Juan Alvarez-Rosario
Role: Peer Mentor and Field Assistant
Location: UMCES Horn Point Laboratory – Solomons, MD
Mr. Juan Alvarez-Rosario is the advisee of Pierson and Harris, co-principle investigators of Centro TORTUGA. Alvarez-Rosario is a member of his graduate committee. His PhD dissertation research is on the ecology of bioluminescent lagoons in Puerto Rico.
Alvarez-Rosario provided mentoring advice during the workshop and has visited the students’ classes during the academic year to discuss geosciences research and professional development activities (e.g. applying to graduate school, career opportunities, internships off of Puerto Rico). He is an important role model for the students. He can also share his experiences as a native Puerto Rican who is pursuing a geosciences graduate program in the continental United States.
Mariana León-Pérez
Affiliation: Graduate Research Assistant & NOAA CCME Fellow
Location: NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program – Puerto Rico
Mariana C. León Pérez is a PhD student in Coastal and Marine System Science working with HRI Endowed Chair for Coastal and Marine Geospatial Sciences, Dr. James Gibeaut. She earned a B.S. in Environmental Science from the Metropolitan University in Puerto Rico and a M.S. in Biological Oceanography from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. Her Master’s thesis focused on estimating long-term changes in seagrass cover within Caja de Muertos Island Nature Reserve using satellite data and historical aerial photographs. In 2016, she was awarded the National Coral Reef Management Fellowship in which she worked for two years conducting an assessment and improving the data accessibility of the Puerto Rico Coral Reef Monitoring Program. She is currently developing her dissertation research project and is interested in using geospatial analysis to better understand human-nature systems and inform management decisions. Mariana is a fellow of the NOAA Educational Partnership Program Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems.
Isabel Sanchez
Role: Peer Mentor
Location: UMCES Horn Point Laboratory – Solomons, MD
Ms. Isabel Sanchez helped as a near-peer mentor during the summer workshop. Sanchez is an important role model for the students. She can share her experiences as a native Puerto Rican who has completed an REU program in the geosciences in the continental United States. She has also worked for a couple of years as a research technician in academic labs on the mainland and is herself applying for graduate programs. She provided another excellent source of information and someone who related well to the undergraduates.
Jan P. Zegarra
Role: XXX
Location: US Fish and Wildlife Service – Boquerón, PR
Angel Dieppa
Affiliation: Department of Natural and Environmental Resources – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DNER – NOAA)
Project goal/objective: Water quality,
land-use relationships
Nilda Jimenez
Affiliation: Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER)
Project goal/objective: Coral reef ecology,
data analyses, applied research
Mark Martin Bras
Affiliation: Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust (VHCT)
Project goal/objective: Water quality,
plankton dynamics bio bays in Vieques