Cynthia Lima holds a degree in Science Education from the University of Texas at Austin. In 2020 she joined the Department of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching at the University of Texas at San Antonio as an Assistant Professor of STEM Education. Her research focuses on how pre-service teachers and elementary students learn science using STEM environments anchored in real-world phenomena. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation and other leading organizations, which has enabled her to publish her work in national and international journals.