Dr Teresa Patricia Feria
co-PI
Professor and Director of the School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Dr. Teresa Feria has 17 years of experience in developing and implementing programs to support the success of faculty, students, and the community. She has mentored approximately 110 students who have graduated, joined graduate programs, presented their research findings, received awards, published papers, participated in community engagement, traveled abroad (for most of them, this is their first time traveling outside the RGV), and secured jobs in STEM-related disciplines. To create a supportive community, she founded the ¡Juntos al Éxito! program. -Together, we succeeded- where faculty, leaders, members of the community, and students share their successful testimonials. Dr. Feria has received multiple recognitions, including the prestigious Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM), presented by the White House and the National Science Foundation. She is also a University of Texas System Distinguished Teacher, the most prestigious honor given to a faculty member in the UT System. Dr. Feria is the Director of the School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences, one of the largest academic units at the College of Sciences (COS). At UTRG, she has served as a Provost Fellow, a member of the Faculty Success Council, and an Associate Dean in the College of Sciences. She has published 42 scientific papers and 8 book chapters and has secured ~9.5 M as PI or CoPI. She has served as a grant reviewer for different federal agencies (e.g., NSF, USDA) and scientific journals (e.g., NAME two). She currently serves as chair of the Ornithological Council.
She was born and raised in Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl, State of Mexico, and earned her bachelor's degree in Biology with honors from FES Zaragoza. She then completed her master's degree at the Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM, and her PhD at Saint Louis University, Missouri.