Alyssa Cervantes Benavides, PhD

Managing Director, Interprofessional Education
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC El Paso) 

A higher education leader dedicated to advancing student achievement, healthcare, and community wellbeing, Benavides has 20 years of experience and currently serves as Managing Director of Interprofessional Education at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, where she leads the institution’s Quality Enhancement Plan for academic reaccreditation, and oversees community health education outreach, integrating students, patients, and Promotores. A proud Fronteriza, Benavides leads student-centered and community-responsive initiatives that support the success of underserved populations. Her research focuses on institutional transformation through interprofessional collaboration, student success at Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and community engagement that honors identity and lived experience. Benavides co-founded Comunidad en Education, a consulting practice supporting the academic success of first-generation, Latine, and historically underrepresented student populations, and recently launched a family scholarship for local students entering medical school. For two decades, she’s mentored students through college access, graduate school, and professional preparation. Benavides serves as Co-President of the League of Women Voters of El Paso and sits on the boards of the Association of Latino Professionals for America, El Paso, the LBJ’s Women’s Campaign School, and Young Women’s Leadership Network.  She holds a PhD from Texas Tech University, an MPA from UTEP, and a BA from UT Austin.