Roberto A. Lleras ’08Student
Roberto A. Lleras ’08 is all about breaking educational barriers.
The National Center for Education Statistics reports that only six percent of all bachelor’s degrees conferred in the United States each year are earned by Hispanics. Lleras was among this group when he earned his Canisius degree in bioinformatics in May 2008. He is now among an even smaller percentage of Hispanic and African American doctoral candidates. Lleras attends Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, where he is pursing a PhD in a field that relatively few minorities consider – biomedical science.
“Roberto was probably one of the most enthusiastic students I’ve ever had,” says John M. Kalb, PhD, associate professor of biology. “He always came prepared to class, was ready to answer all my questions and often had quite a few of his own.”
Kalb collaborated with Lleras on a genetic mutation project, during Lleras’ sophomore year at Canisius. It was then that Kalb realized Lleras’ potential as a researcher and recommended him for what would be a pivotal summer research experience at San Jose State University.
Lleras spent 10 weeks at the research-intensive institution and made a significant discovery. “I came to Canisius as a pre-med student but instead discovered my passion for research,” he says.
So too did large and highly competitive Research 1 (R-1) institutions. The University of California at Berkeley and Boston University both invited Lleras to participate in their summer research programs in 2007. Lleras chose Berkeley, where he worked alongside undergraduate research students from that university, as well as from Virginia Tech University and the University of Florida.
“My Canisius education provided me with the ability and the opportunity to compete successfully against students from R-1 schools,” says Lleras.
Those experiences also afforded Lleras with many options for graduate school. He received full scholarship and fellowship offers from New York University, the University of California at Berkeley, the University of California at San Diego and Cornell University, as well as Albert Einstein University.
“He is a real role model for young minorities,” says Debra T. Burhans, PhD, associate professor of computer science and director of the Bioinformatics Program. “We need more students like Roberto; someone whom young minorities can look to and say, ‘This guy did it and he’s just like me.’”
Lleras envisions several different scenarios in his future: researcher, professor, maybe even physician. Regardless of where his future takes him, however, there is one particular breakthrough this scientist will accomplish.
“I want to be a source of encouragement for young students to consider science,” he says. “I want to spark their interest, show them it’s an exciting field in which they can help people, mentor them, and then give them constant encouragement to stay the course and follow their dreams.”