Dr. Rivera-Jiménez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Education (EED) at the University of Florida. She also holds affiliations with the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Institute of Higher Education in the College of Education. Dr. Rivera-Jiménez received her bachelor's and doctoral degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez.
Prior to joining the University of Florida, she held various academic positions. She was an Assistant Professor in the Food Science and Technology Program in the College of Agriculture at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez and also worked as a chemistry faculty member in the Department of Natural Science at Santa Fe Community College.
Before her current role, she worked as the Dr. Rivera-Jiménez is a leading engineering education researcher who focuses on community-driven methods to bring about transformational changes in higher education and professional organizations. She uses diverse evidence-based theoretical approaches to improve practices and policies that enhance the professional formation of engineers and impact the persistence of diverse engineering communities, including faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and transfer students.
In addition to her research, Dr. Rivera-Jiménez hosts "The Engineering Professor Speaks Education Podcast," a bilingual series that explores the nuances of being an effective engineering educator. Her most recent accolades include the AIChE IDEAL Star Award (2021), the AIChE Education Division Service Award (2022), and the ASEE Education Research Methods Apprentice Faculty Grantee Award (2023).
She has been an active senior member of AIChE, where she co-founded the LatInXinChE group and held significant roles in various committees, including the Minorities Affair Committee, Women in ChemE Committee, K-12 Outreach Committee, and Engineering Education.