Faculty and Staff

Faculty

Robert Dearth, Ph.D.

Robert Dearth, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 2.360

Lab: ESCNE 4.509

Tel: 956-665-3537

Kathryn Perez, Ph.D.

Kathryn Perez, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Associate Chair

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 1.316

Lab: ESCNE 2.428

Research Interests: Systematics, evolutionary biology, taxonomy of mollusks, groundwater snail biodiversity, biology education research 

Lab webpage:

Tel: 956-665-7145

 

Frank Dirrigl, Ph.D.

Frank Dirrigl, Ph.D.
Professor and Graduate Coordinator

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 2.344

Lab: ESCNE 2.412

Research interests: Invertebrate and Vertebrate Taphonomy, Environmental Biology, Historical Ecology

Tel: 956-665-8732

Franklin Benton, Ph.D.

Franklin Benton, Ph.D.
Lecturer I

Campus: Brownsville

Office: BLHSB 1.824 

Tel: 956-882-5889

Sara Black, Ph.D.

Sara Black, Ph.D.
Lecturer I

Campus: Brownsville

Office: BLHSB 1.834 

Tel: 956-882-5042

Eloi Camprubi-Casas, Ph.D.

Eloi Camprubi-Casas, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 4.612

Lab: ESCNE 4.513

Research interests: Origin of life, astrobiology, biosignatures, Ocean Worlds, hydrothermal systems, origins of evolution, early Earth climate and dynamics, planetary chemistry, space exploration.

Lab Webpagehttps://eloicamprubi.com

Tel: 956-665-2950

Jorge Canchola, M.D.

Jorge Canchola, M.D.
Lecturer II

Campus: Brownsville

Office: BLHSB 2.824 

Tel: 956-882-4321

Bradley Christoffersen, Ph.D.

Bradley Christoffersen, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

Campus: Edinburg
Office: 1.332
Lab: 1.412
Research interests: We study how water structures ecosystems both above- and below-ground, in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond. We use tools and techniques from plant physiological ecology, ecosystem ecology, plant hydraulics, modeling, and most recently, restoration ecology.
Lab Webpagehttps://www.christoffersen-lab.net/
Tel: 956-665-2468

Jesus De Leon, Ph.D.

Jesus De Leon, Ph.D.
Lecturer

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 2.312

Tel: 956-665-7481

Jorge Duran, Ph.D.

Jorge Duran, Ph.D.
Lecturer I

Campus: Brownsville

Office: BLHSB 1.834

Tel:

Teresa Feria Arroyo, Ph.D.

Teresa Feria Arroyo, Ph.D.
Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Success, Diversity & Inclusion

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 4.635

Lab:

Tel: 956-665-7322

Robert Gilkerson, Ph.D.

Robert Gilkerson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 4.618

Lab:

Tel: 956-665-7838

Ying Jia, Ph.D.

Ying Jia, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Practice

Campus: Brownsville

Office: BLHSB 2.822

Lab: BLHSB 2.806A

Tel: 956-882-7320

Luis Materon, Ph.D.

Luis Materon, Ph.D.
Professor

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 1.334

Lab:

Tel: 956-665-7140

Cody Mon, M.S.

Cody Mon, M.S.
Adjunct Lecturer

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 2.326

 

Julie Mustard, Ph.D.

Julie Mustard, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Campus: Brownsville

Office: BLHSB 2.814A

Lab: BLHSB 2.808E

Research interests: Neurobiology, honey bee behavior, learning and memory

Lab Webpage:

Tel: 956-882-5869

 

Guadalupe Oliva, Ph.D.

Guadalupe Oliva, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer

Campus: Brownsville

Office: BLHSB 2.804A

Tel: 956-882-5785

Michael Persans, Ph.D.

Michael Persans, Ph.D.
Professor

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 4.629

Lab:

Tel: 956-665-7323

Daniele Provenzano, Ph.D.

Daniele Provenzano, Ph.D.
Professor

Campus: Brownsville

Office: BLHSB 1.125

Lab: BBRHP 1.143
Research interests: Bacterial pathogenesis, virulence factors, host-pathogen and interbacterial interactions, microbial evolution and ecology

Tel: 956-882-5045

 

Kenneth Pruitt, Ph.D.

Kenneth Pruitt, Ph.D.
Lecturer II

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 2.324

Tel: 956-665-3545

Nirakar Sahoo, Ph.D.

Nirakar Sahoo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 1.132

Lab:

Tel: 956-665-5361

Mark Scally, Ph.D.

Mark Scally, Ph.D.
Lecturer I

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 1.306A

Tel: 956-665-2883

Erin Schuenzel, Ph.D.

Erin Schuenzel, Ph.D.
Professor

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 4.61

Lab:

Tel: 956-665-2229

Matthew Terry, Ph.D.

Matthew Terry, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 3.11

Lab:

Tel: 956-665-2064

Mirayda Torres-Avila, Ph.D.

Mirayda Torres-Avila, Ph.D.
Adjunct Lecturer

Assistant Director for Post Approval Monitoring Compliance, Office of Research Compliance

Campus: Edinburg

Office: MRIOB 4.357

Tel: 956-665-2093

John Trant, Ph.D.

John Trant, Ph.D.
Professor

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 2.34

Lab:

Tel: 956-665-3065

Christopher Vitek, Ph.D.

Christopher Vitek, Ph.D.
Professor

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 4.616

Lab: ESCNE 2.518

Research interests – Vector ecology and biology, mosquito biology

Lab webpage – www.drmosquito.net

Tel: 956-665-2845

 

Cindy Wedig, Ph.D.

Cindy Wedig, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 1.308

Tel: 956-665-7025

Frederic Zaidan, Ph.D.

Frederic Zaidan, Ph.D.
Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs & Student Success

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 4.637

Lab:

Tel: 956-665-3414

Staff

Diana Ocanas

Diana Ocanas
Administrative Assistant II

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 2.352

Tel: 956-665-3537

Julie Perez

Julie Perez
Administrative Assistant II

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 2.364

Tel: 956-665-5223

Daisy Garcia

Daisy Garcia
Administrative Assistant I

Campus: Brownsville

Office: BLHSB 1.808

Tel: 956-882-8897

Maria Mendez, M.S.

Maria Mendez, M.S.
Program Manager

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 1.352

Tel: 956-665-5216

Eleazar Saenz

Eleazar Saenz
Lab Coordinator

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 2.368

Tel: 956-665-3547

Liza Vela, M.S.

Liza Vela, M.S.
Lab Coordinator

Campus: Edinburg

Office: ESCNE 1.368

Tel: 956-665-7935

Sylvia Quintero

Sylvia Quintero
Lab Coordinator

Campus: Brownsville

Office: BLHSB 2.808D

Tel: 956-882-5054