Keynote Speakers

Prof. Dr. Paloma Diaz is a Full Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University Carlos III de Madrid, and has been a visiting scholar at Penn State, British Columbia, and Stuttgart Universities. She was the first female Dean of Engineering, Vice-rector of the Colmenarejo Campus, and Scientific Manager at the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. She chairs the Global Engineering Deans Council and directs the UC3M-Telefonica Chair on Women and Technology. Her research spans crisis informatics, e-learning, health, data visualization, and cultural heritage, while her teaching covers creativity, ethics, and human-computer interaction. She is a Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE Education Society, an IEEE Senior Member, and an IEEE-HKN Professional Member.

Geraldine Gooding, D.Eng., is an engineer, educator, entrepreneur, and change agent with more than 15 years of experience across urban planning, engineering, and education. She serves as Director of Engineering Education & Outreach at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), where she leads global initiatives supporting K-12 and higher education through curriculum innovation, educator and student development, scholarships, inclusive programming, and engineering accreditation. Passionate about equity in STEM, Dr. Gooding works to expand access to meaningful, hands-on engineering learning experiences. Through G3 Innovations, she has developed culturally responsive elementary and middle school lesson plans that help teachers bring engineering concepts to life regardless of classroom resources. As a speaker, mentor, and coach, she integrates systems thinking with real-world application to inspire students and professionals to engineer solutions for tomorrow’s challenges. She holds a Doctorate in Engineering Management, multiple master’s degrees, and a bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics and Statistics.

Jessica Silwick is CFO and COO for ABET. As CFO, she manages financial strategy, budgets, forecasting, financial integrity, and strategic investments. As COO, she oversees communications, marketing, professional assessments, office operations, Human Resources, and serves as Lead Internal Auditor ensuring ISO compliance. Previously, Silwick worked in manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and energy sectors. She holds a bachelor’s in Accounting from the University of Notre Dame of Maryland and an MBA from the University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Certified Association Executive (CAE), and holds certificates from Yale and Cornell Universities. In 2015, she received the AICPA’s Women to Watch Emerging Leader Award. Outside of work, Silwick enjoys yoga and hiking with her family and dogs.

Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at FASTA University. President of International and Interinstitutional Relations for the Federal Council of Engineering Deans of Argentina (CONFEDI). Member of the Executive Committee of the Ibero-American Association of Engineering Education Institutions (ASIBEI).

President of the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES) and Full Professor at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), where he lectures Aerospace Engineering. He has served as UPV Director of Programs with USA/Canada and Asia/Pacific, Vice Dean of International Relations at ETSID, and Director of Research and Innovation Programs, among other leadership roles. Currently, he is International Representative at UPV and coordinates the UPV Group of Innovative Methodologies for Engineering Education (GRIM4E). His recent research focuses on innovative learning methodologies, continuous assessment of competencies, blended learning, and AI competency assessment and ranking in higher education.

Dr. Kathir has 33 years of engineering experience, retired professor from George Mason University, currently an ABET Commissioner and ASCE Fellow.

Dr. Ivan Esparragoza earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Universidad del Norte in 1987, and his M.Sc. (1993) and Ph.D. (1998) from Florida International University. After serving as a Visiting Assistant Professor at FIU, he joined Penn State Brandywine in 2001, advancing to Professor in 2017. He served as Director of Engineering Technology and Commonwealth Engineering (2013–2022), Interim Director of Academic Affairs (2019–2020), and was appointed Assistant Dean for Curricular Innovation and Program Assessment in 2021. His research focuses on engineering education, design, sustainability, and global collaboration. He has received numerous honors, including the Penn State Teaching Fellow Award and the IGIP International Engineering Educator distinction. Dr. Esparragoza has an extensive service record with professional organizations, including leadership roles on the LACCEI board and serving as VP for the Americas and First VP for IFEES.

Engineer Humberto Gómez is an associate professor and Director of Graduate Programs in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Universidad del Norte, where he also serves as Executive Director of the Integrated Materials and Manufacturing Center (CIMM). He holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of South Florida and a M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis in design and materials from Uninorte. Dr. Gómez makes ongoing contributions to engineering education internationally. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), an ABET program evaluator for mechanical engineering, a member of the Colombian Society of Engineers (SCI), Education Committee Chair at UPADI, and President of the Colombian Association of Corrosion and Protection (ASCOR).