Department: College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Biological Sciences

Country of Origin: Venezuela

Languages Spoken Other Than English: Spanish, German, French, Italian, Catalan, Portuguese

Areas of Research Interest: Biological Studies, Environmental Studies, History and Philosophy of Science

How Long in the U.S: I first came to the U.S. when I was 1 ½ years old. Then I moved back to Venezuela with my family. I studied Biology and worked on my Ph.D. in U of Miami from 1980 to 1984. I returned back to Venezuela and worked as a science writer and had my own science-related radio/TV shows. In 1994 I returned to the U.S and plan on staying and working here.

How long at SIUE: since July 1st 2009.

What do you Like most about SIUE? There is a beautiful campus. The people here get along well and that creates a good supportive atmosphere. I also see great possibilities here and feel excited about being an agent of change in bringing about good changes for the college and the university.

What do you find to be the biggest difference between the U.S. and your home country? The U.S. is a much more organized country than some of the Latin American countries. In terms of distance in social interactions, there is more physical closeness among Latin Americans and a lot more touches too; that can take a while to adjust to. Students in Latin America are much more formal when addressing professors, whereas here graduate students may be on a first name basis with their advisors.