UTSA biologist Edwin Barea-Rodriguez named fellow in national PULSE program

Edwin Barea-Rodriguez

By Kris Rodriguez
Public Affairs Specialist

(Nov. 21, 2012) -- Edwin Barea-Rodriguez, professor and chair of the UTSA Department of Biology, was one of 40 educators nationwide selected as a Vision and Change Leadership Fellow for the Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education (PULSE). The fellows will identify and consider how to eliminate barriers and make changes necessary to improve undergraduate life sciences education.

Barea-Rodriguez was selected by an expert panel from a pool of more than 250 applicants. Fellows were chosen based on their experience in catalyzing reform in undergraduate biology education. Since 2006, Barea-Rodriguez has led the UTSA Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS), Minority Access to Research Center (MARC) and The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Minority Ph.D. programs designed to increase the number and support undergraduate minorities pursuing advanced degrees in biosciences by providing research opportunities, a challenging curricula and various enrichment activities.

"I am honored to be selected as a PULSE fellow member and look forward to representing UTSA and the Department of Biology," said Barea-Rodriguez. "Our department strives to make a difference in biology education, and this fellowship will help me share what we are doing and learn what others are doing to successfully train students in the sciences."

"Edwin has led our educational programs by example of student success-centered approaches. We are very proud of this acknowledgement of his leadership," said George Perry, dean of the UTSA College of Sciences.

A UTSA College of Sciences faculty member since 1995, Barea-Rodriguez has researched and published in the field of learning and memory and has generated more than $16 million in research funding for UTSA. In 2006, he received the Richard S. Howe Excellence in Service to Undergraduate Students Award. Additionally, he has mentored 25 students; three obtained their doctoral degrees while working in his lab.

One of the students he mentored, Christine Ochoa, graduated in 2011 and is now in the graduate program studying neurosciences at UT Southwestern.

"Dr. Barea-Rodriguez was more than just an educational mentor. He helped me determine I was passionate about studying neuroscience and mentored me about choices, life, how to deal with failure and how to utilize my strengths," said Ochoa.

The PULSE program is a joint initiative of the National Science Foundation, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Institutes of Health.

Events

April 15-19, various times

Spring 2024 Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry Showcase

The UTSA Office of Undergraduate is proud to celebrate National Undergraduate Research with an annual event sponsored by the (OUR) featuring students will showcase undergraduate student research and creative endeavors from all disciplines across campus.

Various Locations

Friday, April 19, 11:00 a.m.

Día en la Sombrilla

Día en la Sombrilla, formerly Fiesta UTSA, is a festival hosted each spring as a part of Fiesta® San Antonio events. Sponsored by Roadrunner Productions, the event features music, food, confetti, games, event t-shirts, and more.

Sombrilla Plaza and Central Plaza, Main Campus

April 20-21

Fiesta Arts Fair

Fiesta Arts Fair features contemporary art from more than 100 artists from across the U.S., Fiesta favorite foods, drinks, live music by local and regional performers, and a Young Artists Garden providing opportunities for budding artists to learn, explore and express their creativity.

UTSA Southwest Campus

Wednesday, April 24, 11:30 a.m.

Denim Day

Join the PEACE Center and Wellbeing Services for Denim Day, a day of learning about the importance of consent and why we wear denim on the last Wednesday of the month each April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Stop by our Denim Day display to take a photo in front of our Denim Wall, spin the "Is It Consent?" Wheel, and get a Concha or goodie.

Student Union Window Lounge, Main Campus

Wednesday, April 24, 5:00 p.m.

Simplifying Citations With Zotero

Learn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.

Virtual Event

Friday, May 3, 11:30 a.m.

McNair Scholar's Spring Celebration

This event is to achnowlege the graduating seniors and induct the new cohart of scholars to our program.

North Paseo Building (NPB 5.140,) Main Campus

Friday, May 17, 10:00 a.m.

Commencement: Ceremony One

Celebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.

Alamodome

Submit an Event

Spotlight

UTSA’s Mission

The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.

UTSA’s Vision

To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.

UTSA’s Core Values

We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.

UTSA’S Destinations

UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .

Our Commitment to Inclusivity

The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.