About the Board:
U in the Driver Seat (UDS) is a peer-to-peer safety program for college students. The goal of UDS is to raise awareness of driving impaired and prevent crashes involving college students. The program provides resources, information, and materials to empower young adults to spread the word among their friends and peers about the deadly act of driving impaired and encourage them to make smart choices and stay safe. UDS can only succeed with the involvement and commitment of college students, who are represented by the U in the Driver Seat Collegiate Advisory Board (CAB).
2024 – 2025 Collegiate Advisory Board (CAB) members
Esmeralda Gutierrez
Texas A&M Kingsville
Business Administration
Esmeralda is a graduate student who has been involved with U in the Driver Seat since 2016. This marks her fifth year on the CAB. She is also currently the Wellness Specialist for the Student Health & Wellness Program at A&M Kingsville. She has been a member of PEP Talk since Fall 2016 and served as officer for 4 years. In the last four years, she has designed and implemented several health and wellness educational programs and events throughout each semester on campus. She has also had the opportunity to train the next generation of peer educators in promoting awareness and education regarding all health and wellness issues.
Lucas Ransen
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Civil Engineering
Lucas is currently a junior. This is his third year as a member of the CAB. He is part of his school’s steel bridge and canoe teams, as well as SDSMT’s American Society of Civil Engineers. Lucas has always been active in his communities since first serving with the high school TDS program.
Eber Silva
Texas Tech University
Personal Financial Planning
Eber is currently a senior. This year marks his fourth year with the CAB. He has been very active in applying UDS in the schools he has attended while with the CAB, including conducting various activities related to transportation safety around his campus. He is a member of the group Knowledge Empowering You (KEY) at Texas Tech, which is a community outreach program for the Lubbock community.
Eli Garces
Texas A&M – Kingsville
History with Certification in Education
Eli is currently a senior, and this marks his first year as a member of the CAB. However, he has been a consistent member of A&M Kingsville’s UDS program team over the past few years. He has also been a member of the school’s PEP Talk team.
Davianna Livas
University of Texas at San Antonio
Criminal Justice and Criminology
Davianna is currently a freshman at UTSA, and this is her first year with the CAB. She is a previous member of the Teens in the Driver Seat Advisory Board when she was in high school, as well as other organizations.
Karla Garcia
University of Texas at Austin
International Relations and Global Studies
Karla Garcia is a student at the University of Texas at Austin majoring in International Relations and Global Studies. She is currently a senior who has experience working with the UDS program as support staff, including as a team member for our UDS Symposium.
Matthew Duong
Texas A&M University
Applied Mathematics
Matthew is currently a graduate student of Texas A&M University and has been supporting for the Youth Transportation Safety Program for a little over a year now. This will be his first year serving on the CAB.
Check out past boards:
2022-2023 Collegiate Advisory Board
2021-2022 Collegiate Advisory Board
2020-2021 Collegiate Advisory Board
2019-2020 Collegiate Advisory Board
2018-2019 Collegiate Advisory Board
2017-2018 Collegiate Advisory Board
2016-2017 Collegiate Advisory Board
2014 – 2015 Collegiate Advisory Board
2015-2016 Collegiate Advisory Board
2016-2017 Collegiate Advisory Board