Carlos is the Associate Director, Programming and Special Initiatives for California MESA Program, and the Director of the MESA programs at the Bourns College of Engineering at UC Riverside. Carlos is a former engineer, public school educator and has been an instructor and adjunct faculty in university classrooms. His responsibilities include program management and administration, curriculum development, teacher preparation and training, and the creation and implementation of student engineering challenges.

As a MESA alumni (at both the Pre-College and University level), first generation college student and a proud Latino (from the land of eternal spring, Guatemala), he has a passion for empowering, inspiring and preparing young people and their educators for achievement and success. Carlos lives in one of the communities his local MESA program serves (Moreno Valley, CA), and has a beautiful wife and vivacious son. In his free time, Carlos enjoys hiking and being active. He also has sung and played music in the church (he still plays keyboard on occasion), produced an underground rap album and has been known to emcee events.