Sandra Tirado

Dr. Sandra Tirado is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology at Ave Maria University and an adjunct professor in Environmental Sciences and Microbiology at Florida Southwestern State College. She holds a B.Sc. in Environmental Microbiology from Pontifical Javeriana University (2003), an M.Sc. in Biological Engineering from The Ohio State University, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Biology from the University of Guelph (Canada). Her research focuses on microbial interactions in water, soil, and composting systems, with an emphasis on environmental sustainability and public health.

Dr. Tirado’s work includes studies on composting dairy manure/sawdust, microbial community dynamics in aquatic ecosystems, and pathogen-sediment interactions. She has secured grants to foster educational and research collaborations between Latin American and North American institutions, benefiting underprivileged students. Her teaching spans online and traditional formats, emphasizing hands-on learning and critical thinking.

Key research areas include composting optimization, water quality assessment, and the ecological impact of contaminants in native plant systems. She has presented at international conferences and published in journals like Environmental Science & Technology and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek.

Dr. Tirado advocates for inclusive education, having mentored students from diverse backgrounds and served as a science fair judge. Her future research priorities include plant-microbe interactions in polluted soils and the economic viability of native plants in landscaping.