Education
- Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh
Courses
- General Biology 1401 with Lab
- General Biology 1402 with Lab
- Human Anatomy and Physiology 1411 with Lab
- Human Anatomy and Physiology 1412 with Lab
Biography
Michael Vallor obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine developing a transgenic mouse model for gene therapy of Gaucher Disease. He also met his wife, a transfer student from San Antonio. He decided to do his Postdoctoral Fellowship in San Antonio and found a position at the UT Health Sciences Center in San Antonio studying DNA repair in conditions of oxidative stress and aging, a study that was funded by the Veteran’s Administration.
He next went into K-12 science education, looking to gain some teaching experience and ended up spending 19 years teaching biology, chemistry, earth science and math at both the middle and high school levels, including 12 years of AP Biology and AP Chemistry courses.
Along the way, Vallor became very involved in many STEM-related extracurricular activities, such as competitive science fairs and FIRST robotics. These opportunities for direct student interaction and guidance inspired in him a strong desire to help beginning science students develop their interests as well as their scientific skills and lay the foundations for their future life journeys. Since coming to St. Mary’s, Vallor has participated in mentoring undergraduates in scientific research through Student Biomedical Research courses and the McNair Scholars Program. Also, starting in Fall 2025, Vallor took on the additional role of Pre-Health Professions Advisor, where he hopes to continue helping students in their path to careers in medicine and health care.
Vallor is also currently developing a research effort concerning the effects of the consumption of microplastic and nanoplastic particles on insects and their symbiotic bacteria. Using the beetle larva Zophobas morio as an insect model, Vallor plans to examine the effect of feeding various types of plastic particles on their gut microbe populations, as well as examining how the microbes themselves interact with the plastics. Insects and bacteria are keystone populations when considering the health and productivity of terrestrial ecosystems, and disrupting the relationship between them could potentially affect many other species.
Vallor serves as faculty advisor for the PreMedical Society, the PreDental Society, the PrePA Society, the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) and the Great Outdoors Club.
Professional Memberships and Certifications
- Member: National Association of Biology Teachers
- Member: American Chemical Society
- Certification: Life Science 8-12, Texas Education Agency