Dr. Elizabeth Padilla Crespo has a double degree in Biotechnology and Industrial Microbiology from the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, an M.S. in Biology from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. She has performed research at top research centers such as: Harvard Medical School, the DOE Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying biofilms and bioremediation of pesticides, hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents. Dr. Padilla has won several research competitions at Japan, UK, and the U.S. She has worked at NSF, and as the 2013 Congressional Hispanic Institute Fellow she worked at the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, where she led a policy summit on Green and Sustainable Remediation of Super Fund sites. Three years ago Ms. Padilla decided to come back to P.R. to contribute the island’s “knowledge-based economy” by giving smart solutions to enhance detoxification of contaminated sites, apply green technologies, and inspire students, especially woman and minorities, into pursuing careers in science.