Dr. Andro Rios Ph.D.

I am proud to have begun my educational journey as a community college student at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento and was a member of the MESA program when I discovered an interest in chemistry. I transferred to California State University, Sacramento and became involved with the Science Educational Equity program and conducted undergraduate research as a Ronald E. McNair Scholar. I graduated with a B.S. in chemistry and went on to pursue a Ph.D. in organic chemistry at the University of California, San Diego. After my graduate work I moved back to northern California to pursue postdoctoral research at the Ames Research Center. I then transitioned to work full time at NASA as a research scientist with the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science. I used my education and training in organic chemistry for many areas of NASA science, most notably within the field of Astrobiology. Students worked with me at Ames to help us investigate how life might have emerged on Earth. As a member of the Department of Chemistry here at SJSU, I am devoted to helping students achieve their educational goals, develop a strong connection to their peers and to me, while gaining practical experience in the field of chemistry and Astrobiology.