Argelia Lorence

BIOGRAPHY

ACADEMIC POSITION:
Associate Professor in Metabolic Engineering, Arkansas Biosciences Institute with a joint appointment with the Chemistry and Physics Department

EDUCATION AND BACKGROUND:
• Assistant Professor of Plant Metabolic Engineering, Arkansas Biosciences Institute with a joint appointment with the Chemistry and Physics Department
• Post-doctoral Research Associate, Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
• Assistant Professor, Research Center of Biotechnology, Autonomous University of the State of Morelos, Cuernavaca, Mexico
• PhD Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Cuernavaca, Mexico
• MS Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Cuernavaca, Mexico
• BS Biochemical Engineering, Metropolitan Autonomous University – Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico

MEMBERSHIPS
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 2001 to present
• American Society of Plant Biologist (ASPB), 2000 to present
• Phytochemical Society of North America (PSNA), 2002 to present
• Sigma Xi, 2006 to present
• Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), 2006 to present
• Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB), 2008 to present.

HONORS AND AWARDS:
• 2011 Interim Chair, Student Affairs Awards Committee, Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB)
• 2011 Recipient Outstanding Hispanic Achiever of the Year, award from the Hispanic Community Services of Jonesboro, AR
• 2010 Distinguished Woman in Science, Congress of the State of Morelos, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico (one of nine awards given to distinguished women as part of the Day of Women’s Celebration)
• 2010 Recognition for Contributions to Science and Technology of the State of Morelos, Government of the City of Cuernavaca, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
• 2008 Recipient Dean’s Horizons Award 2008, College of Sciences and Mathematics, Arkansas State University
• 2007 External Evaluator Ad-Honorem, Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SENACYT), Panama, Panama
• 2006 Featured mentor in the book The Paths We Tread II, Minority Environmental Leadership Development Initiative (MELDI), University of Michigan
• 2002 Arthur Neish Young Investigator Award, Phytochemical Society of North America (PSNA)
• 2000 Post-doctoral Fellowship, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, México
• 1999-2001 Young Investigator Award (equivalent of the CAREER-NSF award), Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, (CONACYT), Mexico
• 1999 Teaching Award, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos
• 1998 'Alfonso Caso Medal' 1st place PhD, class of 1997, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
• 1997 'Gabino Barreda Medal' 1st place MS, class of 1995, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico

RESEARCH INTERESTS:
• Plant biotechnology
• Metabolic engineering of vitamin C in plants (current models of study Arabidopsis, tomato, rice, tobacco, morning glories and lupins)
• Study of the role of ascorbate in the control of senescence, growth, and reproductive activity in plants
• Intersection of ascorbate regulation, jasmonate-signaling, and defense against herbivores in plants
• Study of the role of ascorbate in mitigating ER and cellular stress associated with plant-based protein production
• Study of the role of ascorbate at conferring plants tolerance to environmental pollutants
• Molecular speciation of selected Mexican medicinal plants

HOME PAGE
http://www.astate.edu/a/abi/people/argelia-lorence.dot