Dr. Nilsa Elias is a Course Instructor in the School of Tchnology at Western Governors University.  Her passion is to share knowledge and experience with students. She is a lifelong learner of Computer Science and technology. 

Dr. Elias has a Masters Degree in Applied Computer Science and a doctorate in Information Technology. She has more than 12 years of experience teaching higher education in the classroom, hybrid, and online. In addition, she is a published author in books and academic journals as well as more than 10 years of experience in the Information technology industry as an IT Project Manager.

Dr. Elias has three grown children (Joel, Daniel, and Alex), so she enjoys teaching, living the lake life, photography, and riding her boat. She has a cat named Karl and a year-old puppy named Picasso.  

Linda Walters is a Cybersecurity professional with 30 years of experience in the government and private sector.  She has worked as an educator, technical professional, and information assurance engineer.  She received a Master of Science in Computer Science and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Information Technology.

As a Program Mentor at Western Governors University, Linda's philosophy is to develop mentees by providing direction, advice, and encouragement.

Lucienne Y Sias is currently a Senior Program Mentor in the Data Analytics program in the School of Technology at Western Governors University where she has worked for 5 years.

Lucienne has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Business Information Systems and a Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Business Intelligence and Analytics Management. She has worked in the IT field for 17 years although she began her career as a mutual fund trader. Soon she is planning to pursue a Master of Science in Learning Experience Design and Educational Technology in the Adult Learning Designer pathway.

Lucienne's "why" for being a Program Mentor is to be the person that she needed when she was pursuing an online degree. Her passion is to guide, encourage, and lay a foundation for confidence and achievement. Her son, Shaw (who is 10 going on 30), is carefully watching her and plans to be the first ninja robotics engineer! They are avid Marvel fans and enjoy traveling, swimming, and snacks.

Over the last 25 years, Emilia Valle has worked for various Fortune 500 companies in various capacities Fashion, Transportation, Healthcare, HR, IT, and Accounting. She has also owned several start-up businesses.

Emilia earned her B.S. in Apparel Design and Technology from Florida State University and 3 master's degrees in M.S. in Human Resource Management from Nova Southeastern University, an M.A. in Leadership from Carolina University, and an MFA in Fashion Design from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

Prior to joining WGU, Emilia served as an Academic Director at various higher education institutions in Florida, Washington, and Texas. She has presented at several conferences for Gerber Technology software company. She has a passion for helping WGU students succeed in their academic endeavors.

Ivette Morales is a Strategic Partnerships Manager with WGU. She loves spreading the WGU message and watching students succeed and transform their lives. 

Ivette currently possesses a BA in Psychology and MA in Communication from UTRGV. She also completed her MBA with WGU in 2021. As a first-generation college graduate it has been an honor to share WGU program information to students in the Rio Grande Valley (South, South Texas). It is so great that it inspired her to start the BS Software Development program. I strongly believe that it is never too late to learn something new.