Dr. Yadira Malavez Acevedo

Assistant Professor

Department of Natural Sciences

Dr. Yadira Malavez Acevedo obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree (2012) from The Ohio State University, a master’s degree in arts and Sciences in (2005) from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez (UPRM). She also obtained a Bachelor of Science degree (2002) from the University of Puerto Rico at Humacao (UPRH). She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla. In 2015 she started her undergraduate research course, focusing bacterial antibiotic resistance. They have worked on the characterization of antimicrobial properties of plant products and the identification and characterization of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on surfaces. She has worked as a collaborator and principal investigator in USDA grants, which has provided funding for her research and training for professors for distant education technologies. Dr. Malavez has led over 50 undergraduate research students and has offered active mentoring to help students enter into graduate programs and summer internships. These students are typically from programs such as Biology and Environmental Biology. She is also an active member of the American Society for Microbiology and Alpha, Delta, Kappa International Honorary Organization for Women Educators.