The TAME Board of Directors is thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Krystal Peralez as our new Executive Director. Dr. Peralez brings over two decades of experience leading education and workforce development initiatives that connect students with hands-on learning and career opportunities in STEM.
Dr. Peralez joins TAME at a pivotal and exciting time, as the organization prepares to celebrate 50 years of empowering Texas students through engineering education and career exploration. Her career has been defined by building strong, cross-sector partnerships between academic institutions, industry, and community organizations to create lasting pathways to college, career readiness, and lifelong learning. As TAME looks ahead to its next half-century of impact, we’re proud to welcome a leader whose experience and values align seamlessly with our mission to innovate, collaborate, and support student success across the state.
Dr. Peralez’s professional experience spans higher education, STEM enrichment programs, and industry-aligned career readiness initiatives here in Texas and nationwide. Most recently, Dr. Peralez oversaw course support and instruction services at UT Austin; directed the Academic Success Center at St. Edward’s University; led the University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA) Prefreshman Engineering Program; and supported school-to-career pathways as a leader at greater:SATX Regional Economic Partnership. Dr. Peralez also serves as an adjunct lecturer in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at UTSA.
“Dr. Peralez is a dynamic and experienced leader who brings a rare and valuable blend of academic insight and workforce development expertise to TAME,” said David Salas, Chair of the TAME Board of Directors. “She deeply understands the importance of engaging students in hands-on STEM learning and connecting those experiences to meaningful college and career exploration. Her leadership will be key as TAME continues to grow our reach and deepen our impact for students across Texas.”
Raised in a small community in South Texas, Dr. Peralez, like so many of our TAME Engineers, was a first-generation college student. She then went on to earn degrees from Trinity University and Texas State University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration at the University of Texas at Austin.
“I’m honored to step into this role at such a pivotal moment in TAME’s history,” said Dr. Peralez. “For nearly 50 years, TAME has been a statewide leader in inspiring students to explore engineering and equipping them with the tools to succeed in STEM careers. I’m excited to build on that legacy and continue supporting the incredible network of TAME volunteers, educators, students, and partners across Texas.”
Please join the TAME community to give a warm welcome to Dr. Krystal Peralez! We look forward to all we’ll accomplish together in the years to come.
