Psychology Professor Selected as 2026–27 STEM-NET Faculty Fellow

Esteban Montenegro, an associate professor of psychology at Stanislaus State's Stockton Campus, has been selected as one of 11 California State University STEM-NET Faculty Fellows for 2026-27.

His appointment began July 1, 2026, and continues through June 30, 2027. The fellowship includes a $5,000 summer stipend and three units of reassigned teaching time per semester in fall 2026 and spring 2027 to support Montenegro's work in advanced statistical methods.

"I am very grateful to have been selected," Montenegro said. "I am excited about the opportunity."

STEM-NET is a systemwide CSU initiative that advances science, technology, engineering and mathematics education and research. The network connects faculty, administrators, staff, students and community partners throughout the CSU to strengthen collaboration across campuses and encourage effective practices in teaching, learning and research.

As a fellow, Montenegro will work with faculty across the CSU to develop and submit collaborative proposals for STEM-focused research and education grants aligned with his work at Stan State.

Montenegro teaches advanced statistical methods with a focus on applying Bayesian inference to psychological research. Bayesian methods allow researchers to update the probability of an outcome as new evidence becomes available. Montenegro uses these methods to study characteristics that can't be directly observed, known as "latent factors."

"Statistical models help us understand latent factors like depression and stress, things that cannot be studied physically under a microscope or through a telescope," Montenegro explained. "Studying patterns may help us predict behavior and understand how to approach and treat those conditions."

Montenegro earned his doctorate in educational psychology with a concentration in research, evaluation, measurement and statistics from Texas Tech University. His dissertation focused on Bayesian structural equation modeling.

"Statistics is not only about numbers, but also about nature. We observe nature, we see patterns, and we try to determine probability based on those patterns to find solutions."

-Esteban Montenegro, Associate Professor of Psychology

"Regardless of the field you are in, you need to 'speak stats' to understand science," Montenegro said. "Statistics is not only about numbers but also about nature. We observe nature, we see patterns, and we try to determine probability based on those patterns to find solutions."

Through the fellowship, Montenegro plans to develop interactive instructional materials designed to make Bayesian inference more accessible to undergraduate and graduate students. He also plans to create resources that combine statistical reasoning with programming in R and Python, programming languages commonly used for data analysis, artificial intelligence, automation, software development and scientific computing.

Montenegro said those skills are increasingly important as the use of artificial intelligence and large language models expands. He described the fellowship as "a chance to engage in a collaborative network that fosters innovation in STEM education."