Medina-Bolivar Will Direct Two Graduate-Level Programs at A-State
JONESBORO – Veteran faculty member Dr. Fabricio Medina-Bolivar has been appointed director of two doctoral programs at Arkansas State University. Medina-Bolivar will oversee the master's and Ph.D. programs in environmental sciences and molecular biosciences.
Dr. Jennifer Bouldin, interim dean of the College of Sciences and Mathematics, announced the appointment.
“I look forward to working with Fabricio in his role as director of our environmental sciences and molecular biosciences graduate programs,” Bouldin said. “Throughout his time at A-State, he has inspired an atmosphere of professionalism and discovery that will benefit these flagship programs and enhance research at A-State.”
A professor of plant metabolic engineering in the Department of Biological Sciences, Medina-Bolivar joined A-State’s faculty in 2005.
“I am excited about the opportunity to lead these important master and doctoral-level programs,” Medina-Bolivar commented. “They are crucial for the success of our faculty and graduate students, and for our efforts to increase research and external funding to A-State.”
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in biology from Cayetano Heredia University in Peru and his Ph.D. degree in plant physiology from Pennsylvania State University, Medina-Bolivar conducted postdoctoral research in molecular biology at Virginia Tech before coming to A-State.
In recognition of his advanced research in molecular biology, plant biotechnology, plant physiology, and the biological activity of novel natural products, the Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA) selected Medina-Bolivar as an ARA Fellow in 2021.
He is a founding member of the American Council for Medicinally Active Plants (ACMAP) and currently serves the organization’s executive director. His research has produced several peer-reviewed publications and his innovative work has been granted patents in the United States and Europe.
In the community, Medina-Bolivar is a former chair of the Northeast Arkansas Hispanic Professional Network and currently serves as the A-State liaison. He also is a board member of the Centro Hispano.
