Olga Calderón is a professor of Biology and Microbiology at LaGuardia Community College (CUNY). She received her Ph.D. from the CUNY Graduate School and University Center in Science Education. She has a Master’s Degree in Biology from Queens College (CUNY); and a Master of Philosophy in Urban Education from the CUNY Graduate Center; a Bachelor’s degree in Biology & Geology from Queens College. Dr. Calderón is the coordinator of General Microbiology at LaGuardia, she developed and established research in the classroom in an effort to provide authentic research experiences to students enrolled in the course. Dr. Calderón also conducts biological research at LaGuardia with her students on the environmental microbiology of Newtown Creek, as well as entomology and plant-insect-microbe associations of species from Amazonia and Temperate zones; antimicrobial resistant genes and phytochemistry of antimicrobial compounds. Among other science classes, she teaches Astrobiology: Life in the Universe with an emphasis in microbial life.
Dr. Calderon will be joined by her sister Diana during the Bio-blitz. Diana has a Master’s in Environmental Science – GIS. She works for the National Census Bureau.
