Amanda Alvarez at LaBori Boxing. Photography by Lauren Allen.
East Dallas resident Amanda Alvarez, a neuroscientist and LaBori Boxing founder, was selected to be featured in the exhibit titled #IfThenSheCan – The Exhibit: Game Changers.
The exhibit will showcase lime green, life-sized 3D printed statues of 26 women who use STEM to power sports. The statues are “serving as reminders that the future of sports is powered not only by athletes on the field, but by leaders in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) who are transforming the game behind the scene,” according to a press release from IF/THEN.
Alvarez opened the nonprofit boxing gym in November 2022. LaBori Boxing provides free afterschool programs for children ages eight to 18 who can attend lessons twice a week, followed by a STEM workshop once a month. The gym also hosts adult Boxing Fit, HIIT Lab and Women’s Self Defense classes.
In a video on the IF/THEN She Can website, Alvarez says, “Another way I’m using my neuroscience background in the boxing space is trying to regulate the ways in which we regulate our athletes mental and brain health before, during and after a fight.” Also according to the video, she says that she wants to do something similar to what the NFL has done for its athletes brain safety. Alvarez is working closely with the World Boxing Organization and the World Boxing Council.
IF/THEN is a nonprofit organization that empowers STEM innovators and amplifies STEM role models so that younger generations can be inspired to achieve their own STEM dreams, according to their website. They held a traveling exhibit titled #IfThenSheCan – The Exhibit which featured 120 female STEM professionals, and was displayed in NorthPark Center in 2021.
Opening on June 11 through July 19, visitors can attend the free exhibit at the FIFA Fan Festival in Fair Park.
“We are excited to celebrate this remarkable group of women featured in #IfThenSheCan – The Exhibit: Game Changers and introduce their stories to a global audience,” said Nicole Small, CEO of Lyda Hill Philanthropies, LH Capital, Inc. and co-founder of IF/THEN, in the press release. “Sports captivate young people everywhere. By showcasing women thriving in STEM careers connected to the sports industry during one of the world’s biggest sporting events, we hope young visitors will see the many paths available for their own futures and recognize that they belong in these fields.”
Here is the full list of “Game Changers” included in the exhibit:
- Alba Colón Rodríguez, Performance and Motorsports Mechanical Engineer (Huntersville, NC)
- Aline Bass Callahan, MBA, Wearable Technology Product Manager (Dallas, TX)
- Alison Sheets-Singer, PhD, Biomechanics Researcher (Portland, OR)
- Amanda Alvarez Dieppa, PhD, Neuroscientist, Boxer, and Entrepreneur (Dallas, TX)
- Ambika Chandra, PhD, Turfgrass Breeder and Professor (Dallas, TX)
- Antonia F. Chen, MD, MBA, Orthopedic Surgeon (Dallas, TX)
- Branay Hicks, Athletic Trainer (Frisco, TX)
- Caiti Donovan, Data Strategist and Behavioral Scientist (Brooklyn, NY)
- Christy Schuld, Sports Dietician (Dallas, TX)
- Colleen M. Hacker, PhD, Mental Performance Coach (Tacoma, WA)
- Cynt Marshall, Sports Executive (Dallas, TX)
- Jessica Isaacs, PhD, Biomechanical Engineer (Philadelphia, PA)
- Jill Monaghan, MArch, Architect (Lee’s Summit, MO)
- Julie Foudy, Soccer Legend, Broadcaster, Podcaster and Advocate (San Clemente, CA)
- Katie Mae McConnell, MS, Surfer and Marine Ecologist (Haiku, HI)
- Lindsay Golich, MS, Environmental Physiologist (Colorado Springs, CO)
- Lucy Li, Professional Golfer and Data Scientist (Redwood Shores, CA)
- Marcia Faustin, MD, Family and Sports Medicine Physician (Sacramento, CA)
- Martha Walters, Broadcast Audio Engineer (Hendersonville, TN)
- Monique S. Burton, MD, Pediatrician and Sports Medicine Physician (Seattle, WA)
- Nadia Banks, Spatial AI Executive (Menlo Park, CA)
- Naomi Girma, MS, Professional Soccer Player (San Jose, CA)
- Natalie White, Athletic Footwear Entrepreneur (New York, NY)
- Rachel Ferdinando, Food Innovation and Consumer Brands Executive (Plano, TX)
- Sarah Mallepalle, Data Analyst (Dallas, TX)
- Sophia Ulman, PhD, Sports Biomechanist (Frisco, TX)
