Alok Arun is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Science and Technology at the Barranquitas campus of Inter American University of Puerto Rico. Also, he is a visiting scientist in the lab of Dr. Mary Gehring at the Whitehead Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He obtained a PhD in Developmental Biology and Genomics from Pierre and Marie Curie University, France. This was followed by postdoctoral research at Catholique University of Louvain in Belgium. His research interests lie in origin and evolution of plants and algae, and in his present position he utilizes several next generation molecular and imaging techniques with the goal of developing scientific and community resources for underutilized crops and blue agriculture. He is Principal Investigator on an NSF-funded project that aims to bring Blue Agriculture to Puerto Rico to create awareness about underutilized marine resources and generate gainful employment. Also, he is Principal Investigator on two USDA NIFA projects focused on precision agriculture and another on the training of K-14 teachers in agricultural biotechnology. As an educator and scientist, Alok’s efforts are chiefly directed towards promoting STEM excellence and research among students from underrepresented groups through giving them immersive research experiences and other exposure opportunities. He wants to continue creating networks and platforms that will steer students and young researchers from Puerto Rico towards STEM careers in academia and industry with the long-term goal of building a diverse and resilient workforce to drive the Puerto Rican agricultural economy. He was awarded the United States Department of Agriculture E. Kika De La Garza Science Fellow Award for the year 2022. (alok_arun@br.inter.edu)