Meet the Team

Laura Rivera, MBA, provides operational leadership and strategic support for the Institute for Health Disparities by helping ensure the department’s operational needs are met and that day-to-day activities run smoothly. Her work supports leadership, faculty, staff, and large-scale initiatives by coordinating operational processes, financial and administrative functions, and departmental support services that help advance IHD’s mission and goals.

She was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the UNT Health President in recognition of visionary leadership, dedication, and collaborative spirit in developing the foundational continuous process improvement framework utilized at UNT Health.

I have been with the university for 20 years, and with the Institute for Health Disparities for 10. I started here as a Senior Administrative Coordinator and have moved up to Program Manager.

Most recently, I assisted with the 21st annual TCHD Conference, as the Conference Coordinator. I have served as a Task Force Member for the 2026 Employee Giving Campaign. 

Pat Baker has more than 40 years of experience in administrative support and program management.

As an Educational Program Manager, she leads the IHD Summer Research Internship Program (SRIP) and the IHD K-12 Arlington ISD Coaching Up initiative, supporting student development and program success.

Her career includes 20 years with Texas Woman’s University College of Nursing, as well as roles with Georgia Perimeter College (Nursing) and the University of Houston’s Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership. 

Luz Henriquez is a Program Manager at the University of North Texas Health, where she leads initiatives focused on mentorship, professional training, and workforce development within biomedical and health-related fields. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Texas Woman’s University and has professional experience spanning healthcare, research administration, and organizational operations.

Her work emphasizes program coordination, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning to support career advancement opportunities. Henriquez is passionate about creating inclusive learning environments, strengthening professional pipelines, and supporting individuals pursuing careers in science, healthcare, and research across communities and populations globally.

Nicole Bells is a Senior Administrative Coordinator. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology and a Master of Science Degree in Administration from Central Michigan University.

Nicole brings skills in coordinating projects, managing schedules, supporting teams and ensuring a smooth day to day operations. Nicole recently relocated to Fort Worth Texas and enjoys traveling and spending quality time with friends and family.

My name is Alexis Rios and I am the Administrative Coordinator for the Institute for Health Disparities at UNT Health. I bring experience from the early childhood education field and recently transitioned into higher education. I enjoy supporting the Institute's work while living out the UNT Health values of integrity, curiosity, caring, collaboration, and passion in all that I do.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, creating all sorts of arts and crafts, and playing board and card games.

Andrea Ortiz works as an Administrative Coordinator at UNT Health Fort Worth. She currently supports research and training initiatives with the Institute of Health Disparities and AIM-AHEAD. She is passionate about continuous learning and professional growth.

She enjoys building connections, learning from others, and contributing to impactful work. In her free time she like to spend time with her family, her dog Ollie, and shopping!

Preethi Medepalli is a Project Coordinator with the AIM-AHEAD program at IHD. She supports project coordination, program reporting, publications, and data analytics across multiple initiatives.

Her work helps support AIM-AHEAD’s research, training, and programmatic activities.

Rinoj Gautam, Ph.D., is a data science professional with a strong passion for applying AI/ML in the health domain. He currently serves as a Business Data Analyst at the UNT Health Fort Worth, where he supports multiple AIM-AHEAD initiatives through data analysis, AI/ML training, and data management.

An AI/ML enthusiast, he applies machine learning and data engineering approaches to large-scale population health and healthcare datasets. His research focuses on using AI/ML to study disease risk factors, health behaviors, and health outcomes using national survey and administrative claims data.

Lisa Henry has over two decades of leadership in financial stewardship. She brings a robust background in budget management and regulatory compliance to her current doctoral studies at Baylor University. Her recent tenure includes more than ten years of overseeing federal and grant funds for multiple school districts and non-profit organizations, ensuring strict adherence to complex reporting standards.

This expertise is built on a decade of experience as a certified property manager, during which she directed comprehensive project management and provided strategic financial reporting to boards of directors. Lisa holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Master of Divinity, blending analytical precision with a deep commitment to service. Lisa is currently advancing this multidisciplinary approach through her doctoral research, focusing on the intersection of organizational health and community ministry.

Nafisa specializes in program evaluation, applied analytics, and health outcomes-focused research. She has led the design of large-scale mixed-method surveys, co-developed logic models to measure program performance, and conducted statistical analyses to evaluate impact. She believes in public health accountability and aims to expand her career in Health Economics & Policy Research.

Yasmene Sadek, MA currently serves as the Outreach Specialist for the Institute of Health Disparities at UNT Health Fort Worth. She is a communications and engagement professional with more than six years of experience in advancing strategic communications, community engagement, and digital outreach within higher education. 

Throughout her career, she has overseen web and marketing content for multiple programs, initiatives, and institutional websites, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and audience needs. Drawing on her experience  in content strategy, digital engagement, and multi-channel communications, Yasmene develops targeted messaging and outreach approaches that increase visibility, foster meaningful engagement, and support organizational growth.

Shelby Carter is an outreach specialist for UNT Health's Institute for Health Disparities. She earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and a certificate in digital media from the University of Texas at Arlington.

With her experience in writing for mass media and digital storytelling, she provides support for strategic communication at IHD.