PhD Scientist | Microbiology, Bacterial Genetics & Food Science

Edwin R.

My academic background includes a B.S. in Biology and an M.S. in Food Science and Technology from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, as well as a dual-title Ph.D. in Food Science and Clinical and Translational Sciences from Penn State University. My graduate training focused primarily on microbiology, bacterial genetics, bacteriophages, and microbial pathogenesis.

I have over seven years of university-level teaching and mentoring experience, primarily with undergraduate students. At Penn State, I served as a Teaching Assistant for Food Microbiology Laboratories over multiple semesters, working directly with students in classroom and laboratory settings. Previously, at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, I taught laboratory sections in Food Microbiology, General Microbiology, and Biological Sciences. I have also mentored undergraduate researchers individually, giving me experience with one-on-one instruction in addition to teaching groups of students.

My tutoring approach is centered on meeting students where they are and adapting each session to their needs. I like to identify where a topic becomes unclear, work through it step by step, and use questions and examples to help students connect concepts. Rather than simply providing answers, I encourage students to develop the reasoning and problem-solving skills needed to approach new questions independently. Whenever possible, I connect the material to examples that align with a student’s interests, making the subject more engaging and encouraging curiosity beyond the immediate lesson.