Staff
The DNALC's multi-disciplinary staff has experience in elementary, secondary, and collegiate instruction; biochemistry and molecular biological research; computer programming; design, photography, fine arts, and interior design; science journalism; public relations and development; and opinion research.
- Administration
- BioMedia
- Education & Instruction
Ileana Rios, Ph.D.
High School Educator
Ileana Rios is no longer working at the DNA Learning Center.
Sometimes life brings you full circle: I was born in Spanish Harlem and lived on 116th Street at a time when the population had a diverse mix of different ethnicities. I myself am the product of Caribbean diversity, the daughter of a Puerto-Rican mother and a Cuban father and the eldest of four siblings. We lived in Harlem at a time when the local public schools were struggling with a predominantly Spanish speaking population and no bilingual educators. The educational emphasis was on cultural assimilation and language acquisition, and as a result, the curriculum was almost exclusively geared for reading, while science education was virtually non-existent
It wasn’t until my family moved out of Harlem and to the South Bronx that I would connect to the world of biology serendipitously when, during the summer of my 11th year, we moved to a brick house built in the 1920’s that had a basement full of boxes and trunks belonging to tenants long gone. It was during one of my exploratory trips to this dank basement that I found a small, yellow, tin locker with a small light-microscope in perfect condition. Like a child who sees a musical instrument and is immediately drawn to play it, so was I with this microscope. Along with it, the locker contained small vials, forceps, eyedroppers, glass slides, and instructions for making wet mount slides. The literature read as follows: “Collect a vial of pond water that you will use to prepare slides of single-celled organisms” (How I laughed at this! There were no ponds in the South Bronx…). Fortunately, there was an alternative to using pond water, which was to sterilize tap water by boiling, cooling, and then adding dried grass and keeping the entire mixture in the dark for several days. I followed these instructions meticulously and to my amazement, I observed my first paramecia and other swirling organisms, just like those pictured in the illustrated instruction booklet. I spent many hours with this treasure, observing everything that I could fit onto a glass slide. Ultimately, this experience opened up a source of fascination that would take me well into adulthood.
My educational background reflects my ever growing love for science, leading me to obtain various degrees: a BA in biology from Barnard College, a BS in cytology from the SUNY Health Science Center, and a Ph.D. in molecular biology from The CUNY Graduate School & University Center. My decision to pursue different career paths with this background has served me well and as a result, I have a diverse work history that spans research in the field of cellular senescence and HIV vaccine development, as well as teaching at the elementary, secondary, and undergraduate levels. It was no wonder then that when I came across the DNALC website and learned about the Harlem DNA Center, I would find myself back at home, but this time in an environment which both favored my intellectual and professional interests as well as my cultural history.
