Ana Vallor is an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of the Incarnate Word. She is a first-generation college graduate born in the Texas Rio Grande Valley. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, TX and received her Ph.D. in Molecular Virology and Microbiology from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. Vallor has served as Chair of the Departmental of Biology and the Sr. Joseph Marie Armer CCVI Endowed Chair in Natural Science. She also serves as an advisory board member for the John Jay Science and Engineering Academy High School. At the University of the Incarnate Word, she is on the Health Professions Advisory Committee and is a member of the UIW’s Pathways Strategic Priorities and the First Year Engagement Task Force. She was named the 2023-2024 first Provost Fellow where she conducted a year-long project has addressed the development of administrative and faculty communication lines to enhance collaborative groups between health professional and undergraduate faculty to address alignment of health professional science curriculum and activities to enhance and widen student opportunities and success in health professional pathways. Her areas of research interests include investigation of fungal biotransformation of inactive malarial drugs and science education addressing implementation and assessment of course based undergraduate research experiences at small liberal arts colleges in South Texas and how that affects the perception of belonging in STEM of Hispanic students.