José F. Goyco-Blas

My name is José F. Goyco-Blas, and I work as a Lab Manager in the Department of Biological Sciences at the Kohl Lab. I have a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences with a concentration in environmental chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico, and a master’s degree in environmental management from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico. I am currently a doctoral student at the University of Pittsburgh-School of Education, with a concentration in Out of School Learning.

My role as lab manager includes different task as administration, education, and research. As an administrator I try to look for the best purchasing and savings options in our laboratory. The savings are based not just on economics, but also on resources such as chemical reagents and everyday consumables. As an educator, I’ve tried to teach everyone in my lab and nearby labs how to create a sustainable culture. This might be complicated at times, but a simple activity like posting pictures of what things is recycled and what end up in landfills can help build a sustainable culture. As a researcher, I understand how tough it is to try to be sustainable because there are few things that can be reused owing to experiment contamination. However, some of material is used in the experiments can always be reduced, reused, or recycled. We were able to receive the Green Lab Pitt Sustainable award thanks to the efforts and hard work of our lab members.