Meet the instructors and volunteers who have made the 2015 ALE Summer Camp possible
Morris Levy, Ph.D.
Dr. Levy received his B.S. in Biology from the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle and his M. Ph and Ph. D. in Ecology & Evolution at Yale University. He began his career at Purdue University in 1973 where he has become a Full Professor in the Dept. of Biological Sciences and served in multiple roles to promote graduate student diversity in STEAM disciplines at Purdue, including mentoring 13 Colombians for their M. S. and Ph.D. degrees. His research includes evolutionary and ecological genetics of plant, pollinator and pathogen interactions, including extensive collaborations at CIAT (Intl. Center for Tropical Agriculture), in Palmira, Colombia since 1990. He currently is part of the leadership team for the Colombia-Purdue Institute, and Purdue's contact person for the Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó.
Maria Mercedes Levy
Mechas is a Microbiologist from Universidad de Los Andes and has pursued her research career in molecular genetics of plants at CIAT from 1991-98 and as a Research Scientist at Purdue University from 1998 until the present. She has taught and managed several laboratories, during which she has mentored more than 10 Ph. D. students, including several Colombians. She is an active member of the Purdue-Colombia Institute, focused on graduate student recruitment. She will shortly complete her certification as an ESL (English as Second Language) Instructor and is developing an ESL course targeting future Colombian graduate student applicants to Purdue.
Harold Romaña Mena, Ph.D.
Harold got his Bachelors of Sciences in Education from the Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó, en Quibdó Colombia, and his PhD. in Educational Sciences from the Habana University in La Habana, Cuba. Harold has been a priest for Quibdo’s Dioceses for over 20 years, and he has served as the coordinator for the Masters in Educational Sciences Program at the Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó, where he has been a professor for the past 14 years.
Domingo Rivas Cuesta, M.Sc.
Domingo got his Bachelors of Sciences in Education, and specialization in Languages from the Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó, in Quibdó, Colombia. He earned his Masters Degree in Hispanic-American Literature from the Caro and Cuervo Institute in Bogotá, Colombia. Domingo has been teaching at the Univerisdad Tecnológica del Chocó for the past 20 years. Before this, he served as a professor at the Universidad Libre de Bogotá, Colombia for 2 years and at the Universidad Antonio Nariño for 2 years. Currently Domingo serves as the Chairman of the Masters in Linguistics Program at the Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó, where he has held other administrative positions including Chairman of the English and French Program, as well as the Spanish and Literature Program.
Volunteers
Rommel Álvarez Mosquera
Rommel received his Bachelor of Sciences in Biology and Chemistry from the Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó in Quibdó, Colombia. Rommel is a COLCIENCIAS scientific researcher working for the Natural Products Research Group at the Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó.
Juan Clímaco Restrepo
Juan is a Biology undergraduate student, focusing in Natural Resources at the Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó in Quibdó, Colombia. Juan is currently working on his undergraduate thesis at the Natural Products Research Group.
María Eugenia Pino Benitez
Maria Eugenia is a Social Worker from the Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó at Quibdó, Colombia, specialized in Organization and Community Development. As part of her career she has held positions as a social worker for the Office of the Governor of Chocó, Colombia, the Campesino Chocoano Program, the Office of Community Development for Quibdó Major’s Office, Chief of Subsequent Control of the Chocó Departmental Comptroller, and social worker for the Association of Cultural Investigations of Chocó, ASINCH.
Carlos Quinto
Carlos received his Bachelor of Sciences in Biology and Chemistry from the Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó in Quibdó, Colombia. Carlos is a COLCIENCIAS scientific researcher working for the Natural Products Research Group at the Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó.
John Freddy Chávez Vargas
John is a Physical Education undergraduate student at the Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó in Quibdó, Colombia. John is part of the field trip’s support group of the Natural Products Research Group.
Angela Edith Tovar Villa
Angela earned a degree in Business Administration from the Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó at Quibdó, Colombia, and worked as an instructor at the Colombian National Learning Center SENA in Quibdó, Colombia.
Manuela Valencia Maya
Manuela is a 1st year student at Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia, in a program for foreign languages teaching. She has completed a degree program for flight attendant at Escuela Educativa de Aviación Rey del Aire, Ltda. Colombia as well as a technical program in Culinary Arts at SENA, both in Bogotá, Colombia.
Daniela Valoyes Mena
Daniela is a volunteer at the Colombian Red Cross based in Chocó for the past year.
Juan David Mosquera Mosquera
Juan is a volunteer at the Colombian Red Cross based in Chocó for the past 4 years.
Yeyleam Palacios Quinto
Yeyleam is a volunteer at the Colombian Red Cross based in Chocó for the past 4 years.
Flor Vanessa Perea Mosquera
Flor is a volunteer at the Colombian Red Cross based in Chocó for the past year.