Angel G. Rivera-Colón, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon
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Education

December 2022Ph.D. in Biology
Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
July 2016M.S. in Biology
Department of Biology
University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras (UPRRP)
May 2013B.S. in Biotechnology
Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Bayamón (UIA-Bayamón)

Professional Experience

August 2023 – PresentPostdoctoral Researcher
Institute of Ecology and Evolution
University of Oregon (UO)
Eugene, OR, USA
January 2023 – July 2023Postdoc Research Associate
Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Urbana, IL, USA
August 2016 – December 2022Graduate Researcher
Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Urbana, IL, USA
August 2013 – July 2016Graduate Researcher
Department of Biology
University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras
San Juan, PR, USA
June – July 2015Visiting Scholar
Department of Biological Sciences
National University of Singapore
Singapore
Visit funded by a the UPRRP Bridge to the Doctorate Travel Grant
April – May 2014Visiting Scholar
Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle
Paris, France
Visit funded by a the UPRRP Bridge to the Doctorate Travel Grant
May – July 2013Biological Technician
US Horticultural Research Laboratory
USDA Agricultural Research Service
Ft. Pierce, FL, USA
May – July 2012Biological Field Technician
Arapaho National Forest
Sulphur Ranger District
US Forest Service
Granby, CO, USA

Funding

Submitted and Under Review
Submitted: August 2026Co-PI: Smithsonian Combined Call for Science and Research James Bond Fund, administered by the Office of the Under Secretary of Science and Research “Genomic signatures of isolation in an endangered Caribbean avian endemic, the Elfin-woods Warbler” – $53,000
Awarded
April 2021UIUC Odum-Kendeigh Summer Research Award – $1,000
April 2020American Society of Naturalists Student Research Award Grant – $2,000
April 2019UIUC Francis M. and Harlie M. Clark Research Support Grant – $1,000
August 2018IGERT Graduate Research Grant – $5,000
April 2018UIUC Harley J. Van Cleave Research Support Grant – $1,000
May 2015UPRRP Bridge to the Doctorate Travel Grant – $2,000
August 2014UPRRP Bridge to the Doctorate Research Grant – $4,000
June 2014UPRRP Conference Travel Grant – $250
April 2014UPRRP Bridge to the Doctorate Travel Grant – $1,000
November 2013UPRRP Natural Resources Career Tracks Conference Travel Grant – $500
May 2012UIA-Bayamón PR-LSAMP Undergraduate Research Grant – $200

Honors and Awards

November 2024PacBio & University of Oregon GC3F SMRT Grant (Runner Up)
May 20222022 Harry Smith Prize in Molecular Ecology (Runner Up)
January 2022UIUC Graduate College Conference Travel Award
June 2021SSE W.D. Hamilton Award Finalist
April 2021UIUC Francis M. and Harlie M. Clark Research Fellowship
April 2021UIUC Odum-Kendeigh Research Award
May 2020UIUC Thomas Frazzetta Award for Outstanding Teaching in Evolution, Ecology, and Behavioral Biology
April 2020American Society of Naturalists Student Research Award
August 2016NSF-IGERT Vertically Integrated Training in Genomics Fellowship
August 2016UIUC Graduate College Fellowship
August 2013UPRRP PR-LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowship
June 2013Inter American University of Puerto Rico Poly-Inter Ex-Alumni Society Medal
June 2013UIA-Bayamón Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Academic Excellence Award
June 2013UIA-Bayamón Award for Merits and Service
May 2012UIA-Bayamón PR-LSAMP Undergraduate Research Fellowship

Teaching Experience

Workshop Instructor
Fall 2021-2024RADseq Filtering and Genotyping with Stacks, ConGen, University of Montana
September 2019The Practice of RADseq: Population Genomics Analysis with Stacks, PRInformatics Workshop, Glasgow, UK
January 20182018 Workshop on Genomics, Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic
Teaching Assistant
Spring 2022, 2020, 2019IB302 Evolution, School of Integrative Biology, UIUC
Fall 2021IB204 Genetics, School of Integrative Biology, UIUC
Fall 2020IB501 Programming for Genomics, School of Integrative Biology, UIUC
Fall 2019IB360 Evolution & Human Health, School of Integrative Biology, UIUC
Fall 2014BIOL3349 Genetics, Department of Biology, UPRRP
Invited Lecturer
July 2024Genome Evolution in Bony Fishes. BI457/557 Marine Biology: Biology of Fishes, Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, UO.
April 2023, 2022Genome Evolution. IB302 Evolution, School of Integrative Biology, UIUC

Mentorship Experience

Undergraduate Research Mentoring
Summer 2024Alexandra Bangs, Department of Biology, Summer Program for Undergraduate Research, UO
Spring 2022Eliana Eng, School of Integrative Biology, UIUC
Fall 2018 – Spring 2021Shehani Gunawardena, School of Integrative Biology, Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program, UIUC
Fall 2018 – Spring 2019Neelima Valluru, School of Integrative Biology, Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program, UIUC
Spring 2014 – Spring 2016Manuel Menéndez, Department of Biology, Puerto Rico Alliance for Minority Participation, UPRRP
Mentorship Certifications
March 2021 – May 2022Maintaining, Engaging, and Tracking Alumni in Science and Health Research (METAS+) Program Mentor, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Puerto Rico, Cayey.
June 2019Illinois Mentoring Excellence Program Certification, UIUC Graduate College Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program, UIUC

Presentations

Invited Research Seminars

The Pacific acorn barnacle genome highlights the dynamics of evolution in extremely large populations (October 2025). Oral presentation at the OIMB Seminar, Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, University of Oregon. Charleston, OR, USA. Hosted by Dr. Svetlana Maslakova.

The Pacific acorn barnacle genome highlights the dynamics of evolution in large populations (June 2025). Oral presentation at the Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Washington, DC, USA. Hosted by Dr. Kira M. Long.

Comparative and evolutionary genomics of secondarily temperate adaptation in the only non-Antarctic icefish (November 2022). Oral presentation at EcoLunch Seminar Series, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Purdue University. West Lafayette, IN, USA. Hosted by Dr. Mark Christie.

Conference Presentations (selected)

Spatial population structure in the hyperpolymorphic Pacific acorn barnacle (June 2026). Poster presentation at 2026 Population, Evolutionary, and Quantitative Genetics Conference. Pacific Grove, CA, USA.

The Pacific acorn barnacle genome highlights the dynamics of evolution in extremely large populations (June 2025). Oral presentation at Evolution 2025. Athens, GA, USA.

Population and comparative genomics in the Pacific acorn barnacle (April 2025). Poster presentation at EVO-WIBO 2025. Blaine, WA, USA.

Population genetics of the Pacific acorn barnacle and insights into evolution in large populations (July 2024). Oral presentation at SMBE 2024: Society of Molecular Biology and Evolution Annual Meeting. Puerto Vallarta, México.

Genomics of secondarily temperate adaptation in the only non-Antarctic icefish (June 2022). Oral presentation at Evolution 2022. Cleveland, OH, USA.

Genomics of secondarily temperate adaptation in the only non-Antarctic icefish, Champsocephalus esox (January 2022). Oral presentation at the Population and Conservation Genomcis Workshop, Plant and Animal Genome Conference XXIX (virtual).

Comparative and population genomics in the only temperate icefish, Champsocephalus esox (August 2021). Oral presentation at the Midwest Population Genetics 2021 Meeting. University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.

Genomics of secondarily temperate adaptation in ecologically divergent icefish species (July 2021). Pre-recorded oral presentation at the SMBE 2021: Society of Molecular Biology and Evolution Annual Meeting (virtual).

Genomics of secondarily temperate adaptation in ecologically divergent icefish species (June 2021). Oral presentation at the W.D. Hamilton Award Symposium, Evolution 2021 (virtual).

Who’s thy father? Assessing paternity in a highly polygynandrous passerine using RADseq data (August 2020). Pre-recorded poster presentation at the 7th North American Ornithological Conference (virtual)

Evolution from a cold-specialized ancestor: genome assembly of the only temperate icefish (March 2020). Oral presentation at the 2020 University of Illinois Community of Scholars Symposium. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA.

Genomic architecture of dorsal hindwing eyespot number variation in the butterfly Bicyclus anynana (February 2016). Poster presentation at the 2016 Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Research Symposium. Washington, DC, USA.

Science Communication and Outreach

Mis aventuras y odiseas en genómica comparativa y genética de poblaciones (September 2026). Oral presentation (in Spanish) for the Consorcio de Historia Natural de Puerto Rico. Hosted by Dr. Rafael Rivero-Vega. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/live/Ey6Sm-o1aDA

Academic and Professional Service

Editorial Service
January 2026 – PresentSocial Media Editor for Molecular Ecology and Molecular Ecology Resources
August 2022 – December 2025Junior Editorial Board Member for Molecular Ecology and Molecular Ecology Resources
Peer Reviewing Experience

Served as reviewer for the peer reviewed academic journals:

  • Molecular Ecology
  • Molecular Ecology Resources
  • G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics
  • Bioinformatics
  • Journal of Heredity
  • Systematic Biology
  • BMC Genomics
  • BMC Biology
  • Scientific Data
  • Animals
  • Marine Genetics
Ad Hoc Reviewer
April 2026 – June 2026Committee Chair, 2026 Harry Smith Prize
May 2025Society for the Study of Evolution, Hamilton Award Prize
November 2023Society for the Study of Evolution, 2023 Rosemary Grant Advanced Award
Professional Organizations
May 2021 – PresentSociety for Molecular Biology and Evolution
April 2020 – PresentAmerican Society of Naturalists
January 2019 – PresentSociety for the Study of Evolution
August 2018 – PresentAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science
September 2016 – December 2022Graduates in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
August 2013 – August 2015PR-LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate Program, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras
January 2012 – December 2015USDA Natural Resource Career Tracks Program, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, and Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Bayamón