Dr. Mendez earned his PhD in Experimental Psychology at Texas A&M and completed postdoctoral training at UCLA. He is currently a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor at the UTEP School of Pharmacy.

• UTEP School of Pharmacy Teaching Award - UTEP SOP (08/17/2023)
• American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Athina Markou Travel Award - ACNP (12/04/2022)
• The University of Texas at El Paso Mentoring Award - UTEP (08/29/2022)
• UTEP School of Pharmacy Scholar Award - UTEP SOP (08/18/2021)
• Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology Editorial Fellowship - ECPP (01/01/2021)
• NINDS Mentoring Institute for Neuroscience Diversity Scholars Fellowship - National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke (02/26/2018)
• NIDA Diversity Scholars Network Fellowship - National Institute on Drug Abuse (02/14/2018)
• Society for Neuroscience - Neuroscience Scholars Program Fellowship - SFN (01/01/2016)

• Ph D in Experimental Psychology, Texas A&M University (2010)

• Don’t worry, be APPE: Developing and refining a skills-based assessment of student preparedness for advanced pharmacy practice experiences Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 17 1 (2025), Natalie N. Gordon, Emily J. Christenberry, Sara C. Smith, Vicki L. Howe, Ian A. Mendez, Amanda Loya, Gabriel Frietze, Margie E. Padilla.
• Don’t worry, be APPE: Developing and refining a skills-based assessment of student preparedness for advanced pharmacy practice experiences Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning (2025), Natalie N. Gordon, Emily J. Christenberry, Sara C. Smith, Vicki L. Howe, Ian A. Mendez, Amanda Loya, Gabriel Frietze, Margie E. Padilla.
• (2024) Don’t worry, be APPE: Evaluating student preparedness for advanced pharmacy practice experiences using a skills-based assessment Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 17 1 (2025), Natalie N. Arndt, Emily J. Christenberry, Sara C. Smith, Ian A. Mendez, Vicki L. Howe, Gabriel Frietze, Amanda Loya, Margie E. Padilla.
• Don’t worry, be APPE: Developing and refining a skills-based assessment of student preparedness for advanced pharmacy practice experiences Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 17 1 (2024), Natalie N. Gordon, Emily J. Christenberry, Sara C. Smith, Vicki L. Howe, Ian A. Mendez, Amanda Loya, Gabriel Frietze, Margie E. Padilla.
• Withdrawal from repeated nicotine vapor exposure increases somatic signs of physical dependence, anxiety-like behavior, and brain reward thresholds in adult male rats Neuropharmacology 240 (2023), Michelle Martinez, Veronika Espinoza, Valeria Garcia, Kevin P. Uribe, Kenichiro Negishi, Igor L. Estevao, Luis Carcoba, Laura E. O'Dell, Arshad Khan, Ian A. Mendez.

• Engaging and supporting students from historically excluded groups in your research laboratory. (2024), Volume New Orleans, LA, Ian A. Mendez.
• Establishing a Rodent Model of E-Cigarette Use: Early Findings and New Concerns (2023), Volume Virtual, Ian A. Mendez.
• Setting Up and Managing My First Lab: Lessons Learned (2023), Volume Marine Biological Laboraotry, Ian A. Mendez.
• Establishing a Rodent Model of ​ E-cigarette Use to Investigate the Dangers of Nicotine Vapor Exposure (2023), Volume Marine Biological Laboraotry, Ian A. Mendez.
• Establishing a Rodent Model of E-cigarette Use to Investigate the Dangers of Nicotine Vapor Exposure (2023), Volume UTEP, Ian A. Mendez.

• Sex Differences and The Influence of Ovarian Hormones on the Mechanisms that Promote Nicotine Withdrawal (01/01/2024 - 12/31/2029) NIH/NIDA
• R01 Diversity Supplement: Sex Differences and The Influence of Ovarian Hormones on the Mechanisms that Promote Nicotine Withdrawal (07/01/2024 - 06/30/2027) NIH/NIDA
• SC2: Assessing The Effects of Adolescent Nicotine Vapor Exposure on Motivation and Decision for Rewards (04/01/2020 - 03/31/2024) NIDA
• URI: Characterizing the role of reward associated structures in brain reward self-stimulation (01/01/2023 - 08/01/2023) UTEP ORSP
• SC2: Diversity Supplement: Assessing The Effects Of Adolescent Nicotine Vapor Exposure On Motivation And Decision For Rewards (10/01/2020 - 09/30/2021) NIDA