PEOPLE

 Dra. Heidy L. Contreras, born in Guatemala City, Guatemala, received her undergraduate and MSc. In Biology from CSU San Bernardino and her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of California Irvine.  She worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Arizona and was an Associate Professor at the University of La Verne in Southern California. As an immigrant and first-generation college student, Dra. Contreras has a deep commitment in providing access to underrepresented students in STEM. Her research interests in STEM Education focus on leveraging Latinx student “conociminetos” (assets) to improve student success in biology. Trained as a comparative physiologist, in her research she aims to understand the physiology, ecology and behavior of animals.