), the Bangladesh Institute of Crime and Justice Studies, and the Institute for Justice, Decolonization and Peace (IJDP), Canada. He held leadership roles with the Canadian Association of Refugee and Forced Migration Studies (CARFMS), including Student Director and Partnership Officer. He served as a trainer, facilitator, and planner at the Institute of Cultural Affairs Bangladesh, where he led participatory planning and capacitybuilding initiatives using Technology of Participation (ToP) methods for communities, NGOs, and international organizations. He initiated, organized, and chaired the first student-led Conference at the University of Manitoba, bringing together global scholars and practitioners to explore innovative approaches to peace leadership and conflict transformation.

Dr. Rahman has also served as a consultant for international organizations, including the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) and the International Center for the Prevention of Crime (ICPC), contributing to global assessments and UN reports on organized crime and community safety in South Asia, respectively. He has also consulted for the Bangladesh government's Urban Development Directorate-led sub-district development planning project, where he designed research tools, trained field teams, led participatory rural appraisals, and delivered social planning reports.

Research education, leadership, and human development.

Manuel Guillen Jr. currently serves as the Program Manager for the Center to Counter Human Trafficking (CCHT) at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU). In this leadership role, he oversees program administration, strategic planning, grant management, budgeting, research coordination, and partnership development across multi-institutional collaborations. He supervises a multicultural team of research staff, faculty affiliates, and graduate assistants, ensuring the Center's research and community impact align with national and statelevel anti-trafficking efforts.

Mr. Guillen's professional expertise spans higher education leadership, grant administration, behavioral health crisis intervention, and STEM education. He previously held multiple leadership roles in higher education, including Assistant Director of the Building SCHOLARS Grant and Interim Project Director for the STEM Grant at Laredo College. During his tenure, he played a critical role in transforming developmental education through the implementation of Supplemental Instruction (SI) models for both Mathematics and English. Additionally, he was instrumental in supporting the Manuel Blanco Writing Center, strengthening academic support services across campus. His efforts in undergraduate research capacity-building earned him the STEM Community Award, recognizing his contribution to the development of the STEM Learning Lab and federally funded grant initiatives.

Prior to his work in higher education, Mr. Guillen served at the Border Region Behavioral Health Center as a Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MCOT) Counselor. In this role, he provided crisis screenings, intervention strategies, safety planning, relapse prevention, and coordinated hospitalizations, collaborating closely with families, hospitals, and law enforcement to ensure timely care for individuals experiencing mental health crises. His experience in behavioral health further deepens his expertise in supporting vulnerable populations and addressing complex community needs.

His early career experience also includes work in K-12 education, where he taught Chemistry, Pre-AP Chemistry, Advanced Physics, and Integrated Physics & Chemistry. Additionally, he served as a Family Coordinator, directly supporting special education students and families through translation services, ARD meeting facilitation, and mental health advocacy. His contributions to social-emotional learning were recognized through a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Award during his tenure in secondary education.

Currently a doctoral candidate in P-20 Educational Leadership, Mr. Guillen's research interests include STEM education pathways, special education leadership, human development, grant program effectiveness, and the intersection of higher education and workforce development. His dissertation research employs quantitative approaches to assess the impact of STEM grant programs on student transfer and success outcomes, utilizing data from institutional, state, and federal education systems.

Mr. Guillen holds a Master of Science in Psychology, with extensive coursework in research methodology, cognitive psychology, and quantitative analysis, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with minors in Chemistry and English. As part of his undergraduate journey, he was a member of the university's Honors Program, founder and first president of the TACHE (Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education) student chapter at Laredo College and completed a thesis examining leadership inadequacies in the K-12 system for special education. His multidisciplinary training informs his holistic approach to research, leadership, and student success initiatives.

Through his work at the intersection of research, education, behavioral health, and public service, Mr. Guillen remains committed to advancing equitable access to education, supporting vulnerable populations, and developing innovative solutions for complex societal challenges.

Studying cognition, neuroscience, and inclusive education.

Crystal Vasquez is a dedicated researcher and graduate student pursuing a Master of Science in Psychology at Texas A&M International University. With a strong background in psychology and research methodology, she has developed expertise in psycholinguistics and bilingual thinking processes through her work in the Brain and Cognition laboratory.

Crystal's commitment to academic excellence is reflected in her Bachelor of Psychology degree from Texas A&M International University, where she actively sought opportunities to deepen her understanding of research methodology, data collection, and qualitative measurement tools. Her achievements include earning a spot on the Dean's List in Spring 2021 and the Honor Roll in Fall 2021.

Currently serving as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Center to Counter Human Trafficking (CCHT) at TAMIU, Crystal focuses on identifying gaps in human trafficking research, coding qualitative interviews, and assisting in integrating research findings into actionable insights. She works closely with TAMIU professors in aspects of healthcare and education, analyzing their input to refine training programs and improve methodologies. Previously, she held a Supplemental Instructor position at ARC TAMIU, where she tutored psychology students and assisted in course material review.

During the summer, she transitioned to a role supporting the Summer Research Bootcamp, mentoring students in research methodologies and encouraging interest in graduate-level studies. Additionally, she presented a qualitative research analysis on trauma-informed care for justice-involved individuals with severe mental illness during the Summer Research Bootcamp. Crystal's research interests span executive function in learning, human rights advocacy for minorities, and neurodiversity. She continues to contribute to academic discourse through research, analysis, and mentorship, aspiring to create meaningful change through psychology and advocacy.

Crystal's research interests span executive function in learning, human rights advocacy for minorities, and neurodiversity. She continues to contribute to academic discourse through research, analysis, and mentorship, aspiring to create meaningful change through psychology and advocacy.

Focused on executive function in learning and human rights advocacy.

Sarah Martinez is a dedicated researcher and graduate student specializing in psychology and neuroscience. She holds a Bachelor of Arts & Sciences in Neuroscience with a concentration in Behavioral and Cognition from Texas A&M University and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Psychology at Texas A&M International University. Her research focuses on bilingual cognition, developmental neuroscience, and creative interventions in education.

Sarah has extensive experience as a research assistant in multiple labs, including the Brain, Learning, Education, and Neural Development Lab, where she works on cognitive and language processing studies using EEG technology. She has contributed to IRB application development and is involved in groundbreaking research on the role of language in mathematical problem-solving.

Her work in the Existential Psychology Lab and School Psychology Lab has further strengthened her expertise in qualitative and quantitative research methods.

In addition to her academic contributions, Sarah serves as a Graduate Research Assistant at Texas A&M International University's Center to Counter Human Trafficking, where she aids in developing training programs for healthcare providers and educators to support victims of human trafficking. She also holds the prestigious Lamar Bruni Vergara Graduate Fellowship, collaborating with the Brain Cog Lab to study bilingual language comprehension and figurative language processing.

Sarah's expertise spans a range of psychological and research methodologies, including EEG setup, statistical analysis, and intervention development.

She is highly skilled in software such as Qualtrics, NVivo, and PsychoPy. With a strong commitment to research and advocacy, she hopes to contribute to more inclusive and engaging learning environments.