Lilian Mojica graduated from Pontificia Javeriana University, Bogotá-Colombia, with a bachelor’s degree in industrial microbiology. In 2002, she completed a master’s degree in Environmental Studies from Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas.

During her undergraduate studies, she investigated the Antagonistic effect between lactic acid bacteria and salmonella enteritis. Further research work was completed with these isolated bacteria to create and commercialize a new probiotic product to prevent hazardous growth of salmonellosis.

With the goal to implement biotechnology in the environmental field, she directed a project on the isolation, identification and growth of azotobacter sp. This enabled the production of bio-fertilizers from pilot scale to full scale. This product is still in use for soil recovery and to improve the production of organic food in some areas of her country.

After completing her Master of Science in Environmental Studies, she worked for seven years as a laboratory supervisor for an a environmental company, JF Thorpe Consultants, determining and reporting if drinking water samples met TCEQ & EPA-Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Standards. She also performed the Total Characteristics Leachate Procedure (TCLP) to assure that no toxic or hazardous substances were present before disposal at a land fill or at beneficial land farms (BLF).

After a career break, she enrolled in the Professional Science Master’s program in Environmental Analysis at Rice University to broaden her environmental knowledge and advance her career. She plans to find a career with focus on environmental compliance and permitting.