Meet the Board Members
Juan Ibarra (MPH, MSW, Ph.D.) is a skilled, thoughtful health professional who has been involved in public health research and youth mentorship for years. He met Dr. Winkleby in 1990 when he participated in SMYSP and has been involved with outreach and mentoring youth ever since.
Dr. Ibarra was born in a small agrarian community in Michoacan, Mexico. He was the youngest of ten children for whom schooling ended in the sixth grade. Before Dr. Ibarra was born, his father began traveling to the U.S. to work seasonally under the auspices of a 1940 American program. His father slowly brought his family to the U.S. where they followed the crops, moving from Chino to Fresno to Five Points and beyond.
When he was five, the family settled in Stockton, CA. By 4th grade, he began to excel in school under the influence of his brother Raul. When he was in the 8th grade, Dr. Ibarra’s family suffered a terrible tragedy. In the early morning before his parents left for the fields, an intruder killed both of his parents. He left Stockton to live with his sister in Menlo Park and attended Sequoia High School, excelling in math and science. In 1990, Dr. Ibarra’s math teacher encouraged him to apply to SMYSP where his love for science was cultivated.
Dr. Ibarra graduated from high school and was accepted to Stanford University, a significant feat given that Latinos make up only eight percent of the university’s undergraduate population. As an undergraduate, he made history in SMYSP when he became the first alumni to become program director. He majored in Human Biology and went on to become a community health educator in Mountain View where he worked at a clinic for low-income families.
Soon after, he accepted a job as a communicable disease investigator with Santa Clara County. He became known for his cultural sensitivity and was named the Santa Clara Public Health Department employee of the year in 1999. Following a joint Master’s degree in Social Work and Public Health at San Diego State University, he completed a doctorate in Public Health at U.C. Berkeley School of Public Health. In his current work as an epidemiologist at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, he evaluates community behavioral health programs funded by San Francisco’s Mental Health Services Act. He develops evaluations plans and implements them in culturally and linguistically.
Dr. Ibarra lives in Oakland and enjoys reading, spending time with family, and maintaining an active lifestyle.
Erica Frank (MD, MPH, Ph.D.) is an educational inventor, physician, medical and educational researcher, professor, and public health advocate. Dr. Frank brings a lifetime of advocacy for accessible health sciences education to Access to Achievement.
Since 2006, Dr. Frank has been a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. She received her MD and MPH with an emphasis on health education and epidemiology and was an NIH Prevention Research Fellow at Stanford University. She is board-certified in Preventive Medicine and a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine.
She is the Inventor/Founder of NextGenU.org, with learners in every country. Starting with a focus in the health sciences, NextGenU.org’s free courses, certificates, and degree-materials span from primary school education and community health worker trainings, through college-level pre-health sciences, Graduate Medical Education, and the first globally free degree content, a Master’s in Public Health.
Dr. Frank has published over 190 peer-reviewed scientific publications, including first-authored papers in JAMA, and other major peer-reviewed medical journals such as The Lancet, BMJ and Annals of Internal Medicine. She is the steward of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize commemorative medal awarded to the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War.
Margarita (Maggie) and Eduardo Gonzalez (BS) are a talented sister-and-brother
team who grew up and live in Riverdale, California, whose lived experiences and
professional backgrounds deepen the organization’s understanding of health inequities
and the social determinants of health. As first-generation Latine college graduates, they
bring insight to the challenges faced by students and families in rural communities
throughout the Central Valley.
Their involvement in Access to Achievement’s rural funding initiatives, coupled with their
hands-on work teaching college admissions workshops in Spanish, advising community
college pre-med students, and supporting farmworker families with legal resources,
reflects their long-standing commitment to service. As board members, they contribute
strong ethical standards, accountability, and cultural competence, strengthening the
organization’s mission to uplift marginalized communities.
Maggie earned her undergraduate degree in neurobiology, physiology, and behavior
from UC Davis. She later trained at UCLA as a Public Health Scholar and completed
community-based research at UC Davis, UCLA, and Stanford University. She has
taught premedical outreach programs and brings a strong understanding of the
emergency needs and barriers faced by rural college students.
In her current position at the California Medicine Scholars Program, San Joaquin Valley
in partnership with UCSF Fresno, Maggie supports community college pre-medical
students pursuing careers in medicine. Her expertise in medical and public health
career pathways, medical school application processes, and financial aid and
scholarships provides critical guidance to students who are often the first in their
families to enter higher education. As a board member, she is dedicated to empowering
communities, and brings insight, commitment, and a strong student-centered approach
that strengthens the organization’s mission.
Eduardo’s lived experience growing up in a rural immigrant community informs his
strong commitment to educational and health equity. Raised in Riverdale, where many
families work in agriculture—including his own—Eduardo contributed to the workforce
before adolescence, pruning almond trees, pulling weeds, and washing trucks. During
high school, he worked at a dairy farm often beginning his day at 3:00 a.m. to milk cows
and operate farm equipment. These early experiences shaped his deep understanding
of the challenges faced by rural students and farmworker families.
In 2019, Eduardo was selected from more than 300 applicants to participate in the
Stanford Medical Youth Science Program, a competitive residential program introducing
high school students to biomedical science founded by Dr. Winkleby. Upon returning to
Riverdale High School, he founded the Medical Outreach Club to support peers
interested in science and health careers. Under his leadership, graduates of the club
have gone on to attend seven different four-year universities, demonstrating the
program’s meaningful impact.
Eduardo went on to complete his undergraduate degree at Smittcamp Family Honors
College, Fresno State, where he was the Presidential Scholarship Recipient, and
majored in political science. He remains deeply connected to Riverdale High School
where he returns to deliver college admissions presentations in Spanish, create college
outreach materials, assist seniors with their UC personal statements, and coordinate
annual scholarships.
Eduardo is currently employed as a legal assistant with the United Farm Workers (UFW)
Foundation, and has been accepted to a 9-onth prestigious Legal Assistance Education
Program that will support his application to law school. As a board member, Eduardo brings firsthand knowledge of rural communities, a strong work ethic, and a deep commitment to expanding educational pathways for underserved students—qualities that strengthen Access to Achievement’s community impact.