Victor grew up in a small town in Michoacán Mexico. Since an early age, Victor helped his family to work
the land. Victor soon realized his destiny was to work as a farmer and the only way he was able to control
his destiny was through education. At age 14, as a results of his hard work in school, Victor was awarded
a full ride scholarship that also provided support for his family. However, the same year his father was
diagnosed with cancer and Victor and his family immigrated to the United States to seek medical
treatment for his father. Despite having to learn a new language and work to support his family, Victor
never forgot that education was his only way out. Victor graduated high school as the class Salutatorian
and continued his studies at the local community college to stay close and continue to help his family.
Victor’s original plans were to become a Biochemist, but after watching the movie A Beautiful Mind, Victor
wanted to become a cryptologist and changed his major to Mathematics. After he received his Bachelor’s
Degree with honors from California State University, Channel Island (CI), he applied to the National
Security Agency but he was rejected. Confused and heartbroken, he started applying to other jobs and
serendipitously became a Math teacher, a career he still cherishes. During his time as a teacher, he
obtained his Masters in Mathematics from CI and eventually a Ph.D. from Arizona State University (ASU)
in Applied Mathematics for the Life and Social Sciences under Prof. Carlos Castillo-Chávez. After
graduation, he did a Postdoc at ASU and was a visiting scholar at Brown University. Currently, Victor
works as an Operations Research Analyst for NAVSEA, applying his extensive mathematical modeling
knowledge to support modeling and simulation efforts.

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Dr. Moreno’s main academic interests are at the interface of disease evolution, behavioral epidemiology,
social dynamics, homeland security, epidemiology, addiction, and sustainability. Specifically, his research
focuses on understanding the impact of social factors on the transmission dynamics of infectious
diseases across highly heterogeneous risk environments. During his career, Victor published several
peer-reviewed research articles on this topic. In addition to his research, Victor has also co-authored the
book "Modelos para la propagación de enfermedades infecciosas", has mentored many undergraduate
students in research projects and has given talks at various international conferences.

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Throughout his career, Victor encountered great mentors at key times in his life that helped him overcome
great barriers and shaped the person he is today. As a result, Victor has dedicated his career to pay it
forward by mentoring as many students as possible to succeed and reach their goals. Consequently,
teaching for Dr. Moreno was not just a job, but a way to be of service. During his time as a teacher, he
taught Mathematics at various institutions, including high schools, community colleges and universities;
teaching courses ranging from arithmetic to graduate level mathematics. Dr. Moreno’s philosophy is to
show everyone that while math might not be fun for all, it is doable. In addition to his teaching
responsibilities, Dr. Moreno was heavily involved in mentoring students, to believe in themselves and to
always give their best; after school tutoring and developing materials for workshops to prepare students
for the SATs, AP Exams and GRE, as well as, held many mini-course series on mathematical modeling at
various universities in Latin America. Not to mention his constant participation in various outreach and
public engagement activities, including giving talks to high school students and participating in events
aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion in STEM fields.

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Moreover, Dr. Moreno has also been involved in mentoring programs outside of the classroom, such as
the Salt River Excelling at Math (StREAM) program, which is an accelerated learning program focused on
improving the math skills of high school students from the Salt River Reservation; the Summer Scholars
Institute, a program aimed at improving learning skills and math readiness in a low-stress supportive and
fun environment for incoming STEM majors at CI; and the Migrant Summer Leadership Institute, which
exposes migrant children and their parents to the opportunities and benefits of a college education and
STEM at CI. He also served as a research mentor for the Mathematical and Theoretical Biology Institute
(MTBI) during his stay at ASU, a summer research program for undergraduates. Dr. Moreno also served
as a Student Success Coordinator at CI, where he oversaw student success programs such as the STEM
Center, tutoring, mentoring, and peer-led team learning.

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Dr. Moreno's dedication to teaching and mentoring students has been recognized through various
awards, including the Ed Pastor Outstanding Graduate Student Award in 2018, which recognizes a
graduate student who has demonstrated high academic achievements and service to the community and
the Dr. Robert Bland Collaboration and Community Outreach Excellence Award, which recognizes efforts
to further the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) in his organization.

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“Hispanic Heritage Month is a deeply meaningful celebration of my heritage and the rich histories,
cultures, and contributions of Hispanic Americans. Growing up in Mexico, I learned the importance of
community and heritage, and moving to the United States made me realize that I am part of a larger
narrative, standing on the shoulders of those who, with their sacrifices, paved the way for me and future
generations. This month is a time to honor their legacy, embrace our shared identity, and give back to the
community. It is a testament to the resilience, unity, and vibrant contributions of Hispanic Americans.
Echale ganas y todo es posible!”

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