![\"Graduation](\"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Graduation-Cap_blue-500x500-e1586882554282.png\")
<\/a>CELEBRATING SUCCESS:<\/strong> During this time when we cannot come together to celebrate our graduates, UToledo is recognizing the Class of 2020 with a series of feature stories on students who are receiving their degrees during our virtual commencement ceremony<\/a> Sunday, Dec. 6.<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cIt 100% lived up to my list,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Alers-Velazquez will graduate from The University of Toledo in December with his Ph.D. in molecular biology and start his post-doctoral studies at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., in January.<\/p>\n Science and research have always been his passions. Alers-Velazquez earned his bachelor\u2019s degree in biomedical sciences at the University of Puerto Rico and did his post-baccalaureate studies at Ohio State University.<\/p>\n While at OSU, he collaborated with Dr. John Gray, a UToledo biology professor. He told Gray of his interest in virology, and Gray recommended he look into Dr. Scott Leisner\u2019s research in plant virology at UToledo. He encouraged Alers-Velazquez to apply to UToledo\u2019s Ph.D. program.<\/p>\n It was a perfect match.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t have picked a better advisor,\u201d Alers-Velazquez said. \u201cDr. Leisner didn\u2019t only provide me tools and an environment to learn, he answered my questions and gave me the flexibility to learn by myself.\u201d<\/p>\n Alers-Velazquez said he believes his independence was one of the traits that impressed the interviewing team at Dartmouth.<\/p>\n When Alers-Velazquez began his Ph.D. work in Leisner\u2019s laboratory, he had no training in the area of plant virology or experience with fluorescence microscopy. He didn\u2019t let that stop him, Leisner said.<\/p>\n Alers-Velazquez<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cHe excelled during his graduate training in both areas,\u201d Leisner said. \u201cHe also learned a great deal of fluorescence microscopy, including sophisticated image analysis techniques, some employing software that did not exist before last year. He learned these techniques mainly on his own.\u201d<\/p>\n One of Alers-Velazquez\u2019s research projects involved studying the Cauliflower mosaic virus, which afflicts plants. The only way to fight the virus is to destroy the crop or isolate it, Alers-Velazquez said.<\/p>\n He experimented with thermal therapy \u2015 applying high or low temperatures to the plants. He discovered that if you treat the plants with low temperatures, you can delay the infection.<\/p>\n While not a cure, it does \u201copen the door to different ways of managing disease in these crops,\u201d Alers-Velazquez said.<\/p>\n Finishing his research was a true test for Alers-Velazquez. Like the rest of Ohioans, his life \u2014 and his research \u2014 were put on hold when the COVID-19 lockdown went into effect. He was finally able to get back into the lab last summer.<\/p>\n \u201cMy anxiety was at an all-time high,\u201d he said. \u201cMy research depends on plants. It was exhausting to grow and maintain the plants and make sure they were healthy so that I could finish my research, submit my paper and be approved for graduation. I had to remind myself it was going to work out.\u201d<\/p>\n It has. Alers-Velazquez published his findings in the journal Virology <\/em>and submitted another paper as well.<\/p>\n \u201cThis work has led to a deeper understanding of plant virus propagation and to new research directions for the lab,\u201d Leisner said.<\/p>\n Roberto M. Alers-Velazquez graduates from UToledo in December with his Ph.D. in molecular biology and starts his post-doctoral studies at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., in January.<\/p><\/div>\n Alers-Velazquez\u2019s work at UToledo extended well beyond his research. He mentored other students and organized a \u201cCareers in Science\u201d symposium.<\/p>\n When he came to UToledo, Alers-Velazquez was the only Latino graduate student in the biology department. He wanted to beef up the recruitment of underrepresented minorities with a passion for STEM and ensure they had the same opportunities he did.<\/p>\n He talked to chairs, deans, professors \u2014 whomever would listen \u2014 about the need for a more diverse applicant pool and UToledo having a presence at STEM conferences for underrepresented students. He found a receptive audience.<\/p>\n A year ago, the department formed a diversity committee, and Alers-Velazquez is one of its members.<\/p>\n \u201cI made it my mission to not only do my graduate studies but to contribute, to leave UToledo better than I found it,\u201d Alers-Velazquez said.<\/p>\n And he has. The Department of Biological Sciences now has three Latino graduate students, who, just like Alers-Velazquez, have found a home in the department, and in Toledo.<\/p>\n When he first got to town five years ago, Alers-Velazquez went downtown for a Mud Hens game and a Tony Packo\u2019s hotdog. He attended all the Rocket football games. He also found his academic fit, reveling in the personalized teaching and small classes at UToledo.<\/p>\n \u201cI can always knock on someone\u2019s door if I don\u2019t understand. Everyone here is willing to teach,\u201d he said. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t be where I am without all of my professors.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Roberto M. Alers-Velazquez wanted to develop relationships with professors and to perform important research in biology.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":837,"featured_media":62900,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[69,39,7],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62898"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/837"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62898"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62898\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62932,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62898\/revisions\/62932"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a><\/a><\/a>