Dr. Luis Espinasa
Associate Professor of Biology
Bio
I was born in Mexico, where I did my BA in Biology. I did my PhD in New York and since then I have for the most part remained in this country. My main teaching responsibility at Marist College is the course of Genetics. My area of expertise is cave biology and nicoletiid insects. I am thoroughly involved in student collaborative scholarship. Throughout my career, I have published 40 articles with my students as authors or coauthors. Much of my work takes place in the field. I have taken students to Mexico, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Peru, Saint Vincent and the Grenadine Islands. I am also the director of the Marist Hiking Group, an informal group where faculty and students get to go hiking on the weekends to appreciate nature. My hobbies are hiking, caving, white water caving, rock climbing, and almost any outdoor activity. I am father of two kids, one of whom I am proud to say is currently a Marist student.
Education
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Maryland at College Park
PhD, Biology, New York University, New York, NY
BS, National University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City
Research Interests / Areas of Focus
Cave Biology, evolution of blindness and depigmentation, taxonomy of nicoletiid insects.
Awards and Honors
Student award for Faculty of the year for the School of Science
