The people behind WERC—

Our team is passionate about preparing students to become skilled, ethical, and impactful engineers.

Ginger Scarbrough, PhD

Program Manager
College of Engineering, New Mexico State U.

Ginger partners with industry and government agencies to identify innovative, real-world projects for students to solve. She manages all aspects of the WERC Environmental Design Contest, including strategic planning, industry engagement, curriculum integration, and student support. She has been a faculty member at Purdue University, Ball State University, and New Mexico State University, teaching courses across multiple disciplines, including Materials Engineering, Food Science, Computer Science, and Geology. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Geophysics from UT El Paso and her Doctorate in Structural Geology from Purdue University.

Ginger is passionate about engineering workforce development and creating opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience, strengthen their professional skills, and prepare for licensure. She will oversee all operations during the four-day contest.

Juanita Miller, P.E.

Safety Specialist
College of Engineering, New Mexico State U.

Juanita has served as the NMSU College of Engineering (COE) Safety Officer for the WERC Environmental Design Contest since 2017. She teaches Industrial Safety in the COE and is credentialed as a Professional Engineer, OSHA Outreach Trainer, Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator, and holds an FCC Amateur Radio License. She earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from NMSU and her M.E. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Each spring, she conducts the Experimental Safety Plan (ESP) Short Course and reviews and approves all team ESP submissions. During the four-day contest, she oversees all bench-scale demonstration operations, ensuring teams adhere to approved ESPs, maintain proper safety practices, and that samples are collected correctly for analytical testing. She brings a strong commitment to fostering a safe, effective, and engaging onsite laboratory environment for all participants.

Support Staff

Gisela Perez

Event Planner, NMSU

Gisela plays a pivotal role in the success of the WERC Environmental Design Contest. As the Event Planner for the NMSU College of Engineering Office of Outreach, she ensures smooth logistics for all events across our programs. Her extensive knowledge, attention to detail, and strong organizational skills greatly enhance the efficiency and professionalism of all of our departmental operations. 

During the four-day WERC Contest, Gisela will be assisting attendees at the Information Table and ensuring that each event runs smoothly. She excels at creating a welcoming, well-coordinated, and supportive experience for all participants.

Laura Hernandez

Graduate Specialist, NMSU

Laura brings more than 20 years of laboratory expertise and is a court-qualified expert in three forensic disciplines—fire debris, seized drugs, and blood alcohol analysis. She is the Director of Verity Labs, Inc., and has served as both Laboratory Manager and Laboratory Instructor at NMSU, where she has trained and mentored future scientists and engineers. Her extensive experience in analytical methods, quality assurance, and safety compliance makes her an invaluable member of our technical support team.

At the WERC competition, Laura will lead sample processing and quality control at the bench-scale demonstration area, providing oversight to ensure accurate testing and strict adherence to safety standards.

Callum M.

Student Specialist, NMSU

Callum is an Environmental Science student at New Mexico State University. He has nearly two years of experience as a Student Intern at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the Earth and Environmental Science (EES-14) Division. As a Student Specialist at the 2025 WERC Environmental Design Contest he gained hands-on experience in safety compliance, supporting environmental health and safety protocols, and conducting analytical testing. He will return to WERC in 2026.

During the 2026 competition, Callum will be stationed at the bench-scale demonstration area, collecting samples, conducting analytical testing, and ensuring that safety protocols are followed.