WIPP Site Incident Independent Review (WSIIR) Team

The WIPP Site Incident Independent Review (WSIIR) team is composed of the following faculty, administrators, and staff at New Mexico Tech. WSIIR is led by New Mexico Tech’s Vice President for Research and Economic Development, Van Romero.

Van Romero, Ph.D.- Project Principal Investigator

Vice President for Research and Economic Development 

Email: vromero@nmt.edu 

Phone: 575-835-5646

Jeff Altig, Ph.D. - Department Chair, Department of Chemistry

Associate Professor of Chemistry, and Director of Chemical Laboratories 

Email: jaltig@nmt.edu 

Phone: 575-835-6987

 

Melissa Candelaria-Lyons- Research Chemist, EMRTC

Ph.D. student, Department of Materials Engineering 

Email: mcandela@nmt.edu 

Phone: 575-835-5348

 

Gina Chavez - Administrative Assistant, R&ED

Staff, Research and Economic Development 

Email: gina.chavez@nmt.edu 

Phone: 575-835-5646

 

Ali Fakhimi, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Mineral Engineering

Email: hamed@nmt.edu 

Phone: 575-835-6577

 

Julie Ford, Ph.D.

Professor, Technical Communication- Department of Mechanical Engineering

Email: jford@nmt.edu 

Phone: 575-835-5468

 

Michael Hensley, Ed.D- Director, Strategic Initiatives, Research and Economic Development

Staff, Research and Economic Development 

Email: mhensley@admin.nmt.edu 

Phone: 575-835-6712

 

Navid Mojtabai, Ph.D.- Department Chair, Department of Mineral Engineering

Professor of Mineral Engineering 

Email: mojtabai@nmt.edu

Phone: 575-835-5836