Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Dr. Rocabado grew up in Bolivia. She speaks Spanish and a little bit of German. She has always been fascinated with science and math and in high-school decided to study biology. As part of her biology degree she took organic chemistry, which was very challenging. But after her first failing grade in her life she was determined to learn and succeed. Through countless hours of studying and visiting the professor’s office hours, she made it and to her surprise discovered she loved the course. That’s when she decided she wanted to add chemistry as a major.
Through her experience in college and particular in organic chemistry, Dr. Rocabado is in the pursuit of understanding students’ experiences and perceptions of chemistry in order to make this subject more accessible to the public. She is interested in understanding student motivation, attitudes, and experiences to be able to better intervene with meaningful classroom activities and design. She is also interested in science communication and policy.
Education:
PhD in Chemistry from University of South Florida (2021)
Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation from University of South Florida (2020)
M.S. in Medicinal Chemistry from the State University of New York at Buffalo (2014)
B.S. in Chemistry and Biology from Southern Utah University (2012)
A.S. from Aims Community College (2009)