Rate My Professor David Rodriguez

David Rodriguez, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Texas State University, where he has served since 2015, initially as Assistant Professor before promotion in 2021. A first-generation Mexican-American college graduate from Del Rio, Texas, along the U.S.-Mexico border, Rodriguez earned his B.S. in Biology in 2000 and M.S. in Biology in 2002 from Texas State University, supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. He completed his Ph.D. in Zoology in 2007 at Texas Tech University, researching population genetics of crocodiles. Post-Ph.D., he directed a U.S. Department of Education Hispanic-Serving Institution grant at El Centro College in Dallas to enhance minority participation in STEM fields. Subsequently, he held NSF Minority Postdoctoral Fellowships at Cornell University from 2010 to 2012 and additional postdoctoral positions, focusing on amphibian pathogens across the New World.

In his current role, Rodriguez teaches courses in Mycology and Applied Bioinformatics. His research investigates host-pathogen dynamics in reptiles and amphibians, with emphasis on the amphibian-killing chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in temperate and tropical settings and Snake Fungal Disease in Texas. Employing genetic, genomic, and bioinformatic tools, including a portable genetics lab for field-based analyses, his work addresses ecological, evolutionary, and anthropogenic influences on microbial pathogens affecting threatened species. Key publications include "Complex history of the amphibian-killing chytrid fungus revealed with genome resequencing data" (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2013), "Long-term endemism of two highly divergent lineages of the amphibian-killing fungus in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil" (Molecular Ecology, 2014), "Globally invasive genotypes of the amphibian chytrid outcompete an enzootic lineage in coinfections" (Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 2018), and "Genetic characterization of chytrids isolated from larval amphibians collected in central and east Texas" (Fungal Ecology, 2019). Rodriguez has secured major funding, such as an NSF CAREER award (2021-2026) and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department grants for water snake conservation. Awards include Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities from Texas State’s College of Science and Engineering (2018, 2019). He chairs the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, directs the Study Abroad program to Ecuador, and advises the Microbiology Club and Sigma Lambda Beta fraternity. His contributions extend to international training in molecular techniques and manuscript reviews for leading journals.