Alumni Association

Dr. Amanda L. Roberts is currently a Research Scientist PhD for the DoD Defense Health Agency who supports the Armed Forces at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.

Dr. Roberts graduated from UIW earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry with a minor in Biology in 2010. After graduating, Dr. Roberts maintained the UIW mission to be committed to educational excellence with Jesus Christ as the center of her life while earning her Master’s in Chemistry from the University of Arizona and PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth.

As a passionate community leader who values life-long learning, she became an Adjunct Instructor of Chemistry at UIW in 2014 and a Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry at UIW in 2022.

Dr. Roberts’ commitment to teach the next generation of young STEM leaders was demonstrated with her work as the co-Principal Investigator for UIW Girls in Engineering Mathematics and Science (GEMS) program.

Dr. Roberts continues to teach, inspire, and maintain connections with UIW alumni. Dr. Roberts’ goal as the President is to continue to support UIW scholars, UIW athletes, and San Antonio community through the wonderful work of the UIW Alumni Association.

With her excellent communication skills she will maintain the responsibilities of focusing on fostering lifelong relationships among alumni and UIW. Her pride and engagement with UIW administration, faculty, students, parents, and staff will continue to expand the networking and professional development within San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, and other places that our UIW alumni reside.

Annie Sustaita graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Development and currently serves as the association’s secretary. Living out the Mission of the University is something Sustaita continues to prioritize in her professional career at USAA, where she currently serves as a business process owner. As a business process owner at one of the leading providers of insurance, investing and banking solutions to members of the U.S. military and veterans, Sustaita's education at UIW prepared her for the day-to-day duties of a fast-paced working environment. Her passion and dedication on the UIW Alumni Association Board allows other graduates to have an impact on their communities, even years after graduation.

Chyna J. Lane is a proud alumna of the University of the Incarnate Word, graduating cum laude in December 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Cyber Security Systems and a Minor in Psychology. She currently serves as an Analyst in the Mechanical Systems Section of the Strategic Aerospace Department at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), where she supports project engineers and managers with hardware configuration management and collaborates on cybersecurity research initiatives.

Prior to her full-time role, Miss Lane was a Student Analyst at SwRI, gaining valuable experience in hardware security and system development. She also served as a Senior Laboratory Technician during her undergraduate years, where she led peer support efforts and managed lab inventory and equipment configuration for the Computer Information Systems faculty.

Chyna’s passion for innovation and security is reflected in her project work, which includes developing a fingerprint scanner with Raspberry Pi, drone-based flight detection systems, and cybersecurity education tools for underserved communities. Her research was presented at the IEEE Digital Avionics Systems Conference in 2022, where she earned a Best of Session II Award.

Her accolades also include the Grace Hopper Award for Service in Cyber Security, the Lo Bello Women’s Association Award, and the UIW Merit Academic Award. She is an active member of IEEE, IEEE Women in Engineering, and Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS).

Arturo Perez is a dedicated finance professional and proud two-time graduate of the University of the Incarnate Word, where he earned both his Bachelor’s degree and Master of Business Administration, each with a focus in International Business.

He currently serves as a Director of Public Finance at a veteran owned investment bank, helping public entities across Texas access cost-effective municipal bond financing. Arturo has held leadership roles throughout his career, including serving as Head of Municipal Underwriting at a previous firm and earning recognition at a regional bank for developing portfolio credit metrics.

Since graduating, Arturo has remained actively involved with UIW. He has served on the UIW Student Managed Fund Advisory Board since August 2022 and became a part-time adjunct faculty member in January 2024, teaching an international business course focused on global trade and real-world application. He has also participated as a guest speaker for the UIW Finance Club and finance classes, sharing career insights and encouraging students to build professional networks and stay engaged with the university community.

Arturo is also committed to giving back locally. In 2024, he volunteered at CPS GrillsGiving and participated in the San Antonio Sports Corporate Cup. Outside of work, he enjoys playing tennis, spending time with his wife and family, and staying active.

He is excited to serve on the UIW Alumni Association Board to help strengthen alumni connections, promote Cardinal pride, and support the university’s continued growth. Arturo believes in UIW’s mission to develop well-rounded, service-minded leaders, and looks forward to contributing to that mission through his board service.

Brittany North-Heye graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and currently serves the community as an high-risk antepartum Registered Nurse at University Hospital for the past 12 years.

Serving as a Registered Nurse at a Level 1 trauma center encompasses handling high risk pregnancies with complex medical diagnoses that need interventions from multidisciplinary teams such as cardiac, endocrinology as well as gynecology oncology. Brittany serves on the night shift and Baby-Friendly certification committees. University Hospital is San Antonio’s first Level IV maternal care facility awarded by the Texas Department of State Health Services. As a Level IV maternal care facility, you can count on staff to provide critical services including early detection and diagnosis for conditions that may put a pregnant woman at risk as well as continuing education opportunities for our maternal medical staff. University Hospital is also recognized as a Baby-Friendly facility. This designation recognizes the hospital’s continued commitment to the babies, mothers and families of Bexar County.

Brittany continues to extend the values and standards of UIW into her career in the care she gives to her patients. With her new dedication to the UIW Alumni Association Board Brittany will show other nurse graduates the importance of their impact to patient care, the future of healthcare and the continuation of UIW values into the community.

Mariana Vieyra is a Public Relations Account Supervisor at KHarvey Brand Partners and a former Director of Communications for Harlandale Independent School District, where she served for four years. A proud former journalist, Mariana began her career in 2014 as a multimedia journalist at Univision San Antonio, eventually becoming the weekend news anchor. She later moved to Austin, where she anchored primetime newscasts for Univision 62.

Born in Mexico City and raised in New Braunfels, Mariana earned a bachelor’s degree in Bilingual Communication and a master’s degree in Communication Arts from the University of the Incarnate Word, where she was actively involved with UIWTV.

Her communications work has earned multiple accolades from the Texas School Public Relations Association, including the Crystal Award and several gold, silver, and bronze awards. As a journalist, she received two nationally recognized Telly Awards and an Emmy. Most recently, she was honored with the Horizon Award from the Public Relations Association, recognizing rising stars in the industry.

She is also the host of Momentos & Voices, a bilingual podcast where she interviews community members who share motivational and inspirational stories. Mariana enjoys spending time with her husband Gerardo and their daughter Ana Kailani.