Pagán-Torres received her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2011, under the guidance of James Dumesic. At UW, her research focused on developing catalytic technologies for biomass conversion. Before her academic position at UPR, she worked as Senior Engineer for Dow in the Feedstocks and Alternative Technologies R&D group in Freeport, Texas. Her research, teaching, and service contributions have been recognized by the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez College of Engineering Distinguished Professor Award (2017 and 2020). She also serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for the ACS journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.
Pagán-Torres is committed to providing guidance, support, and mentorship to aspiring young scientists and engineers as they make career decisions and explore research avenues. She is also passionate about increasing the participation of women and minority students in science and engineering.