Rate My Professor Mirayda Torres-Avila

Dr. Mirayda Torres-Avila is a Lecturer II in the Department of Biology at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), where she has served as an instructor for more than seven years. She earned her Ph.D. in Agronomy from Purdue University through the Interdisciplinary Science program, a B.S. in Horticulture from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, and holds an M.A. in Higher Education along with the designation of MHEA (Member of the Higher Education Academy). In addition to her teaching role, Dr. Torres-Avila serves as Assistant Director of Post Approval Monitoring Compliance in UTRGV's Office of Research Compliance and Experimental Controls, overseeing post-approval monitoring for IRB, IACUC, and IBC protocols. She is actively involved in faculty initiatives, including as NSF Fellows Faculty, and has contributed to programs like the Training, Research, and Education in Soil Science (TRESS) aimed at increasing the Hispanic workforce in soil science.

Dr. Torres-Avila teaches a range of undergraduate courses in Biology, including General Biology I and II, Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Plant Morphology, and Biological Communication. Her research interests center on plant genetics and molecular biology, encompassing areas such as plant biotechnology, molecular markers, genetic diversity, plant tissue culture, and PCR techniques. Notable publications include co-authorship on 'The Effects of Teaching Undergraduate Freshmen Biology Courses in Spanish and English' (2022), 'Increasing Hispanic Workforce in Soil Science through Training, Research, and Education: A New Integrated Program for the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas Training, Research, and Education in Soil Science (TRESS)' (2019), contributions to 'Core hyphosphere microbiota of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum' (2024), and studies on tick-borne disease knowledge in the USA-Mexico transboundary region (2025). She has received the UTRGV College of Sciences Award for Excellence in Community Service (2019) and participates in guest speaking, student mentoring, and staff senate roles as parliamentarian. Her work supports bilingual education, sustainability research fellowships, and compliance training in lab animal care.