Our College

Dr. Susan Keenan serves as Acting Dean of the College of Natural and Health Sciences. A longtime member of the UNC community, she has served in numerous leadership roles, including Associate Dean, Interim Dean, Department Chair, and Director of Science Education. Throughout her career, she has remained committed to advancing student success, supporting faculty and staff, and strengthening the college through collaboration and innovation.

Dr. Keenan is a first-generation college graduate; she earned a PhD in Pharmacological and Physiological Sciences from St. Louis University Medical School and completed a NIH-funded postdoctoral fellowship at Rutgers Medical School. Dr. Keenan is passionate about creating opportunities that help students thrive. She enjoys exploring emerging ideas in leadership and the future of higher education and believes that celebrating success, fostering belonging, and investing in people are essential to creating a college where everyone can thrive.

Outside of her role at UNC, Dr. Keenan enjoys exploring Colorado’s trails, discovering new recipes and sharing meals with family and friends, and continually learning through books and podcasts. She believes that curiosity, lifelong learning, and meaningful connections enrich both our personal lives and our work.

Annette R. Martinez is a retired Senior Vice President of State Farm® Mutual Automobile Insurance Companies, where she led Human Resources, Corporate Responsibility, Public Affairs, and Diversity & Inclusion during her 34-year career.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Northern Colorado and has earned CLU, ChFC, and CPCU designations.

Appointed by Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Annette serves on the Board of Trustees for the University of Northern Colorado and the 19th Judicial Nominating Commission. She also serves on the boards of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and the Northern Colorado American Cancer Society. Her previous roles include board positions with UnidosUS and the Community Cancer Center Foundation.

Annette’s honors include Black Enterprise’s Top Executive in Corporate Diversity (2018), NAFE’s Diversity Champion (2018), and the National Diversity Council’s Power 50 Award (2020, 2021).

She resides in Windsor, Colorado with her husband, Ruben, and their daughter, Andrea, a 2020 Harvard graduate.

Ashley Aragon is the Principal at Bella Romero Academy of Applied Technology in Greeley, Colorado. The Academy is a K-8 school serving 900 students across two campuses. Ashley is a leader who is passionate about the education of all students and supporting students in achieving their dreams.

Ashley began her education career as an Elementary Teacher after earning her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in English Language Acquisition from the University of Northern Colorado. Her passion for education continued to grow, and a mission for equity and access for all students began.

While pursuing her Master’s Degree from the University of Northern Colorado, Ashley continued her work as an elementary teacher and taught 2nd grade, 4th grade and supported Multilingual students. In 2011, Ashley served as an assistant principal at Scott Elementary and Shawsheen Elementary. The following year, Ashley became the Assistant Principal at Bella Romero Academy. While serving as the Assistant Principal, Ashley began working on her doctorate and received her Doctorate of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Denver in 2020. That same year, Ashley moved into the role of Principal at Bella Romero Academy.

Ashley grew up in Greeley, attended Greeley schools, and is passionate about the Greeley/Evans community. Ashley has two children: Aryssa, attends the University of Northern Colorado, and AJ, who attends Greeley West High School. She enjoys spending time with her kids, attending various athletic events when not working, and is always in the middle of a good book.

Milaat Atakilt is a student in her second year at the University of Northern Colorado. She is in her junior year academically, studying Communication Sciences and Disorders with a double minor in Business Administration and Psychology. She plans to continue her education in graduate school and go into audiology utilizing her degree; one day hoping to have her own private practice.

Having been born and raised in the Greeley/Evans area, Milaat is intimately familiar with its diverse culture and people.  As a highschooler, Milaat interned for the City of Greeley’s Human Resources department. Following her internship, the department welcomed her back with a new position. In this role, she had the opportunity to familiarize herself with different aspects of government, employee relations, and community acts within the city. This experience allowed her to gain a better understanding of government procedures and the processes of implementing change within them.

With her unique perspective and passion for change, Milaat hopes to aid her community in whatever way she can.

Brittany joined the UNC team in 2020 as the Donor Relations Coordinator and moved to role Director of Development in 2021. As a member of the development team, Brittany works with donors to advance UNC’s most important priority – our students.

Amanda Schroeder brings a wealth of experience in the nonprofit sector, with a strong background in fundraising, event planning, relationship building, and project management. She has contributed her skills to organizations such as Wellspring Health Access and Animal Friends Alliance, helping to advance mission-driven initiatives. Amanda is a proud alumna of Colorado State University, where she earned a B.S. in Hospitality Management with a minor in Business Administration.

Mark E. Wallace, MD, MPH is the Chief Clinical Officer for Sunrise Community Health, a federally qualified health center with twelve locations serving northern Colorado since 1973; a founding partner and the CEO/CMO of the North Colorado Health Alliance, a non-profit community-based public-private collaboration founded in 2000 whose partnerships treat health as a single complex phenomenon; and the Chief Clinical Officer for Northeast Health Partners, the Medicaid accountable entity for HCPF Region 2. Dr. Wallace received his medical degree from the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine in 1984. He completed a family medicine residency at the UCLA Family Medicine Residency Program in Santa Monica, California in 1987 and an Academic Family Medicine Fellowship at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angles in 1989. He received his MPH from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health in 1989. Dr. Wallace also attended the Johnson & Johnson / UCLA Health Care Executive Program at the John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management in 2004 and the Regional Institute for Health & Environment Leadership program in 2011-2012.

Dr. Wallace served twice as Program Director for the North Colorado Family Medicine Residency Program while he was the Director of GME for Banner North Colorado Medical Center. He also served as the Health Officer and Executive Director of the Weld County Department of Public Health & Environment for over two decades. Dr. Wallace has served as President of the Weld County and Northern Colorado Medical Societies. He was a Commissioner and Vice-chair of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care Reform. Dr. Wallace also served on the Centennial Care Choices Program Panel. He was elected to two four-year terms on the Weld County School District 6 Board of Education where he served as President for 6 years and on the Board of Directors of the Colorado Association of School Boards when he toured the state in 2004 as President of the Association discussing TABOR and other constitutional limits on state revenues and expenditures with local school boards and communities. Dr. Wallace served on the Board of Directors for Sunrise Community Health prior to joining the team as CCO. He served 13 years on the Board of Directors of the Colorado Health Foundation completing his last year in December 2022 as the Board Chair. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Center for Improving Value in Health Care, and on the Board of Directors for Banner Health.

Adam is a seasoned entrepreneur with a deep-seated passion for robotics, mathematics, and innovative solutions. He founded his first company, Sphero, which continues to operate in Boulder, CO, dedicated to using robotics as a tool for teaching programming to both children and adults through practical, real-world applications.

Over the years, Adam has launched several ventures, focusing on hardware manufacturing, sophisticated radio frequency antenna production, and innovative water measurement using GPS satellite reflections. Currently, he serves as a private contractor for the Department of Defense, where he is developing next-generation cybersecurity defense tools.

In addition to his professional pursuits, Adam enjoys spending time in the mountains, engaging in activities such as camping, motorcycle riding, and dirt biking in the Colorado wilderness. He is a proud owner of a Maine Coon cat and takes pleasure in upgrading and maintaining his home in Colorado Springs. As a mentor to numerous company founders, Adam is dedicated to lending his expertise and support to projects aimed at making a positive impact on the world.

Wendi Young is a Colorado native and UNC chemistry graduate (’94) with a strong background in pharmaceutical science and regulatory leadership. She spent over 17 years at Tolmar, where she served as Senior Director of Analytical Development, leading the creation of 25+ pharmaceutical products and managing a quality control team of over 100 chemists and microbiologists. She also mentored and hired dozens of UNC graduates.