Dr. Millie D. Black is from Biloxi, Mississippi, and currently lives in North Texas. Dr. Black graduated from William Carey University in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and earned a Master of Science in Education with an emphasis in Secondary Education and History in 2000. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science in 2007 from The University of Texas at Dallas and is a two-time recipient of the ‘Engaged Faculty’ award. Dr. Black’s research focuses on the effects of race, racial consciousness, and income on political trust and examining relationships between a teacher’s race-ethnicity and gender and student teaching expectations. Currently, Dr. Black is a Professor of Political Science at Collin College located in Wylie, Texas, where she teaches Texas government, federal government, Introduction to Political Science, and Mexican American politics courses.

Professor Melissa Ann Palacios was raised in Bayard, New Mexico.  She joined the U.S. Naval Reserves in 1990 where she served with the Seabee Amphibious Construction Battalion Two in Little Creak, Virginia. She attended San Antonio College and completed her degree at the University of Texas at San Antonio where she received a Bachelor’s of Political Science with a Minor in Legal Studies, and Public Administration in 2004. She completed her Masters in Political Science in 2012 with an emphasis in Public Law and Political Theory. She currently works for Collin College in Plano, Texas and Richland College in Dallas Texas.  

Dr. Valenzuela obtained her Doctorate in Political science from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2012. She was a fellow for the Center for the Study of Texas Politics at the University of Texas at Dallas for five years. She worked as a professor at Dallas Christian College, Ashford University, Southern New Hampshire University, Eastern Gateway Community College and Collin College.  She has taught classes on American Government, Texas Government, Mexican American Politics, Congress and the Presidency, State Government, the American Constitution, research methods, political parties and political thought.  Dr.Valenzuela’s research interests include gender and race politics, elections and political behavior.

She believes that students should be motivated to learn by having an enthusiastic professor that shows them the importance of the subject matter in the real world. There is no worst thing that students having apathy or lack of interest in their education. Education should be a process in which knowledge can be easily conveyed and a medium to transmit the great American values of respect, liberty and freedom. Education should be the medium through which students expand their horizons and become open minded to new political ideas from students from various socio-economic, racial and religious backgrounds. An academic environment is a safe environment that allows students to freely express their ideas. After all, it is important for students to have an understanding of their political system in order to contribute to the rubric of this country and strengthen our civil society. Although everyone can have a say in politics, only few can have an academic discussion of the subject matter.