Meet the Mentor: Marisol E. Lopez, PhD

Contact: mlopez@bu.edu
Gender Identity & Pronouns: Female, she/her/hers
Affinity Groups: gSOC
Race/Ethnicity and/or Nationality: Hispanic, Peruvian
Languages: Spanish, English, some French
Hometown: Lima, Peru
Education: B.S. Animal Science, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Lima, Peru; M.S. Poultry Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas; Ph.D. Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
Industry Interest: Higher education, STEM, health-care careers

Personal Facts/Hobbies:

I was born and raised in Lima, Peru. I moved to The Netherlands during my last two years of high school. After completing my undergraduate studies in Lima, I moved to the United States for graduate school. It was only because of my older brother who had done all the “work” finding out how to navigate higher education in the United States that I came, following in his steps. At the beginning I was not sure if I was going to like living here. However, having the opportunity to do state of the art research made me decide to stay. I was lucky to have wonderful mentors in graduate school that challenged me to do my best work but at the same time taught me to take care of myself. My career path has had many twists and turns and has been greatly influenced by my family. After many years of bench research, I started exploring science outreach. The love of sharing science with the public made me go into teaching. I have taught at many different levels (K-12, technical college, small undergraduate institution, and now graduate school) and it still amazes me that every student at any of these levels is unique, brings their own personal background, and enriches any classroom. As an instructor I can see students grow and develop throughout the semester. I always encourage students to be metacognitive and reflect on their learning and use the educational supports that are available to them. I have lived in Texas, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts. Boston brings back great memories of my earlier years growing up by the ocean. During my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, taking the dog for walks, reading, and being outdoors. I also enjoy taking classes and learning new things. I am a lifelong learner.