Biology

ssociate Professor of Biology

Central Academic Building 313E
(210) 784-2220
Jose.ValdezBarillas@tamusa.edu

Bio:

Dr. Valdez is an Assistant Professor of Biology at A&M-SA since the Fall of 2011. Prior to becoming an Assistant Professor Dr. Valdez worked as adjunct faculty at A&M-SA, San Antonio College and North West Vista College teaching Evolutionary theory and Introductory Biology. Dr. Valdez earned his B.S. in the year 2000 at Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Guatemala, where he also obtained a Licenciatura in Biology degree and conducted research on Urban Ecology of Aquatic Invertebrates. He then continued his Masters and Ph.D. in Rangeland Ecology at Colorado State University (CSU), CO. At CSU he studied the ecological interactions between legumes and microbes and its relation to the production of the toxic alkaloid Swainsonine in both U.S. and Inner Mongolia China. Between 2008 and 2010 he did postdoctoral work at the Biology department (CSU) working on Ecological interactions between microbes, invertebrates, and plants, and studied how this interactions affect uptake and accumulation of toxic levels of Selenium in plants. Dr. Valdez is currently collaborating with: The Texas A&M System Collaborative in San Antonio, the  Water Conservation and Technology Center on gardening with domestic gray water project, the Education Department in STEM related initiatives, San Antonio River Authority collecting aquatic invertebrate data of the San Antonio River, the Mitchell Lake Audubon Center as board member. He recently established a Field Ecology Laboratory to conduct student research. Current student research includes: Wildlife monitoring using remote sensing cameras, South Bexar County insect population dynamics in response to yearly air temperature and precipitation,  Bat acoustic monitoring in South Bexar County and Aquatic invertebrate community studies in the San Antonio River.

Courses:

Evolutionary Theory, Ecology, Field Biology and Plant Physiology