Dr. Valdez Barillas is an Associate Professor of Biology at A&M-SA and started as Assistant Professor in Fall of 2011. Prior to joining A&M-SA, Valdez Barillas was a biology adjunct faculty at San Antonio College and North West Vista College. Dr. Valdez Barillas earned a B.S. in Biology in 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). At CSU he studied the ecological interactions of plants and the role plant-related microbes play in the production of toxic compounds in both the U.S. and Inner Mongolia, China. Between 2008 and 2010 his postdoctoral work, at the CSU Biology department, focused on the ecological interactions of plants-microbes-invertebrates, and how these interactions affect the uptake and accumulation of toxic levels of Selenium in plants. Dr. Valdez Barillas has recently established a Field Ecology Laboratory that supports undergraduate and graduate research. He also is involved in pollinator-friendly initiatives using native plants at A&M-SA and recently established, with the support of the A&M-SA Biology Program, a vegetable garden and a greenhouse for teaching and research activities. His current research involves collaborative work with TPWD and future projects with AgriLife Research. His current projects include: 

• Nutritional optimization using hydroponic systems
• The ecology of plant-vector-microbe interactions that benefit or harm plants in natural systems and agricultural systems
• The study of aquatic invertebrate community dynamics and extreme weather indicator species in rivers of Texas
• Using AI system for aquatic invertebrate identification