Robert Montoya

As the first in my Mexican immigrant family to attend college, I fell in love with Microbiology because there is a tiny world that cannot be easily seen yet has a substantial impact on human life and ecology. I earned a B.S. in Biology from Cal State Sacramento. I was selected as a student research scholar in UC Davis' REU program where I conducted research on how microbial communities in flower nectar influence plant-pollinator evolution. I was also able to do research at Cal State Sacramento on isolating soil microbes for their antibiotic properties and plant-pathogen interactions. I have really enjoyed working with microbial interactions in the context of the environment and look forward to expanding my understanding in the clinical setting at Dartmouth's MCB program. I hope to become a professor of Microbiology after I earn my Ph.D. I'm engaged to my partner Andrew and a stepdad to 3 wonderful children (Ansel, 9, Reggie, 12, and Violet, 16). I love to cook and garden and look forward to hiking the white mountain trails and learning to ski!