Alejandro Calderon-Urrea

Alejandro Calderón-Urrea is a Professor of Biology at California State University, Fresno. He specializes in molecular genetics, plant biotechnology, and programmed cell death (PCD) in plants. His research focuses on PCD mechanisms during plant development and sex determination, as well as applications in crop protection and biofuel production.

• Affiliations: College of Science and Mathematics, Department of Biology
• Visiting Professorships: University of Ghent, Universidad Nacional (Costa Rica), Gansu Agricultural University (China), Universidad de Córdoba (Spain)

Education:

• B.Sc. Genetics, Universidad del Valle (Cali, Colombia, 1985)
• M.Sc. Plant Molecular Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium, 1988)
• Ph.D. Biology, Yale University (1996)
• Postdoctoral Training: USDA-ARS/UC-Berkeley (1996–1997)

Research & Mentorship: Dr. Calderón-Urrea has mentored over 100 undergraduate and 30 graduate students, including 25 MS graduates. He pioneered initiatives to support underrepresented minorities in STEM, such as the USDA Hispanic Serving Institutions Fellows Program and the Yale STARS summer research program. His lab focuses on PCD’s role in plant development and biotechnological applications.

Awards:

• Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award (2008)
• Andreoli Biotechnology Service Award (2008)
• Dunhuang Award (2018)

Industry Engagement: Founder and Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of Telluris Biotech India, developing crop protection products against plant parasitic nematodes.