Profa. Wanda Rodríguez

 

Profa. Wanda Rodríguez Toro


Role: Professor

School: University of Puerto Rico at Humacao

Department: Biology

Telephone: (787) 850-0000 x-9162

Email: wanda.rodriguez5@upr.edu

Education

1986    MS, Microbiology/Biology                    University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras

 

Academic Experience 

Summer- 2016,2017,2018,2019 Interim Biology Department Director(part-time)

May- December  2013 Interim Dean of Students

August, 2004 – February, 2006 Industry and Technology Coordinator

August, 2004 – January, 2005 Academic Affairs Associate Dean

1986 to present – Faculty Member of the Biology Department – Full Professor since 2002

Offered to this moment 20 different courses, which comprised lectures and laboratories for undergraduate and graduate courses(General Biology, Biological Sciences, General Microbiology, Applied Microbiology, Microbial Ecology, Microbiology for Health Care, Clinical Bacteriology, Human Anatomy and Physiology laboratory, Botany, Undergraduate Research,  Graduate Environmental Sciences courses, Graduate Thesis Seminar). Develop and execute scientific research projects in the areas of food microbiology and applied microbiology (air quality assessment, microbial ecology, food, soil and water microbiology, studying bacteria and fungi particularly);. Research assistant on a collaborative project with the Chemistry Department in the area of microbial transformation of organic wastes (1993-94). Former Director of the Summer Camp of Science and Engineering sponsored by the CRCI-UPR (1990) and PIVE Program (Summer Research Program) for 7th and 11th grade students. Academic counselor for the Microbiology, Wildlife Management, Natural Science, Coastal and Marine Biology (more than 20 years). 

 

Non-Academic Experience

Food safety consultant- Alimentos Seguros, San Juan PR – part time. Offer professional consulting and technical assistance to local food industries and food retailers (areas of expertise include: microbiology of processed foods and raw materials, safety hazards and economic losses due to microbial contamination, food plant sanitation, GMP, SSOP, food preservation, HACCP, food safety), 1998-2000.

Honors:

Appointed Ambassador for the Biology department of Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education (PULSE) Ambassador program, 2019.

 Professional Development Activities

Academic counselor for the Microbiology, Wildlife Management programs (several years).Counselor of the Student Microbiology Chapter (several years). Counselor of several Science Fair projects (1989 to present) and Judge in the regional and state Science Fair several years (environmental, microbiology, health and botany areas). Coordinator of Industry and Technology for UPRH (2004 to 2007).UPRH representative to INDUNIV (Educational Infrastructure Committee (2004-2007). Coordinator of Pre-MARC component at UPR-H (2005 to 2010). Part-time faculty of the University of Turabo Environmental Science Graduate School (2002 to 2007) with several graduate courses. Director of AMC-UPRH-DE project (Mathematics and Science Alliance with Education Department of PR) (summer 2007). Training resource for science teachers in project ACM (Turabo University, UPRH).Graduate students mentor and thesis advisor for several students (UPR-Rio Piedras, RUM, UMET, Turabo University). 

UPRH representative to CES committee (2009-2010). Peer reviewer for the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRF) at Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (2010). Microbiology Industry Practice Experience coordinator (2010 to present, UPRH). Reviewer for two courses of the Associate degree of Biotechnology at Turabo University (2012). Faculty member representative at the Committee of students appeals (2011-2012). Part-time faculty of the National University College, Caguas (2012-13) of health science undergraduate level courses (Microbiology, General Biology, Human Anatomy and Physiology). Coordinator of Student Productive Summer Forum (2013 to present). Biology Department liaison for the First Work Experience Internship (INTD 4995) (2015 to present). Directive board member of the UPRH Academic Honor Program (2014 to 2019). Thesis mentor of the UPRH-Academic Honor Program (2015-16). 

Biology Department faculty representative in the Institutional Personnel Committee (2018 to present). Member of the liaison committee – Industry and Natural Science Departments of the University of Puerto at Humacao (2018 to present). 

Publications and presentations:

Abstracts – 35th Puerto Rico Interdisciplinary Scientific Meeting (PRISM 2015) and the 50th Junior Technical Meeting (JTM 2015) – UPR-Río Piedras, 2015.

Control of bacteria in edible phyllosphere using commercial and home base vegetable washing solutions, Karla M. Ayuso Ruíz and Prof. Wanda L. Rodríguez Toro – oral presentation

Microbial quality assessment of beach sand at different locations in the eastern area of Puerto Rico, Lucero Rodríguez Fernández, Drecia Rohena Ramos and Prof. Wanda L. Rodríguez Toro- oral presentation.

Poster – 8th Symposium: Frontiers in Environmental Microbiology: interconnecting spheres-Universidad de Turabo, 2015 

Control of bacteria in edible phyllosphere: commercial and   home base treatments, Karla M. Ayuso Ruíz and Prof. Wanda L. Rodríguez Toro. 

Published interview– Article “La ciencia detrás de los GMOs” by Amanda Díaz de Hoyos, Revista Vida Sana, march 2015, page 58. 

Dissertation- Academic Honor Program- “Estudio sobre el efecto antibacteriano de extractos liquénicos de Flavoparmelia caperata distribuidos en el área de Ciencias Naturales de la Universidad de Puerto Rico en Humacao”, Riseilly Ramos Nieves y Prof. Wanda L. Rodríguez Toro. Programa Académico de Honor, 2016.

Briefly list the most recent professional development activities 

PULSE Vision & Change Ambassadors Workshop – May 2019

Scientific Teaching Workshop – May 2019

XIV Professional Improvement Forum – Transforming Teaching Practices – October 2019

Biotecnología y Seguridad Alimentaria

Inicio Departamento
UPR Humacao – Departamento de Biología – Call Box 860 – Humacao, PR 00792
Teléfono: (787) 850-9388, (787) 850-9483
biol.uprh@upr.edu, @UPRH , UPRH