2025

December 2025

Borda is selected as a speaker for the TEDxTAMU Conference, C’est la vie: Finding Meaning in the Chaos. 

November 2025

Borda hosts Texas Groundwater Invertebrate Forum at A&M-SA, bringing together leading experts in groundwater invertebrate research from across Texas and beyond. The event welcomed nearly 60 participants, including faculty, students, and representatives from government agencies and industry. The forum also highlighted student achievements through oral and poster presentation awards, fostering collaboration and advancing dialogue on groundwater biodiversity and conservation.

October 2025

Muntadher Mashan (undergraduate) is selected for Outstanding Senior Award for his contributions to A&M-SA through academic achievement, campus leadership and involvement, community service, honors, and awards. Congratulations!!

We completed our first inter-institutional expedition with Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) to Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico: Borda (PI), Dr. Calderon-Gutierrez (SFA), along with collaborator Efrain Chavez-Solis (UNAM-Sisal).

September 2025

Dr. Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez joins the Department of Biology at Stephen F. Austin State University as Assistant Professor. Congratulations and good luck!

Summer 2025

Gabrielle Vaughn (MS Biology) successfully defends her MS Thesis entitled, Insights Into Subterranean Connectivity within the Aquifer of the Yucatan Peninsula: Population Genetics and Distribution of Typhlatya Species. Congratulations!!

Dr. Borda and undergraduates, Marco Rodriguez and Connor Grizzle, embark and become certified in specialty dive training in Deep Sport Diving (100 ft), Limited Visibility, Nitrogen Narcosis Management, and RAPID Rescue. 

May 2025

A new course in Scientific Diving, led by Dr. Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez as instructor, is offered as a Maymester, certifying eight A&M-SA graduate and undergraduate students. Graduate students, Bernard Mbithi (MS Biology) and Angela Roth (MS Biology), and undergraduate students, Elizabeth Almendarez (Biology), Connor Grizzle (Biology), Erin Guinn (Biology, Ricardo Henriquez (WATR), William Joyner (Criminology), Marco Rodriguez (Biology), received training and certifications in Advanced Bouyancy Control (ABC), and Basic and Advanced Underwater Navigation, and Depth Ratings ranging 30-60 ft.  

The course is features in A&M-SA Today and San Antonio Express News

April 2025

Members of the Borda Lab attend and present at the A&M-SA Student Research Symposium, San Antonio, Texas: Bernard Mbithi (MS Biology), Muntadher Mashan (undergraduate), Marci Casias (undergraduate), Connor Grizzle (undergraduate), and Marco Rodriguez (undergraduate). Congratulations!! 

Bernard Mbithi wins First Place (Graduate Oral) and Muntadher Mashan wins First Place (Undergraduate Oral)

March/April 2025

PI Borda participates in Meiofaunal Workshop hosted by Dr. Samuel Gomez and Dr. Beatriz Yanez Rivera at the Institute of Marine Sciences and Limnology, Mazatlan Academic Unit.

February 2025

Fifth (and final)  expedition with research team to Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula & Conzumel Island, Mexico: Borda (PI), Dr. Calderon-Gutierrez, David Brankvits (National Research Council of Italy) and John Pohlman (USGS).

January 2025

Borda lab featured in the news: San Antonio Express News and KLRN TV (Starting: 9:15).

Members of the Borda Lab attend and present at the 2025 Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Austin, Texas: Dr. Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez (postdoc), Gabrielle Vaughn (MS Biology), Grace Tindall (MS Biology), Gabrielle Silva (undergraduate) and Danielle Bragg (undergraduate)

2024

December 2024

Danielle Bragg (Graduating Senior) recognized with Academic Distinguished Award Medal by A&M-SA President Hector Ochoa - December 15, 2024!

Borda recognized with Most Influential Mentor Award Medal by by A&M-SA President Hector Ochoa, representing the Department of Natural Sciences.

Our new Dive Safety Program just launched under the leadership of Dive Safety Officer Dr. Calderon-Gutierrez! Check out our website (in progress): A&M-SA Dive Program

November 2024

Borda Lab in the News! Beneath the Surface. A&M SA Today. Written by Sam Boykin, November 20, 2024

Fourth  expedition with research team to Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula & Conzumel Island, Mexico: Borda (PI), Dr. Calderon-Gutierrez, and Jairo Arroyave (Universidad Autónoma de Mexico).

New Paper out! Fernando Calderón-Gutiérrez, Jessica M Labonté, Brett C Gonzalez, Thomas M Iliffe, Luis M Mejía-Ortíz and Elizabeth Borda. Cryptic diversity patterns of subterranean estuaries. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 291 (2024): 20241483.

September 2024

Members of the Borda Lab attend and present at the 26th International Conference on Subterranean Biology and 6th International Symposium on Anchialine Ecosystems, Sardinia, Italy: Dr. Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez (postdoc) and Borda (PI).

April 2024

Borda awarded Texas A&M University San Antonio Research Council Grant: Diversity and mitogenomics of Chloeia species (Amphinomidae) from biodiversity hotspots.

Members of the Borda Lab attend and present at the A&M-SA Student Research Symposium, San Antonio, Texas: Gabrielle Vaughn (MS Biology), Danielle Bragg (undergraduate) and Muntadher Mashan (undergraduate). Daniel Bragg - First Place Winner - Undergraduate Oral Presentation!

Members of the Borda Lab attend and present at the inaugrual 3-Minute Thesis Competition, San Antonio, Texas: Gabrielle Vaughn (MS Biology), Bernard Mbithi (MS Biology). Bernard Mbithi - Peoples Choice Award!!

Members of the Borda Lab attend and present at the Ecology Integration Symposium, College Station, Texas: Dr. Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez (postdoc), Gabrielle Vaughn (MS Biology), Danielle Bragg (undergraduate) and Muntadher Mashan (undergraduate).

March  2024

Borda notified of promotion to Associate Professor (Starting September 1, 2024).

February 2024

Third  expedition with research team to Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula & Conzumel Island, Mexico: Borda (PI), Dr. Joan Bernhard (PI), Dr. Calderon-Gutierrez, Shari Rohret (PhD Candidate, WHOI/MIT), and Beatriz Yanez Rivera (Universidad Autónoma de Mexico - Mazatlan)

January 2024

Collaborative grant awarded to Dr. Ashley Teufel (Assistant Professor; PI), Dr. Rodolfo Valdez (coPI) and Borda (coPI) awarded the College of Arts and Sciences Research Grant: Using artificial intelligence to enhance urban ecosystem studies in south San Antonio. 

2023

November  2023

New Paper out! Fernández-Lereé CG, Ávila-García A, Sánchez C, Borda E, López-Vivas JM, Huato-Soberanis L, and Gómez-Gutiérrez J. Zenopontonia soror caridean shrimp exhibits dynamical mimicry with sea star host switching. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 568 (2023) 151936.

August  2023

New Paper out! Calderón Gutiérrez F, Iliffe TM, Borda E, Yañez G and Labonté J. Resilience of the karst subterranean estuary to precipitation impacts. Ecology and Evolution. 13(8): e10415.

Members of the Borda Lab attend and present at the Southwestern Association of Naturalists, San Antonio, Texas: Dr. Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez (postdoc), Max Sahi (undergraduate) and Borda (PI)

Max Sahi (undergraduate) successfully presents his summer research at the CIMA-LSAMP Poster Symposium. San Antonio, Texas.

May  2023

Expedition with Borda Lab member and Kiss Rebreather Exploration team to Sotuta, Yucatan, Mexico: Borda (PI), Dr. Calderon-Gutierrez, Gabrielle Vaughn (MS Biology), and Danielle Bragg (undergraduate)

April  2023

New Paper out! Ávila-García A, Sánchez C, Huato-Soberanis L, Borda E and Gómez-Gutiérrez J. Continuous reproduction causes stable population structure of Sandyella tricornuta (Decapoda: Palaemonidae) epibiont of black coral. Pacific Science 76 (4): 397-410.

February 2023

Second expedition with research team to Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula & Conzumel Island, Mexico: Borda (PI), Dr. Calderon-Gutierrez, Shari Rohret (PhD Candidate, WHOI/MIT), Dr. David Brankovits (coPI, NRCI, Italy), Dr. John Pohlman (USGS), Jake Emmert (Moody Gardens) and Olinka Cores Gardana (Universidad Autónoma Del Estado De Quintana Roo)

January 2023

Members of the Borda Lab attend and present at the 2023 Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Austin, Texas: Dr. Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez (postdoc), Gabrielle Vaughn (MS Biology), Grace Tindall (MS Biology), Gabrielle Silva (undergraduate) and Danielle Bragg (undergraduate)

2022

November 2022

Members of the Borda Lab attend and present at the 5th International Symposium on Anchialine Ecosystems, Hilo, Hawaii: Dr. Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez (postdoc), Gabrielle Vaughn (MS Biology), Danielle Bragg (undergraduate) and Borda (PI)

September 2022

Dr. Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez joins the Borda Lab as a Postdoctoral Research Associate, funded by NSF Bio-OCE # 2136322)

First expedition with research team to Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula & Conzumel Island, Mexico: Borda (PI), Dr. Calderon-Gutierrez, Shari Rohret (PhD Candidate, WHOI/MIT), Dr. David Brankovits (coPI, NRCI, Italy), Dr. Alejandro Martinez (NRCI, Italy), Dr. Efrain Chavez-Solis, and Olinka Cores Gardana (Universidad Autónoma Del Estado De Quintana Roo)

August 2022

Borda awarded the College of Arts and Sciences 2021 Excellence in Service Award ($1,000)

May 2022

Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez defends his thesis, Characterizing the ecosystem function and biodiversity in the anchialine caves of the Caribbean Coast of the Yucatan Peninsula and marine caves of Belize, at Texas A&M University at Galveston. Congratulations Dr. Calderon-Gutierrez!

April 2022

New Funding! Borda receives funding from the National Science Foundation, Biological Oceanography Program (NSF Bio-OCE, # 2136322), Collaborative Research: Illuminating Cave Benthos in Subterranean Estuaries- Biodiversity, Ecology, and Role in Coastal Ecosystem Functioning [Lead Institution/Collaboration: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Dr. Joan Bernhard & Dr. David Brankovits, coPI]

Members of the Borda Lab attend and present at the A&M-SA Student Research Symposium, San Antonio, Texas: Gabrielle Vaughn (MS Biology), Gabrielle Silva (undergraduate), Danielle Bragg (undergraduate) and Cody Campbell (undergraduate).  Gabrielle Vaughn - First Place Winner - Gradue Oral Presentation! Gabrielle Silva - First Place Winner - Undergraduate Oral Presentation!

March 2022

New Paper out! Ballou L, Brankovits D, Chavez-Solis E, Chavez-Diaz J., Gonzalez B, Rohret Salinas A, Liu A, Simoes N, Alvarez F, Miglietta MP, Iliffe T, and Borda E. An integrative re-evaluation of Typhlatya shrimp within the karst aquifer of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. Scientific Reports 12(1): 1-17

2021

November 2021

New Paper out! Müller J, Schumacher A, Borda E, Rouse GW, Bartolomaeus T and Tilic E. “Brittleworms”: Ultra-structure and arrangement of the calcified chaetae of Euphrosine (Amphinomida, Annelida). Invertebrate Biology 140(4): e12353.

July 2021

Lauren Ballou defends her PhD Thesis, Phylogeny and Evolution of Anchialine Species, at Texas A&M University at Galveston. Congratulations Dr. Ballou!

May 2021

Grace Tindall, graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Master of Science in Biology, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, Fall 2021

Undergraduate, Omar Carrillo, graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, Suma Cum Laude. Master of Science in Biology, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Fall 2021

February 2021

New research note out! Stegenga BS, Jarboe A, Stevenson DJ and Borda E. Parasitism of the Two-toed Amphiuma (Amphiuma means Garden) by the macrobdellid leech Macrobdella ditetra Moore. Southeastern Naturalist 20 (1), N1. 

Borda awarded  TAMUSA College of Arts and Sciences Summer Research Fellowship: NSF Career Grant Proposal Submission – Evolution in the Mayan Underworld: diversity, evolution, and conservation of anchialine cave fauna of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

2020

December 2020

Undergraduate, Nancy Benavidez-Ortega, graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, Suma Cum Laude

November 2020

Undergraduate, Nancy Benavidez-Ortega, is selected is recognized for her presentation with a 2020 SACNAS Student Presenation Award. 

Undergraduate, Nancy Benavidez-Ortega, presents collaborative (Cody Campbell and Omar Carillo) poster at ABRCMS

October 2020

Undergraduate, Nancy Benavidez-Ortega, presents collaborative (Cody Campbell and Omar Carillo) poster at SACNAS

September 2020

Undergraduates, Cody Campbell, Omar Carrillo and Grace Tindall,  present at the University of Texas San Antonio Earth Symposium

June 2020

New paper out! Ávila-García et al. From five to one: Sandyella species (Palaemonidae) are distinct ontogenetic stages of a single species. Zoologica Scripta 49(4): 488-498 

May 2020

Borda awarded  TAMUSA College of Arts and Sciences Summer Research Fellowship and Grant: Continuing Research - Evolution in the Mayan Underworld: diversity, adaptation, and gene expression in Typhlatya cave shrimp of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico 

2019

September 2019

Visiting Researcher, Dr. Jerry Kudenov visits the Borda Lab to collaborate on the morphological evaluation of Amphinomida

May 2019

Visiting Researcher, Efrain Chavez-Solis (UNAM, Sisal), visits the Borda Lab to initiate research on the gene expression and evolution of Typhlatya

March 2019

Fieldwork in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico and collaboration with Researchers of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Sisal; Presentation at the 1st International Anchialine Ecosystems Workshop Merida, Mexico

February 2019

New paper out! Siddall et al. Ideating iDNA: Lessons and limitations from leeches in legacy collections. PLOS ONE.  https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0212226

2018

December 2018

Borda awarded Texas A&M University San Antonio Research Council Grant: Evolution in the Mayan Underworld: diversity, adaptation, and gene expression in Typhlatya cave shrimp of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico