In total, a group of 25 PhD students and postdocs in engineering or related disciplines at U.S. research universities were selected as Fellows to participate in a three-day professional development workshop that prepares them to secure a position as a future engineering faculty and thrive in that role. TBE Fellows are chosen not only for their outstanding scholarly achievements but also for their potential impact in expanding representation and diversity in engineering. 

Eight Black Trailblazers in Engineering (BTE) and 17 Latinx Trailblazers in Engineering (LATinE) Fellows gathered on Purdue University's West Lafayette campus for the workshop on July 26-28, 2022, which was intended to prepare future trailblazing faculty in engineering with a focus on preparing outstanding scholars who are committed to increasing the success of underrepresented communities of engineers.

Muñoz received his bachelor’s degree in biotechnology engineering from Armed Forces University, Ecuador, in 2012. He is a current PhD candidate in Purdue’s Interdisciplinary Life Science Program where his research consists of developing biomarkers of inflammation for disease progression and drug response for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBS). He has designed and implemented experimental and computational workflows to study complex interactions between host genetics, immunologic pathways, and microbiome dysbiosis that drive IBS and colorectal cancer. Future research will focus on germ-free gut in vitro systems to understand the dynamics of host-microbiome interactions. He serves as a graduate research assistant in the Weldon School's Brubaker Lab and his primary advisor is Dr. Doug Brubaker.

As president of Ecuadorians at Purdue University, he disseminates graduate school opportunities and provides mentorship to the fast-growing Ecuadorian community. He was a 2021 recipient of the Leslie Bottorff Fellowship and the 2019 Lynn Fellowship, both at Purdue. Muñoz Briones has six years of industry experience in Ecuador, where he worked as a technical coordinator for the secretary of higher education, science, technology, and innovation, and as an occupational health, environment control, and safety industrial specialist for Petroamazonas EP. As a future faculty member, he will incorporate results-based management projects where students can translate learned concepts to practice. He also will embrace problem-based learning coupled with service learning to promote deeper critical thinking, engagement, and ownership.