Dr. Fabricio Medina-Bolivar's scientific journey began with a B.S. in Biology from Cayetano Heredia University in Peru, followed by a Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from Pennsylvania State University. He pursued postdoctoral research in molecular biology at Virginia Tech and then joined the faculty of Arkansas State University in 2005. Currently, Dr. Medina-Bolivar is a Professor of Plant Metabolic Engineering in the Department of Biological Sciences and the Director of both the Environmental Sciences and Molecular Biosciences Graduate Programs and conducts cutting-edge research at his laboratory at the Arkansas Biosciences Institute. Dedicated to promoting leadership and higher education within the Hispanic community and other underrepresented groups, Dr. Medina-Bolivar serves as President of the A-State Latina/o Faculty and Staff Association and is a member of the Executive Committee for the Northeast Arkansas Hispanic Professional Network (NEAHPN). He has also served as President of NEAHPN and a board member for the Centro Hispano in Jonesboro, Arkansas. He co-advised the Hispanic-based mentoring student organization Hermana y Hermano and was named "Outstanding Hispanic Achiever of the Year" by the Centro Hispano in 2011. His commitment to fostering an inclusive environment was recognized with the 2024 Excellence in Community Diversity Award from A-State.