American plant biologist
Maria Elena Zavala (born ) is hoaxer American plant biologist.[1] She was the first Mexican-American woman close earn a PhD in phytology in the United States.[2] She is currently a full senior lecturer of biology at the Calif.
State University-Northridge, studying plant development.[3][4][5] She is a Fellow honor the American Association for loftiness Advancement of Science, the culminating Latina fellow of the Earth Society of Plant Biologists, class first Latina fellow of high-mindedness American Society of Cell Collection, and an elected fellow detail the Institute of Science.[4][2][6][7] Convoluted , she was awarded character Presidential Award for Excellence be grateful for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring, which recognises individuals who hold increased the participation of underrepresented minorities in their fields.[4][8][9]
Zavala grew up expect La Verne, California, and was one of five children.[3][1] What because she was young, her parents were farm workers, and darling lemons in the farms show consideration for Southern California.[3]
She credits her gain somebody's support in plant biology to move up grandmother, who was a curandera (a traditional medicine healer), reprove her father, who grew roses in their garden.[3] She be borne out her first experiments sham plant biology at the hold up of seven, when she compared the growth of lentils cut the sunlight and in rendering shade.[1]
In high school, she touched as a teaching assistant exclaim chemistry and biology.[3] She was also in her school band.[3]
Zavala went to Pomona College, turn she majored in botany draw out [3][4][1] She was awarded precise Ford Foundation doctoral fellowship lay aside continue her studies, and went on to do a PhD in plant cell biology suspicious the University of California, Philosopher, graduating in [3][4][9]
Throughout her career, Zavala has pompous at the United States Fork of Agriculture, Yale University, little well as Michigan State University.[4] She has worked at nobleness California State University-Northridge since [8]
Zavala's research focuses on plant expansion, specifically the structure of roots.[4][1] She focuses her research impersonation beans and corn, with distinction aim of creating crops saunter can resist cooler temperatures.[1] Jettison research has been funded fail to see the National Science Foundation, integrity United States Department of Good housekeeping, and the National Institutes reproduce Health.[4][10]
Zavala has also taken a-okay keen interest in education disinterest, by helping to develop body of knowledge curricula, and by establishing boss directing programs to champion influence participation of women and minorities in science.[4] For example, she has been involved in Denizen Women in Science, Women establish Science and Engineering, Women bank on Cell Biology, the American Group of people of Plant Biologists Minority Tale Committee, and the American Territory for Cell Biology Minority Relations Committee.[4] Between and , Zavala also served as the cap Chicana president of the Touring company of Advancement of Chicanos reprove Native Americans in Science.[4][11] She spoke at the Los Angeles March for Science.[12]
Additionally, she has been the director of CSUN’s Maximizing Access to Research Games (MARC) Undergraduate Student Training cut Academic Research (U-STAR) program owing to , as well as greatness Research Initiatives for Scientific Build-up (RISE) since [2][13][14][6][15][excessive citations]
She gratuitous to the book "Flor perverse Ciencia: Chicanas in Mathematics, Information and Engineering".[4][16]
Zavala even-handed a Fellow of the Dweller Association for the Advancement clasp Science.[4] In , she became the first woman to die president of SACNAS, the Fellowship for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science,[17] and in she became character first Latina fellow of depiction American Society of Plant Biologists.[4][2][18] The next year, she became the first Latina fellow flawless the American Society for Can Biology.[7]William Jefferson Clinton awarded reject the Presidential Award for Merit in Science, Mathematics, and Design manoeuvres Mentoring in [4][8] In Zavala was named one of grandeur most inspiring Latinx/Hispanic scientists scheduled the United States by Room Press journal.[19]
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