MCS Advisory Council Task Forces
| Internship Task Force | Mentoring Task Force | Department Reputation Task Force |
| William Zaragoza (Chair) | Phil Geis (Chair) | Ricardo Valladares (Chair) |
- Mentoring- Piloting a novel TNTC mentoring program for career exploration and guidance, including providing an understanding of the value of experiential learning such as internships.
- Internships- Creating a database of internship programs and a connection between organizations and students to serve as a pipeline for job learning opportunities.
- Department Reputation- Communicating and continuing to build the recognition of the strengths of UF MCS for faculty, students, and alumni
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Heather Belmont
Heather Belmont
Provost/Vice President Academic Affairs, CAO Indian River State CollegeDr. Heather J. Belmont is the Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs at Indian River State College (IRSC). As Provost, she serves as the chief academic officer of the College and has direct oversight of student learning through development and promotion of the College’s faculty and curriculum. Prior to joining IRSC, she worked at Miami Dade College and served as dean of the School of Science, chairperson and director of the Biotechnology Program. She has been instrumental in securing and administering millions in grant funding from the USDOE and NSF and has worked to establish programs to close the equity gap for underrepresented populations in STEM. Dr. Belmont holds a B.A. degree from Ithaca College and a Ph.D. degree in neuroscience from the University of Miami.
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Jazmyn Bess
Jazmyn Bess
Postbaccalaureate CRTA Fellow / iCURE Scholar; National Cancer InstituteMs. Jazmyn Bess is a postbaccalaureate fellow and iCURE Scholar in the Clinical Genetics Branch (CGB) and the Trans-Divisional Research Program (TDRP) within the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute. She earned an M.S. in Microbiology and Cell Science from University of Florida, and a B.S. in Microbiology and Immunology from The University of Texas at San Antonio. Currently Ms. Bess studies HPV 35 variation in HPV 35-associated cervical cancer and benign infections among women of African ancestry and worldwide, under the mentorship of Lisa Mirabello, Ph.D., senior investigator. She also works within the Connect for Cancer Prevention Cohort Study under the mentorship of Mia Gaudet, Ph.D., senior scientist.
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Crysten Blaby-Haas
crystenhaas@gmail.com
LinkedIn
https://sites.google.com/lbl.gov/blaby-haas-group/homeCrysten Blaby-Haas, PhD
Biomolecular Nanomaterials Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryCrysten Blaby earned her PhD in Microbiology and Cell Science in 2011 from the University of Florida, working with Valérie de Crécy-Lagard on using comparative genomics to predict gene function in bacteria and leveraging molecular biology and reverse genetics to test those hypotheses. From 2011 – 2015, she worked with Sabeeha Merchant at UCLA as a NIH-NRSA postdoctoral fellow expanding her experimental repertoire to include in vitro protein-based techniques, algae, and plants, while focusing on understanding the evolution and function of proteins involved in metal homeostasis. She began her independent research career at Brookhaven National Laboratory (2015) where she co-founded and led the Quantitative Plant Science Initiative (2017-2022). In 2022, she joined the Molecular Foundry, a nanoscience research center, as a staff scientist with a dual appointment at the Joint Genome Institute.
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Alexa Cohn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexa-cohn-phd-1013819a/
Alexa Cohn, PhD; AAAS Policy Fellow, U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation
Dr. Alexa Cohn is currently an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and Cell Science from the University of Florida, she completed a Ph.D. in Microbiology at Cornell University where she studied mechanisms of host adaptation and virulence attenuation in Salmonella enterica. Upon completion of her Ph.D., Alexa served as an ORISE Postdoctoral Fellow at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, working to apply next generation sequencing to detection of foodborne viruses.
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Elizabeth Gadsby
Elizabeth Gadsby, PhD
Innovation Executive Consultant, eGad Innovation, LLCDr. Elizabeth Gadsby is an innovation strategist and proven biotechnology leader with research-driven accomplishments at Fortune 500 corporations, Bay Area and Boston biotech startups, and international universities. She has collaborated with “intrapreneurial” and entrepreneurial teams for successful discovery and commercialization of novel drug delivery devices, wearable digital monitors, and health and hygiene consumer products as an inventor on over forty patents.
Elizabeth earned her Bachelor’s in microbiology at University of Florida and PhD in biochemistry at Georgia Tech. She studied under Prof. Larry Bottomley with her dissertation titled “Atomic Force Microscopy of DNA-Drug Interactions” and was an inaugural member of the NSF TI:GER innovation program. She also has a master’s from Dallas Theological Seminary.
She has established Program Management Offices and introduced agile project management to drive leading-edge technologies through preclinical, clinical trials and FDA approvals including for multi-million dollar DARPA and NIH grants. She is grateful to inspire and equip others to apply their unique talents in bringing innovations to life through serving as teaching faculty for Innovation Project Management in Life Sciences and Careers for Impact in Microbiology and Cell Science courses at UF.
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Devin Gillaspie
https://www.linkedin.com/in/devin-gillaspie-63ba4a146/
https://www.utmedicalcenter.org/find-a-doctor/devin-gillaspie
Devin Gillaspie, MD; Trauma Surgeon, University of Tennessee Medical Center
Dr. Devin Gillaspie is a trauma surgeon and critical care expert serving at the University of Tennessee Medical Center emergency and intensive care unit. She remains a die-hard Gator fan after attaining her bachelor’s degree in microbiology at University of Florida before attending other state schools including University of South Florida for her master’s in molecular medicine and medical degree at University of Miami. Dr. Gillaspie returned to UF for general surgery internship at Shands then continued her surgical residency at Danbury Hospital and acute care surgical fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
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Phil Geis
philageis@aol.com
https://www.amazon.com/Cosmetic-Microbiology-Practical-Phil-Geis-ebook/dp/B00UVAD77CPhil Geis, PhD
Retired Global Microbiology Section Head, Procter & GamblePhilip A. Geis, Ph.D., is a native Texan who earned bachelor’s and PhD in microbiology and mycology from the University of Texas. He retired as section head with The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was responsible for global microbiology within its Beauty Business Unit. Dr. Geis joined P&G in 1981 as a divisional microbiologist for the development of preservative systems and disinfectants and the study of household and skin microbial ecologies. His subsequent work focused on microbiological method development, design and maintenance of sanitary manufacturing systems, and microbial ecology associated with underarm odor, dandruff, toilet soil, and bathroom mildew. Responsible for the technical efforts of multiple operations around the globe, Dr. Geis has acquired unique experience involving diverse regulatory, manufacturing, and product quality realities.
His experience and responsibilities with P&G have also included product development and formulation as well as regulatory and environmental affairs. Dr. Geis publishes and lectures on microbiological and environmental subjects, served as an associate editor for the Society for Industrial Microbiology News, and represented the technical interests of P&G to professional organizations, regulatory bodies, and scientific societies. He is a member of MENSA, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), and the Society for Industrial Microbiology (SIM). He is also a trustee of the Ohio Academy of Science and vice president of ASM’s Ohio branch and works to promote science as an ad hoc reviewer for scientific journals and academic programs of ASM, Ohio EPA, and a number of state science standards academic programs. He also created the Careers in Microbiology course at the University of Florida.
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Junia Beaubrun Jean-Gilles
jjeangilles@hotmail.com
LinkedIn
ASM ProfileJunia Jean-Gilles Beaubrun, National Program Leader, Division of Food Safety, USDA/NIFA
Dr. Junia Jean-Gilles Beaubrun is a National Program Leader for the Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, US Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Dr. Jean-Gilles Beaubrun assists with the development of Request for Applications and leads panels to select research, education, and extension projects in the Food Science and Nutrition Division priority within the Mitigating Antimicrobial Resistance in the food chain.
Dr. Jean-Gilles Beaubrun provides expertise and leadership for a diverse portfolio of competitive grant programs in Food Safety and Defense, and Novel Foods and Innovative Manufacturing Technologies. She is engaged in various working groups within USDA such as the Closer to Zero working group, Ag Biosecurity working group, One Health Federal Interagency and Committee working group. She functions as a member of ISO Technical Advisory Group as representative for United States of America through American National Standards Institute (ANSI). She serves as a subject matter expert in Microbial and Environmental Research, Antimicrobial Resistance, Foodborne Pathogens, next-generation sequencing research, and food safety research initiatives on detecting foodborne pathogens in various food, soil, plants, and environment.
Dr. Jean-Gilles Beaubrun previously worked as the Chief for the Biological Analysis Division with US ARMY Public Health Command Europe, as a research microbiologist for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and as a microbiologist supervisor for District of Columbia Public Health Laboratory.
She completed her graduate studies in biology/microbiology (Ph.D. and MS degrees) from Howard University and her undergraduate studies in biology (BA) at Rollins College.
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Austin Hurst-Manny
https://www.linkedin.com/in/austinhurstmanny/
Austin Hurst-Manny, PhD, Computational Biologist, Verve Therapeutics
Dr. Austin Hurst-Manny earned his Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and Cell Science at the University of Florida and his PhD in Virology at Harvard Medical School. He specializes in computational biology at Verve Therapeutics, a Boston biotech company focused on cardiovascular health through novel gene-editing therapeutics. He also worked at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the area of AAV viral gene therapy. His graduate research focused on virus discovery where he uncovered a new RNA virus infecting the human parasite, Trichomonas vaginalis. Prior to this, Austin worked at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in food quality and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in environmental contaminants. As a student at UF, Austin served as the president of the ASM Gators, the student chapter of the American Society of Microbiology. Austin enjoys photography and cheering for the Red Sox and Jacksonville Jaguars.
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Supreet Kaur
supreetkaur1947@gmail.com
LinkedInSupreet Kaur
35G Geospatial Intelligence Imagery Analyst, U.S. ArmySupreet Kaur has over 6 years of experience as a quality assurance professional. She has worked in inspection, compliance, data analytics, organizational management, and safety implementation.
Previously, she was a Veterinary Food Inspector for the US Army where she analyzed inspection logistics and materials, ensured quality was in accordance with approved standards and compliance, evaluated requirements while implementing safety, and partnered with USDA on several inspection projects. -
Tyler Knox
www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-knox001
Tyler Knox; Executive Territory Manager, Cardiometabolic Health, Eli Lilly & Company
Tyler Knox (UF B.A. 2013 & UF M.Sc. 2018) is an Executive Territory Manager for Eli Lilly & Company in Tallahassee, FL. In this role, Tyler has consistently delivered above-plan business results while utilizing his account management, customer service, and networking skills. He has repeatedly leaned on his knowledge obtained through his Master’s in Microbiology & Cell Science to enhance the delivery of scientific information to healthcare professionals.
Prior to joining Lilly, Tyler was employed as a Policy Chief in the Florida Governor’s Office of Policy & Budget. As Policy Chief, Tyler briefed and prepared analyses for the Governor, Surgeon General, and other senior officials regarding drug pricing, opioid prescription limitations, emergency preparedness, Medicaid policy, CHIP, public health trends and federal legislation. While in the Governor’s Office, he served as designee for the Statewide Drug Policy Council, Social Services Estimating Conference (Medicaid), Triumph Gulf Coast, and Zika Emergency Response Management Team.
His background in science and health policy has equipped him with a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities within the healthcare ecosystem. Tyler has a passion for improving the efficiency and quality of healthcare delivery for patients while anchoring those improvements in scientific advancements. In his free time, Tyler enjoys back-country camping, running, golfing and spending time with his wife, Ciele, and son, Luke.
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Josh Marcus
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusj/
Josh Marcus, Esq., PhD; VP, Chief IP Counsel, Insmed Inc.
For over 18 years, Josh Marcus has focused on the development and execution of patent exclusivity strategies for biotechnology companies, first as a technical advisor and patent agent, and later as an attorney. He is currently the Vice President, Chief Intellectual Property (IP) Counsel for Insmed Incorporated, a company focused on the treatment of patients with rare and overlooked diseases. As Chief IP Counsel, Josh leads the development and execution of patent exclusivity strategies for Insmed’s commercial, clinical and pre-clinical programs; oversees IP-focused contractual matters, and IP due diligence efforts related to corporate development opportunities and financings. In addition, Josh regularly counsels business partners on FDA related legal matters.
Josh has been with Insmed for eight years, and prior to Insmed, was an associate and patent agent for Cooley LLP in its Washington DC and San Diego offices. Prior to Cooley, Josh was a patent agent at Darby and Darby in New York City, while he was a part-time law student at Fordham University. Josh received his JD from Fordham University, Ph.D. in biochemistry from Caltech and B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Florida. While at UF, Josh was a University Scholar and found his love for scientific research in the laboratory of Dr. Colin Sumners. He currently resides in Santa Monica, CA with his wife and two children.
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Lana McMillan
Lana McMillan, PhD
Director of Discovery, Locus Biosciences, Inc.Dr. McMillan serves as the Director of Alliance Management at Locus Biosciences. In this role she drives contract development and is responsible for communicating progress on contractual deliverables and program strategy to internal and external stakeholders. Prior to this, she was the Director of R&D and Infectious Disease Therapeutic Area Lead, working to advance multiple assets from target identification to complete preclinical data packages. Dr. McMillan has worked at Locus Biosciences for the past six years developing and advancing scientific approaches for bacteriophage discovery and cocktail optimization across multiple bacterial targets. These targets include E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, C. difficile, and others. Prior to joining Locus, she completed a PhD in Genetic and Genomics from the University of Florida advised by Dr. Julie Maupin-Furlow in the Microbiology and Cell Science Department. Her PhD work focused on protein expression and function related to oxidative stress and protein degradation in Archaea.
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C. Randal "Randy" Mills
bernadine.crm@gmail.com
crandalmills@gmail.com
LinkedInC. Randal “Randy” Mills, PhD
Retired Co-Founder of Aziyo Biologics and CEO of Osiris TherapeuticsDr. Randy Mills is a transformational leader whose work has shaped biotechnology and improved lives. Technologies he has invented throughout his career have been used in the treatment of over 10 million patients.
Dr. Mills, co-founder of Aziyo Biologics, is an internationally recognized expert in regenerative medicine who has led pioneering biotechnology organizations that have created more than $1 billion in shareholder value for investors. As CEO of Osiris Therapeutics, a Nasdaq listed company, he commercialized five cell-therapy products responsible for $1.5 billion in sales and led the company through an IPO that increased shareholder value 41-fold. Osiris was eventually sold to Smith+Nephew for $660 million. Dr. Mills was also a co-founder and officer of Regeneration Technologies, a Nasdaq listed company, where he led operations, R&D, regulatory and business development through its IPO, growing annual revenues to $150 million.
Randy’s “patient first” leadership style has also helped transform some of the nation’s most treasured medical institutions, serving as president of the $3 billion California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and CEO of the National Marrow Donor Program/Be The Match, responsible for the nation’s supply of bone marrow for transplant. He has received numerous recognitions, including being named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, listed as one of the World's 50 Most Influential People in Regenerative Medicine, and recipient of AATB's Hyatt Memorial Award for Scientific Leadership in Transplantation.
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Lourdes Norman-McKay
l.norman@fscj.edu
NormanLP@state.gov
LinkedInLourdes Norman-McKay, PhD
Professor
Florida State College and Jefferson Science Fellow, U.S. Dept. of StateDr. Lourdes Norman-McKay is a professor at Florida State College Jacksonville, where peers and students recognized her with the Outstanding Faculty Award. After earning a degree in microbiology from the University of Florida, she completed a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology and a postdoctoral fellowship in microbiology and immunology at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. As a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship awardee, she studied the role of viruses in cancer. In her two decades as a scientist-educator, she has trained thousands of healthcare professionals and secured extensive funding to promote STEM education and empower underrepresented groups in STEM.
In addition to authoring several globally recognized, market-leading texts in microbiology with Pearson and Morton Publishing, her considerable STEM program development experience ranges from designing and launching a biomedical sciences baccalaureate program to serving as a curriculum designer and subject matter expert for the Florida Space Research Institute and Workforce Florida. Dr. Norman-McKay also currently serves as a section editor for the American Society for Microbiology’s (ASM) Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education.
As a speaker for the U.S. Department of State’s International Information Programs, Dr. Norman-McKay served in diplomacy outreach to empower women and youth in STEM, bolster STEM education, and build STEM capacity in Central Asia. In 2022, Dr. Norman-McKay was selected by the U.S. National Academies as a Jefferson Science Fellow. She is presently appointed to the U.S. State Department’s Office of the Secretary/Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy as a special policy advisor. Her work in this capacity has included leading the drafting of policies that guide operational planning of all PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) programs across the globe.
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Myla Pierre-Louis
https://www.linkedin.com/in/myla-pierre-louis-61551a220/
Myla Pierre-Louis, Microbiology and Cell Science Undergraduate Student
Myla Pierre-Louis is in her senior year at the University of Florida and is pursuing a degree in Microbiology and Cell Science. She is interested in pursuing a career in healthcare and is looking to apply to PA school after graduation.
During her undergraduate years, she worked as a lab tech and TA at Valencia’s biology lab while she pursued her Associates in Arts. She enjoys working with underserved populations and volunteered with SALT ministries, a nonprofit that helped provide meals and showers for Orlando’s homeless population. After transferring to the University of Florida, she continued to work as a remote TA for Valencia while taking classes in Gainesville.
Currently she is working as a community assistant for her apartment complex. She is also doing research on microbial populations in Florida and their impact on the mineral content in their environment. Additionally, she is very passionate about advocacy and mental health and volunteers for a local crisis hotline.
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Alexander Scala
Alexander Scala
Microbiology and Cell Science Undergraduate
Emerging Scholar and Researcher in College of Pharmacy, Xing LabAlexander Scala is a Microbiology and Cell Science student pursuing his Bachelor of Science at the University of Florida. Alexander is passionate about pharmaceuticals and started his journey in academia by conducting Analytical Chemistry research in the Xing Lab - UF College of Pharmacy. To further expand his knowledge and experience, he had the opportunity to explore early drug discovery research in Biotechnology at Insmed.
His future endeavors include pursuing Health Economics and Outcomes Research specifically focusing on cost-effectiveness comparative studies of different drugs and therapeutics. After completing his Bachelor of Science in the Spring of 2024, he plans on conducting his own Health Economics and Outcomes Research during graduate school and contributing significant findings to the field.
Outside of his intellectual pursuits, he aims to connect passionate students with industrial and academic opportunities early in their careers. Alexander Scala was distinguished as an Emerging Scholar by the University of Florida Center for Undergraduate Research for his contributions early on in his degree. His positive experiences with current and previous mentors fuel his desire to connect equally motivated students with impressive opportunities.
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Candice Z. Ulmer Holland
https://www.linkedin.com/in/candice-z-ulmer-holland-ph-d-40851453/
Candice Z. Ulmer Holland, PhD; Chemistry Branch Chief, USDA-FSIS Eastern Laboratory
Dr. Candice Z. Ulmer Holland is Chemistry Branch Chief for the USDA-FSIS Eastern Laboratory. In her current role, she oversees the chemical residue, food chemistry, and nutritional testing of meat, poultry, egg, and fish products for the USA. Dr. Ulmer Holland formally served as the Acting Chief of the Clinical Reference Laboratory for Cancer, Kidney, and Bone Disease Biomarkers in the Clinical Chemistry Branch of the CDC. Her responsibilities included the accurate measurement of chronic disease biomarkers and the assessment of clinical analytical methods in patient care using novel mass spectrometric methodologies and clinical analyzer platforms. Dr. Ulmer Holland possess a B.S. in Chemistry and Biochemistry as well as a PhD in Chemistry as a McKnight Doctoral Fellow from the University of Florida. For the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, Dr. Ulmer served on the Board of Directors in the Member at Large (MAL) for Membership role as well as chair of the Diversity & Inclusion committee. In addition, she assumes appointed/elected memberships in eleven committees for other scientific organizations.
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Christopher Vakulskas
cvakulskas@idtdna.com
LinkedInChristopher Vakulskas, PhD
Senior Director of Enzyme Development, Research and Development, Integrated DNA Technologies – DanaherDr. Vakulskas currently serves as the Senior Director of Enzyme Development at Integrated DNA Technologies. Dr Vakulskas earned his PhD in Microbiology at the University of Iowa, where he studied genetic regulatory circuits in pathogenic bacterial species. After earning his PhD, he became an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Florida, where he studied RNA binding proteins and posttranscriptional gene regulation. At IDT, he has managed contract research projects, led process development for cGMP protein purification, and develops innovative new products in qPCR, NGS, and Genomics Medicines. His laboratory has developed market-leading CRISPR nuclease solutions for genome editing including “HiFi Cas9” (published in Nature Medicine), “Cas12a Ultra” (published in Nature Communications) and has more recently led the development of the PrimeTime™ One-Step 4X Broad-Range Master Mix diagnostics product for the detection of viral specimens absent sample extraction. His laboratory specializes in protein engineering and frequently collaborates with both academic and industrial research teams to co-publish breakthrough solutions in agriculture, human therapeutics, and diagnostics.
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Ricardo Valladares
rvalladares@sioltatherapeutics.com
LinkedIn | Siolta Therapeutics ProfileRicardo Valladares, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer, Siolta TherapeuticsRicardo is currently serving as the Chief Scientific Officer at Siolta Therapeutics, a venture capital backed biotech company based in San Carlos, CA. At Siolta, Ricardo leads an interdisciplinary science team towards the development of multistrain live biotherapeutic products (LBP) to address diseases with unmet medical need. Ricardo's experience spans probiotic and LBP development from ideation and early preclinical studies through to large scale (>3,000 liter) drug substance manufacturing, regulatory submissions, and cGMP clinical drug product manufacturing. Prior to joining Siolta Therapeutics, Ricardo managed the development and qualification of NGS-based genetic diagnostic tests for rare constitutional disorders at Medical Neurogenetics Laboratories in Atlanta, GA (acquired by LabCorp). Ricardo has a passion for all things microbiology, but is particularly keen on translating microbiome science into effective medical and diagnostic products that provide benefit to patients. In his free time, Ricardo likes to travel, read, and tend to his garden.
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William Zaragoza
william.zaragoza@usda.gov
LinkedInWilliam Zaragoza, PhD
Senior Microbiologist, USDA- Food Safety and Inspection ServiceDr. William Zaragoza was raised in Jacksonville, FL and comes from a generationally poor background. He moved out on his own shortly after graduating high school and spent the following 8 years working multiple low wage jobs while simultaneously trying to pay for and balance attending community college while supporting himself without any outside help. It was a difficult task and he had many setbacks. He was able to persevere and eventually finished 60 credits at my local community college and, at a crossroads, decided to take a gamble on himself. He took out a large private student loan, patched together grant money and part time work in campus laboratories to pay the cost of living and tuition, was accepted into the University of Florida’s Microbiology and Cell Science undergraduate program, and managed to finish his undergraduate degree at the age of 27 in 2009.
Unfortunately, he graduated at the height of the Great Recession and found employment opportunities were worse than when he left the workforce in 2007. He wasn’t sure then what was going to happen, but had been careful to target his experiences on campus towards productive, hands-on research experiences. He found a fantastic mentor in Dr. Max Teplitski, and won an NSF GRFP fellowship. He transitioned from the NSF fellowship to a USDA Pathways Fellowship and was fortunate enough to work on a fun array of topics, including marine microbial ecology, host-microbe interactions, interkingdom signaling, and food safety microbiology. He wound up focusing much of his PhD on produce safety and enjoyed the idea of doing research that contributed to a safer world. After graduating he spent time doing research with the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Albany, CA and researched using Mass spectrometry to characterize and classify Shiga toxins.
In 2019 Dr. Zaragoza joined the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service as a Microbiologist where he applied his learnings from UF and ARS to improve methodologies at in FSIS testing laboratories and recently served as the Microbiology Branch Chief of the Western Laboratory in Albany, CA, where they analyze raw beef, pork, poultry, and Siluriformes, ready-to-eat, and canned food products for the presence of foodborne pathogens and toxins.
Faculty
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Jennifer Drew
Jennifer Drew, PhD
Senior Lecturer, University of Florida Department of Microbiology and Cell ScienceDr. Jennifer Drew is a Senior Lecturer in Microbiology and Cell Science at the University of Florida. Dr. Drew teaches genomics courses for undergraduates, graduate students, nursing majors, life science majors and to non-majors. She chairs the MCS distance education committee and is a member of several department and campus level committees focused on undergraduate education, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Assessment and analytics. With a split appointment, she researches the role of online learning and other interventions in increasing diversity and access of historically underrepresented students, adult learners, transfer students, and low-income students to STEM pathways. She is the PI of three federally funded projects in STEM education that provide scholarships, research experiences and curriculum enhancement.
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Julie Maupin-Furlow
jmaupin@ufl.edu
University of Florida ProfileJulie Maupin-Furlow, PhD
Professor, University of Florida Department of Microbiology and Cell ScienceDr. Maupin-Furlow earned her PhD at University of Florida and postdoctoral at Virginia Tech and Penn State. She is an ASM Academy Fellow, Professor and Graduate Coordinator in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Science at the University of Florida, who leads an internationally recognized research team focused on the metabolism and physiology of archaea including those from extreme environments (extremophiles).
She uses a multidisciplinary approach that includes proteomic, biochemical, molecular, genomic, and structural biology techniques to address research questions on how cells work in such extreme conditions and what features may be evolutionarily conserved or distinct among this group of organisms. Her work provides a deeper understanding of molecular mechanisms fundamental to cell biology including new discoveries in redox biology, ubiquitin-proteasomes, sulfur mobilization, as well as primary and secondary metabolism. Maupin-Furlow has also made scientific discoveries to advance the use of microorganisms and their enzymes as industrial biocatalysts to generate renewable fuels and chemicals. Patented molecular tools and enzyme biocatalysts derived from extremophilic microorganisms for industrial application are practical outcomes of her program.
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Eric Triplett
ewt@ufl.edu
University of Florida ProfileEric Triplett, PhD
Department Chair, University of Florida Department of Microbiology and Cell ScienceDr. Eric Triplett is Professor and Chair of the Microbiology and Cell Science Department within the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Dr. Triplett earned his bachelor’s in biology from Rutgers University, his master’s in botany and plant physiology from the University of Maryland, and his doctorate in agronomy and plant physiology from the University of Missouri. In 2003, Triplett was awarded a Fulbright Award.
His research interests include citrus greening disease, nitrogen fixation and the drivers of microbial diversity in a wide variety of environments, with a particular emphasis on the gut and oral microbiome. His lab has developed a model system to study citrus greening disease and has identified bacterial associations with type 1 diabetes autoimmunity and premature birth. However, he is also keenly interested in advancing the next generation of microbiologists.
In his role as department chair, he initiated and led an experiment to test whether the development of a hybrid online B.S. degree program could increase the diversity of the undergraduate cohort. The hybrid online program that began in 2011 significantly increased the diversity of the cohort, while maintaining a high retention rate and GPA.
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Past Members
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Alayna Dean
Alayna Dean
Microbiology and Cell Science Undergraduate, Minor in International Studies (CALS)Alayna Dean is currently in her fourth year pursuing a degree in Microbiology and Cell Science with an accompanying minor in International Studies at the University of Florida. Throughout her academic journey, she has engaged in a diverse array of enriching courses, notably including Molecular Genetics and Antimicrobial Resistance. Alayna's experiences extend beyond the academic realm, reflecting her commitment to impactful and multifaceted endeavors. Between her sophomore and junior years, she assumed the role of a Grassroots Advocacy Intern at the United Nations Foundation. Additionally, that summer she showed her dedication to global issues during her study abroad program in Cape Town, South Africa, where she served as an Intern for YMCA Athlone, a local nonprofit organization with a strong focus on community health and youth development. During her freshman year, Alayna served as a Communications Aide for the City of Cedar Key and crafted a white paper that studied communication styles within the context of local government structures. Alayna also contributed over 125 hours of service as a Community Health Worker under UF Healthstreet, a testament to her dedication to promoting public health. As a freshman, she took on the role of a Technical Producer with Gainesville for All, a reputable local nonprofit organization, and she currently holds the position of President of the student chapter at UF GNV4ALL. Alayna is now examining a Gainesville for All project, the Family Learning Center, through an educational evaluation guided by Dr. Phil Poekert at UF's Lastinger Center. This research focuses on the evaluation of family and community partnerships, child-centered curriculum, developmental appropriateness, skilled personnel, and knowledge cultivation in children. Employing a multifaceted approach, she will employ surveys, focus groups, and summarization techniques to measure these crucial elements.
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Monika Oli
moli@ufl.edu
LinkedIn | Personal WebsiteMonika Oli, PhD
Master Lecturer, University of Florida Department of Microbiology and Cell ScienceDr. Monika Oli is a Master Lecturer in Microbiology & Cell Science. As a native German and natural adventurer, her passion has continuously driven her to expand her knowledge, experience, and goals. With a strong academic and industry background and a diverse skill set, she guides and mentors her students through experiments in the lab (in person or online), ventures with them through Europe on a study abroad and joins them during their time at UF and beyond during their life quests. Student-centered teaching, creating content that students relate to their lives and careers and creating defining moments in the classroom and online are important parts of her teaching philosophy.
Since her appointment in 2010, she has created a novel laboratory curriculum, coordinated prep room logistics, organized and participated in teaching assistant training (graduate and undergraduate), and incorporated career preparedness modernization of the microbiology labs at UF. She believes that all aspects of education should be hands on, creative and should include an international component.
Over the last 10 years since teaching at UF, she has been fortunate enough to have been selected as CALS and UF Teacher of the year, CALS and UF mentor and advisor of the year, received the Online Education Excellence Award, was awarded the IFAS Global Excellence in Internationalizing Student Education Award and the UF International Educator Award and 2 years ago year She received the IFAS Superior Accomplishment Award for her efforts to teach microbiology labs online during the pandemic. She believes that education should be tailored and affordable for anyone who is motivated to learn and students should have access to high quality, free educational resources, whether in rural Florida or in a mountain village in Nepal!
