ECaFSS Scholars

Yanira Miranda

Graduate Student

Department of Agro-Environmental Sciences

Yanira Miranda is a graduate student in the Department of Agro-Environmental Sciences with a major in Crop Protection at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. She received a bachelor degree in 2016 in Agronomy from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. She joined the ECaFSS Project in 2017 as a scholarship graduate student and mentored by Dr. Feliciano-Rivera.

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Graduate Student
Dept. Agro-Environmental Sciences

University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
Mayaguez, P.R. 00681

e-mail: yanira.miranda@uprm.edu

Ashley Aviles Noriega

Undergraduate Student

Department of Agro-Environmental Sciences

Ashley Aviles Noriega is M.a graduate student in the Department of Agro-Environmental Sciences with a major in Crop Protection at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. She received a bachelor’s degree in 2017 in Biology from the University Ana G. Mendez of Carolina, Puerto Rico. She joined the ECaFSS Project in 2017 as a graduate scholar student and is mentored by Dr. Lydia I. Rivera-Vargas.

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Undergraduate Student
Dept. Agro-Environmental Sciences

University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
Mayaguez, P.R. 00681

email: ashley.aviles1@upr.edu

Franco Acevedo

Undergraduate Student

Department of Agro-Environmental Sciences

Franco Acevedo is an undergraduate student in the Department of Agro-Environmental Sciences with a major in Horticulture at the University of Puerto Rico. He is actively involved in students associations and undergraduate research. He joined the ECaFSS Project in 2017 as an undergraduate scholar to work with Dr. Feliciano-Rivera.

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Undergraduate Student
Dept. Agro-Environmental Sciences

University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
Mayaguez, P.R. 00681

email: franco.acevedo@upr.edu

Isabel Escalera

Undergraduate Student

Department Of Agro-Environmental Sciences

Isabel Escalera is an undergraduate student in the Department of Agro-Environmental Sciences with a major in Agronomy at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. She has been actively involved in undergraduate research in areas of Entomology, Agronomy and Plant Pathology.

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Undergraduate Student
Dept. Agro-Environmental Sciences

University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
Mayaguez, P.R. 00681

email: isabel.escalera@upr.edu

Paola Álvarez

Undergraduate Student

Department of Animal Science

Paola Álvarez obtained a B.S. in Animal Science (2019) from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus. She joined the ECaFSS project in 2017 under the supervision of Dr. Leyda Ponce de León where she worked on the effect of ginger powder in the keeping quality of pasteurized milk. During 2017 Paola also participated in a summer internship at the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, where she worked with endangered species.

Undergraduate Student
Dept. Animal Science

University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
Mayaguez, P.R. 00681

email: paola.alvarez@upr.edu

Yesenia I. Vélez Negrón

Undergraduate Student

Yesenia I. Vélez Negrón has actively participated in investigations of Phytopathology areas, as fungus, oomycetes and bacterias, being advised by Dr. Lydia Rivera and Ing. Lorena Simbaña. The investigation project centers in the evaluation of possible causal agents related to the decay of pineapple’s heart. Thus, her objective is to study the bacterial populations present in the symtoms of the decay to identify if any are pathogenic as it was the case of the oomycete Phytophthora nicotianae. During these last two years, Yesenia has participated in internships with USDA-ARS.

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Undergraduate Student
Dept. Agro-Environmental Sciences

University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
Mayaguez, P.R. 00681

email: yesenia.velez3@upr.edu

Víctor Montalvo Carlo

Undergraduate Student

Víctor Montalvo Carlo made a research focused on how endophytic fungi associated with descending death and necrosis in Mangifera indicates the Botryosphaeriaceae family encompass genres and species of fungi typically endophytic and pathogenic opportunists, meaning, those that become pathogenic under stress conditions in the plant. He reported that they have been affecting the foliar area, stems, buds of inflorescences and fruits of the mango, typically causing symptoms of cankers, death or “dieback”, and blights or burns.

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Undergraduate Student
Dept. Horiculture

University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
Mayaguez, P.R. 00681

email: victor.montalvo@upr.edu

Jian M. Zayas Declet

Undergraduate Student

Jian M. Zayas Declet´s research consists on elaborating methods of eradication of endophytes organisms in tissue culture of Dioscorea rotundata. These following processes were developed under the same job: isolate, identify and eliminate phytopathogenic organisms such as: bacteria and fungi to obtain tissues completely free of pathogens and aseptic.

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Undergraduate Student
Dept. Agronomy

University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
Mayaguez, P.R. 00681

email: jian.zayas@upr.edu

Christopher Rivera Torres

Undergraduate Student

Christopher Rivera Torres currently works with Dra. Patricia Ortíz in collaboration with Dr. Lydia I. Rivera, Dr. Merari Feliciano and Ms. Lorena Simbaña in the investigation project. The principal objective is to identify novel methods for the management of anthracnose in the pigeon peas cultivation in Puerto Rico using B-synthetic antimicrobial peptides. During the past two years he has gained knowledge and experience in the agricultural field through summer internships and investigations experiences.

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Undergraduate Student
Dept. Agricultural Science

University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
Mayaguez, P.R. 00681

email: christopher.rivera18@upr.edu

Angel M. Otero Franqui

Undergraduate Student

Angel M. Otero Franqui´s research consist on microbiological quality of high-fat and partially-skimmed pasteurized milk and its effect on shelf-life. Several microbiological and chemical tests will be carried out to observe the effect of the microbiological community in pasteurized milk and to observe which is more likely to have a shorter life span and which longer.

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Undergraduate Student
Dept. Food Science and Technology

University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
Mayaguez, P.R. 00681

email: angel.otero@upr.edu