Education:
1985, B.A. magna cum laude Biochemistry, University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC)
1990, Ph.D. Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
1990-1993, American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Dr. Alex joined the faculty of Cal Poly Pomona in 1998 as an Assistant Professor in the Chemistry Department and is now a full Professor. She teaches courses in biochemistry, molecular biology as well as general chemistry. Her research focuses on the study of two-component signal transduction pathways in fungi and the analysis of fungal cell wall structure using atomic force microscopy. She has been the recipient of both internal and external funding to support her research. Dr. Alex has published in peer-reviewed journals as a faculty member while working at Cal Poly, including a prestigious article in Nature in 2003.
She has an extensive service record at all levels of the university. Specifically, Dr. Alex has been active in the Academic Senate since 2002, serving on the following Senate Committees: Elections and Procedures, Academic Affairs, Ad Hoc Academic Planning Committee and the Executive Committee. Most recently, she served as Vice-Chair (2008-10) and was elected Chair in Spring 2010.
Dr. Alex is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the scientific honor society Sigma Xi and the AAAS. She was awarded as the Outstanding Advisor for the College of Science in 2006 and has served as faculty advisor to the Science Council (the College of Science’s student academic council) since 2000. In Spring 2010, Dr. Alex was bestowed with a lifetime membership in ASI by the students of the ASI Senate in recognition of her contributions to students.
Dr. Alex resides in Chino Hills with her husband Eric, an alumnus of Cal Poly, along with her two Labrador Retrievers and her horse.
