Rate My Professor Denise Garcia

Denise Garcia is a Professor of Biological Sciences at California State University, San Marcos (CSUSM), where she joined the faculty in 1996. She earned her PhD in Genetics from Texas A&M University in 1991. As Director of the Center for Training, Research, and Educational Excellence (CTREE), formerly the Office for Training, Research, and Education in the Sciences (OTRES), Garcia oversees programs that support undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM fields. She serves as principal investigator and director of the NIH Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program and the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, providing research opportunities, professional development, and mentorship to facilitate their transition to graduate studies. Garcia has been a key member of the leadership team for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Inclusive Excellence Grant, leading a yearlong STEM Faculty Learning Community focused on active learning strategies. Additionally, she holds the position of Pre-Award Faculty Fellow from March 2024 to August 2025, assisting faculty with grant writing and funding acquisition.

Garcia's research employs molecular genetics tools to investigate genome restructuring after viral pathogenesis and genetic factors influencing key traits in animals. Her prior work examined resistance to crown gall disease and regulation of alternative respiratory pathways in plants. Under her leadership, CTREE has grown significantly since achieving center status, expanding from supporting 40 to over 90 students annually, with funding increasing from $827,144 to nearly $3 million and doctoral program advancement rates rising from 69% to 95%. The center earned the National Institutes of Health Institutional Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Prize in 2024, one of ten nationwide recipients. Garcia has secured millions in external funding for CSUSM and supports faculty and student networking through conference attendance and resources. Her contributions have been recognized with the San Diego Business Journal Leaders of Influence in Life Sciences award, the Harvey Neufeldt Faculty Hero Award in 2024, and service on the CSUSM Corporation Board of Directors.