Dr. Lorena Rios Mendoza

About

Lorena Rios loves to dance salsa/Latin music as cardio exercise and has a passion for the environment especially for the Oceans and the Great Lakes. She likes to travel around the world, read science fiction and romance literature.

Professional Background 

Dr. Lorena M Rios Mendoza received her B.S. in Chemistry and her PhD in Chemistry Oceanology. Her PhD dissertation was about the development of a new reduction-oxidation sensor. During her Master's degree, she was dedicated to studying chemistry pollution by persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals in seawater, sediments and organisms. Dr. Rios feels passionate about the science field and chemistry has always been her favorite. She is dedicated to study environmental chemistry pollution with a specific focus on microplastic pollution. Dr. Rios is convinced that teaching is a huge responsibility and simultaneously gives her a profound satisfaction and pride to know about the successes of her students. She likes to work with students to prepare them to be her future colleagues.

Research Interests

Dr. Rios has been working for more than fifteen years with microplastics pollution. Currently, she is researching the concentration of toxic compounds adsorbed on plastic particles, sediments, and tissues samples from the Oceans and the Great Lakes. Working with emerging contaminants, such as caffeine, phthalates, triclosan, Dr. Rios' research interest has a wide range. Now, she is working with samples from Newton Creek and St. Louis River Estuary to assess the contamination for polycyclic aromatic compounds. These compounds are mainly formed from incomplete combustion of gasolines and from petroleum. Dr. Rios is constantly giving seminars in scientific conferences at national and international levels. In addition, she gives talks to people at a community level to discuss issues about plastic pollution and their consequences in our freshwater systems. She engages her students in analytical chemistry research and collaborates with them to present their research results at conferences.

Awards & Honors

2018, UW-Superior, Max H. Lavine Award for scholarly contribution to contemporary   concerns

2018, UW-System, Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award

2015, UW-Superior, Faculty Mentor of the Year. Mentoring two UWS McNair Scholars students.

2015-2014, UW-Superior, Making a Difference award

2001, Universidad Autónoma  de Baja California, Mérito Escolar (Scholar Merit)

2001, Diario de México, A Los Mejores Estudiantes de México (The Best PhD Students of México).

Service

2017-Current, Institutional Review Board (IRB)

2017-2018, Biology Search and Screen Committee

2016-2017, University Technology Committee

2017-2018, Biology Search and Screen Committee

2012-2015, Undergraduate Academic Affairs Council, UAAC

2014-2016, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Advisory Committee

2011-2014, Student Services Advisory Committee

2015-Current, Recruitment event: a seminar to high school students from Spanish class from South Shore School, Port Wing, WI  

2015-Current, Coordination American Chemical Society (ACS) Annual Banquet

2016-2018, Coach students from middle school to high school Microplastics projects 

Most Recent Degrees

2001 - Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) - Coastal Oceanographic Sciences - Universidad Autonoma de Baja California. Mexico - Dissertation/thesis topic: "Evaluación de sensores para las mediciones del potencial redox en agua de mar."    

1994 - Master of Science (M.S.) - Coastal Oceanographic Sciences - Universidad Autonoma de Baja California. Mexico - Dissertation/thesis topic: "Hidrocarburos Clorados en Sedimentos Superificiales de la Costa Noroccidental Fronteriza Mexioc-EUA y Bahia de Todos Santos, Baja California, Mexico." 

1989 - Bachelor of Science (B.S.) - Chemist - Universidad National Autónama de Mexico - Dissertation/thesis topic: "Acción del CO2 en el Ecosistema."