Educational Background

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  • I'm  from the south of Puerto Rico born in Ponce and raised in a town called Juana Díaz. I studied in public, military, and Catholic schools. 
  • I have a Biology degree from the University of Puerto Rico - Bayamón (Vaqueros..¡.ahí!). This is where I developed my love for outreach, Conservation and Ecology. 
  • The United States Forest Service took me under their wing and offered me a position as Biological Technician in El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico and partly funded my Master's degree investigation. Working for the federal government was a great experience and I was glad to be surrounded by excellent managers and researchers. 
  • I completed my Master's Degree in Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University.  My thesis topic was  “Population estimates and habitat preferences of mongooses in El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico.”
  • I am currently finishing my PhD in Forest and Wildlife Ecology studying mongoose population genetics and conservation science. 
Picture (right): Chiapas, México. 2007. Sampling invertebrates at an experimental plot from El Colegio la Frontera Sur (Ecosur).