Dr. Alexandra Gorgevska
Dr. Gorgevska is the Department Chair for Biotechnology and Natural Sciences at Palm Beach State College. She also recently served as the Interim Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the Palm Beach Gardens Campus, overseeing all Natural Sciences, Allied Health, Health Concepts and Nutrition, Paralegal Studies and Business & Entrepreneurship. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Biochemistry & Business Management from the University of Michigan and her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Department of Chemistry at Wayne State University specializing in DNA-protein cross-links. Her research involved the investigation and discovery of novel mechanisms and structures of formalin cross-link formation between DNA and proteins that form as a result of the fixation process during biopsy preservation. She has worked as a research technician in the Vascular Research Laboratory at William Beaumont Hospital and a research fellow at the University of Michigan-Department of Physiology studying peripheral vascular occlusive disorders. She was a post-doctoral research fellow at the National Institutes of Health in the National Institute on Aging, where she investigated the mechanisms of rare premature aging disorders, primarily that of Werner's Syndrome.
Dr. Gorgevska has and continues to be involved with the development and expansion of biotechnology curricula to meet the needs of the emerging bioscience community. In 2009, she was honored with the Distinguished New Faculty Award at the 20th International Conference on College Teaching and Learning. She was a research mentor with the U.S. Army eCybermission program. She also served as the Curriculum Development Manager for the Employ Florida Banner Center for Life Sciences at Palm Beach State College, which was a 3-year 1.2 million dollar grant-funded strategic plan to modernize Florida's workforce in order to meet the workforce needs of the state. Dr. Gorgevska was the Principal Investigator for a National Science Foundation Advanced Training Education (NSF-ATE) grant, a 2-year $200,000 funded project that helped to increase enrollment, retention and success of biotechnology students within the program and into their careers. She worked with the Quantum Foundation Science Path Institute, which was a 3-year grant initiative to provide professional development training and updated curriculum for high school science teachers. She helps represent the PBSC Biotechnology Program as part of the LSSF, Life Sciences South Florida consortium, including serving on the student research symposium planning committee. She worked with the PBSC Math & Science Institute for 10 years, which was a summer honors program for dual enrolled and PBSC students. She is currently involved with the PBSC STEM Collegiate High School program. She is also a chemistry instructor with the AAUW Tech Trek summer program for 8th grade girls. She strives to provide high quality instruction by recruiting well-qualified adjunct instructors from industry and research. She provides career mentorship to students in addition to seeking new, relevant curriculum to help train a well-qualified workforce.