Maria E. Zavala

Maria Elena Zavala (born 1950) is an American plant biologist. She was the first Mexican-American woman to earn a PhD in botany in the United States. She is currently a full professor of biology at the California State University-Northridge, studying plant development. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the first Latina fellow of the American Society of Plant Biologists, the first Latina fellow of the American Society of Cell Biology, and an elected fellow of the Institute of Science. In 2000, she was awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring, which recognizes individuals who have increased the participation of underrepresented minorities in their fields.

Early life and education Zavala grew up in La Verne, California, and was one of five children. Zavala is credited to be the first Mexican-American in the United States to graduate with a PhD in botany.

Research and career Throughout her career, Zavala has worked at the United States Department of Agriculture, Yale University, as well as Michigan State University.

Zavala has also taken a keen interest in education equity, by helping to develop science curricula, and by establishing and directing programs to champion the participation of women and minorities in science. She spoke at the 2017 Los Angeles March for Science. In 2019, Zavala co-authored a paper advocating for minorities in her field, titled "Improving Underrepresented Minority Student Persistence in STEM." In 2022, Zavala was named a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences.

Additionally, she has been the director of CSUN’s Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research (U-STAR) program since 1990, as well as the Research Initiatives for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) since 1993.

Zavala contributed to the book "Flor y Ciencia: Chicanas in Mathematics, Science and Engineering."

Awards and honours Zavala is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. and in 2016 she became the first Latina fellow of the American Society of Plant Biologists. The next year, she became the first Latina fellow of the American Society for Cell Biology. In 2024, Zavala helped get about $490,000 in funding to support a program that helps minority students prepare for careers in biomedical research