I am a full time faculty at Triton College with the responsibility of overseeing the curricular activities for all sections of Introductory Microbiology, which serves students majoring in science or enrolled in nursing or other allied health careers. My background includes Biochemistry, Medical Microbiology, Infectious Disease Control and Molecular Endocrinology and my teaching experience includes teaching at High School, University and Community College levels. My research experience involved mainly the study of immunological responses to tropical diseases in general and River Blindness in particular. My research career, which started as an undergraduate student at my home University in Guatemala lead to an invitation to complete a Masters in Medical Microbiology and then a Ph.D. in Infectious Disease Control at Karolinska Institute, Sweden. Both degrees were obtained through a grant from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). As a result of my research, a rapid diagnostic test was developed to be used in endemic areas of River Blindness, in West Africa. My interests also include human metabolism and nutritional biochemistry, and to acquire knowledge and training useful in those fields, I completed a postdoctoral training in Molecular Endocrynology at Duke University Medical Center and the Hamner Institutes of Health Research, in North Carolina. Prior to joining Triton College, I held an Adjunct Faculty position at Illinois Central College, where I redesigned the Parasitology unit for the Clinical Laboratory Scientist curriculum (former Medical Laboratory Technician program). At Triton College, I combine my research experience with innovative teaching methods to introduce my students to Microbiology though an inquiry based model that emphasizes laboratory work as the cornerstone to develop the necessary skills to succeed in a career in science. Outside the classroom, I'm a member of the Professional Development Committee, involved in the creation of Triton College Center for Teaching Excellence.