On August 1, 2026, the Faculty of Life Sciences (FLS) celebrated the start of academic activities with the 16 students of the second cohort of the Master’s in Plant Health, a postgraduate program designed to strengthen technical and scientific capacities in crop protection, integrated pest management (IPM), and agricultural biosecurity across the country.
The day commenced with a welcome breakfast led by program coordinator Lisbeth Espinoza, DPM, alongside research professors Diego Quito, Ph.D., and Adriana Santos, Ph.D. During this orientation session, academic leaders highlighted the strategic role that phytosanitary specialists play in addressing emerging plant pathogen threats, while reiterating the institution's commitment to applied scientific research and academic excellence.
The cohort then officially began coursework with the class Biology and Diagnostics of Plant Pathogens, taught by Rodrigo Espinoza, Eng., researcher at the Biotechnological Research Center of Ecuador (CIBE-ESPOL). The inaugural session took place in the faculty's Phytosanitary and Biocontrol Laboratory, where master's students completed their first hands-on laboratory sessions focusing on the diagnostic assessment, screening, and taxonomic identification of agronomically significant plant pathogens.
