Dr. Olbelina Ulloa grew up in the Dominican Republic, where her Catholic education helped her develop a lifelong love of science and mathematics. After immigrating to the United States, she became the first in her family to earn a college degree, completing a BS in Chemistry at the University of Connecticut.

As an undergraduate, she co-authored research on para-iodination of anilines and phenols with Professor Shawn Burdette. She went on to earn her Ph.D. at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, studying NiFe hydrogenase models in the lab of Professor Thoma Rauchfuss—work later highlighted by JACS for its significance. During her time at UIUC, she also became a United States citizen. Drawn to teaching, Dr. Ulloa served as a Wiess Fellow at Rice University, supporting Organic Chemistry instruction and conducting metallopeptide research with Professor Zachary Ball.

She later joined Texas A&M University at Galveston as an Instructional Assistant Professor, teaching General, Organic, and Green Chemistry. Inspired by the transformative impact of Catholic education, Dr. Ulloa joined the University of St. Thomas in 2022 as an Associate Professor. She now teaches Organic, Advanced Organic, Inorganic, and General Chemistry. Her research focuses on electrode modification for hydrogen production and carbon dioxide recapture, as well as chromatographic analysis of pollutants.