JUAN MORALES
PH.D. | NEUROBIOLOGY
COLLEGE OF SCIENCES
PART OF UTSA TODAY’S SERIES ON SOME OF THE NEWEST ALUMNI OF ROADRUNNER NATION
MAY 11, 2020 — A child of immigrants, Juan Morales was a newborn when his father died. And when he was 5 years old his mother died as well, leaving the boy and his two older sisters in the care of their grandmother in Edinburg, just north of the Mexico-U.S. border.
“We were very poor,” Morales said. “So there wasn’t much to do.”
Instead, Morales’ curiosity drew him outdoors into the thorny shrubs and subtropical woodlands of the nearby rural landscape.
After high school Morales, a first-generation student, completed two degrees in mathematics at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Seeking another challenge, he decided to apply his math knowledge to science.
He was fortunate enough to secure financial assistance from a RISE fellowship, a federally funded program designed to ensure that talented and motivated minority or disadvantaged students are able to obtain the experience and skills they need to succeed in research-intensive careers. The fellowship helped reduce stress on Morales and allowed him to focus on his studies.
“I chose neuroscience at UTSA. When I was younger, I was always pretty good at math and enjoyed it. It’s ironic because, in science, it’s kind of hard to know the precise answer sometimes. The brain is complex, and I can use mathematics to gain insight.”
His dedication and perseverance paid off. This month Morales receives his Ph.D. in neurobiology. While pursuing his doctorate Morales learned a lot about basal ganglia, a part of the brain essential for conscious movement and learning.
“At UTSA I acquired the skills needed to pursue a career in science by piecing together all the advice I received from mentors and colleagues,” he said.
For now, Morales is staying at UTSA as a postdoctorate associate as he contemplates a few job offers and completes his dissertation studying the resonance of brain cells.
And after the completion of his dissertation? “I’ll be moving on to new endeavors.”
The world is wide open.
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This event will acknowledge graduating seniors from the McNair Scholars program at UTSA before inducting the new cohort of scholars into the program.
North Paseo Building (NPB 5.140), Main CampusAt this memorable celebration, UTSA graduates will be introduced one-by-one to cross the stage and accept their doctoral degrees.
Arts Building Recital Hall, Main CampusRoadrunner Walk is an event for graduating students to have a memorable walk on campus to celebrate an important milestone and their achievements. Graduates will walk along the Paseo while being celebrated by the UTSA community, friends, and family members.
Student Union Paseo, Main CampusCelebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.Celebrate the accomplishments of Alvarez College of Business, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
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The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
