Dr. Tello is a licensed professional engineer and first-generation American with indigenous ancestry of the Pijaos from the Central Andes of Colombia. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Resources Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park; Masters of Science in Industrial Engineering, and Occupational Ergonomics and Safety from the University of Miami, Coral Gables; and a Doctor of Philosophy in Civil, Environmental, and Sustainable Engineering from Arizona State University, Ira Fulton Schools of Engineering, School of Sustainability and the Built Environment. She lives in Maryland Rockville. Whole Earth Engineering