Hispanic Serving Research Universities announce 2026 - 2027 Cohort Postdoctoral Fellows
Image
Left to right: Dr. Maiya Block Ngaybe, Dr. Geovana Martin Alemany
The Alliance for Hispanic Serving Research Universities (HSRU) has announced the 2026-2027 cohort of HSRU postdoctoral fellows—emerging scholars whose research, teaching, and leadership reflect a deep commitment to serving students at Hispanic-serving institutions. They are excited to welcome two U of A postdocs, Dr. Maiya Block Ngaybe and Dr.Geovanna Martine Alemany.
Dr. Maiya Block Ngaybe is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the College of Architectural Planning and Landscape Architecture at the University of Arizona, studying green spaces and health under Shujuan Li in the Southwest Center on Resilience for Climate and Health (SCORCH). Her research interests include health promotion, health equity, and community-engaged scholarship. Her work explores how environmental, social, and structural contexts influence health behaviors and outcomes, with a focus on generating research that is both rigorous and meaningful for communities. Previously, she has researched COVID-19 and influenza vaccine acceptance in Southern Arizona and HIV prevention preferences in Uganda. Through the HSRU Postdoctoral Fellowship Cohort Program, she hopes to further develop as a researcher, teacher, and future faculty member at a research-intensive Hispanic-Serving Institution. She looks forward to building strong collaborative relationships across institutions, refining her teaching and mentorship approach, and contributing to work that supports student success while addressing pressing public health challenges.
Dr. Geovana Martin is a dietitian and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Arizona, specializing in clinical nutrition and exercise in chronic kidney disease (CKD). She holds a PhD in Nutrition and has over a decade of experience integrating exercise and nutritional strategies to improve muscle mass, physical function, and quality of life in patients undergoing hemodialysis and kidney transplantation. Her work has been published in leading international journals, and she is an active member of the Global Renal Exercise Group (GREX).