NSMAA Board Members

David Ibarra manages the cloud operations team at Constant Contact, where he leads the engineers responsible for the infrastructure behind the company’s platform.

A proud Cougar, David earned his Bachelor of Science in computer science from the University of Houston in 2010. He has been involved with the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Alumni Association since 2020 and served as secretary and vice president before taking on his current role as president.

As president, David is focused on supporting students, advancing STEM education and furthering NSM’s mission. He stays involved for the same two reasons that first drew him in: the people and the mission.

David lives in Cypress with his wife and two children. Outside of work, he enjoys gardening and wildlife photography.

Ivy is a Research Specialist and Research Program Manager at the Texas A&M Drug Discovery Resource Center, where she supports principal investigators in drug discovery research. Her expertise includes high-throughput screening, troubleshooting drug discovery workflows, data analysis, and mentoring staff and graduate students.

Ivy earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of Houston in 2001 and has been involved with the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Alumni Association for more than 20 years. She has served in several leadership roles, including Treasurer, Secretary, and President, and now serves as Vice President.

As Vice President, Ivy hopes to continue supporting the Alumni Association through events that engage alumni and strengthen connections within the NSM community in Houston and beyond. She would also like to explore opportunities to connect scientists with teachers and students through career days, develop donation and resource programs for teachers in need, including UH-Teach graduates, and encourage support for UH alumni-owned businesses.

Ivy lives in Sugar Land with her family and two children. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, engaging in conversations, and enjoying a good Scotch.

Cecilia Ramirez is a two-time University of Houston graduate, earning a Bachelor of Science in Geophysics with a minor in Mathematics in 2007 and a Master of Science in Geophysics in 2012. She is a geophysicist at Bluware with more than 15 years of experience in seismic acquisition, interpretation, and software development in the oil and gas industry.

Active in the UH Natural Sciences and Mathematics Alumni Association since 2009, Cecilia previously served as Vice President and President and now serves as Treasurer. She is committed to creating opportunities for NSM alumni to stay involved with UH and connected to one another. Her involvement with UH also includes membership in the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Alumni Association. Beyond campus, she has been a part of the Houston Geological Society Student Expo Committee since 2007 and currently serves as an advisor.

Dr. O’Keefe graduated summa cum laude from the University of Houston College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology in 1981. In 1985, she received her Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Dentistry and began her career in academics. During her tenure at UTSD, she taught in clinical and laboratory settings, lectured, mentored students, and in 2000 obtained her Master of Science degree in oral biomaterials. Subsequently, she conducted research on adhesive and restorative dentistry and published articles and presented research findings nationally and internationally. Dr. O’Keefe retired from the faculty as a tenured associate professor at the UT School of Dentistry in 2006, after a 20-year academic career. That same year, Dr. O’Keefe began the second phase of her career as a full-time general dentist in Houston. She is passionate about patient care and education, and enjoys getting to know her patients individually, educating them, and helping them feel comfortable in the dental chair.

In addition to her academic and clinical careers, Dr. O’Keefe has been involved in many professional and alumni organizations. She is also a past president of the Greater Houston Dental Society.

In her spare time, Dr. O’Keefe enjoys spending time with family and friends, volunteering at church, cooking, needlework, sailing, and cheering on Houston sports teams.