Meet The Scientists!

Jan Schipper Posted on May 28, 2006 by

Jan is a PhD candidate with the University of Idaho & Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Ensenanza (CATIE) and is the Director and founder of ProCAT International. He is also Director of CI-IUCN Global Mammal Assessment. Jan is a Neotropical mammal ecologist, conservation scientist, and biogeographer, and has over 15 years of experience working in Costa Rica and throughout the Americas. His current research focuses estimating the distribution and density of Felids and their prey across a variety of habitat types and land-uses. Other interests include conservation photography and the use of camera-traps in studying and monitoring rare and elusive wildlife. When not making maps and running trap lines, Jan can be found practicing underwater photography on the reef or fixing camera-traps.

José Fernando González-Maya Posted on May 28, 2006 by

Jose is a tropical biologist, MSc in Tropical Forest Biodiversity Management and Conservation, working in Costa Rica for over 5 years in tropical research and conservation. Jose has worked for the National Biodiversity Institute, and was consultant of the PNUD, MINAE, TNC and CATIE among others. He is currently Research Coordinator of ProCAT international and Director for ProCAT Colombia. His research is focused on the assessment and conservation of big mammals, mainly jaguar, prey and other carnivores, the abundance estimation techniques and conservation assessment in mountain areas. He is also an experienced photographer and field ecologist. When not in the field working with camera-traps, Jose can be found working on his sustainable development and eco-tourism project trying to link the economical development with conservation.

Luis Gustavo Hernández Sánchez Posted on Oct 11, 2007 by admin

Gustavo is a Forestry Engineer from TEC University in Costa Rica, and holds a MSc in Tropical Forest Management and Conservation from CATIE. His work has been primary related with forest management, ecology and genetics, working in several tropical countries. His current work is related with ecological and conservation genetics of tropical forests biodiversity and possible impacts of forest management and climate change on biodiversity. Currently, he works for the INISEFOR (National University Institute for research and forestry services) and is Terrestrial Research Coordinator for ProCAT International. When not in the field collecting genetic samples, Tavo can be found fighting for Karate championships defending his black belt.

Edgar Mauricio González Posted on Oct 06, 2007 by admin

Mauricio is a financial and international relationships specialist from Universidad Externado de Colombia. His work has been focused on financial analysis and projects management and design. Currently he is CEO for FINVESTCO, a company dealing with project design and financial analysis and is the Legal Representant for ProCAT Colombia. On research he is advisor on subjects such as ecotourism, development and economy. When not running models on his office, Mauricio can be found playing soccer, hiking in the woods or at the stadium supporting his favourite team, Millonarios from Bogotá.

Diego Andrés Zarrate Posted on Oct 07, 2007 by admin

Diego is a marine biologist from Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano in Colombia. He is the Aquatic Biodiversity Research Thematic Coordinator for ProCAT International and Sub-director for ProCAT Colombia. He has worked in marine research for different institutions in Colombia, focusing on ecology and biology of fisheries in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean in Colombia. His current research interest is focused on the effects of human use on marine and terrestrial ecosystems, mainly on the interface of these two environments and sustainable development related with these effects. Currently Diego works in cooperation with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on historical analysis of shrimp "bycatch" on the multi-scale analysis and conservation of terrestrial-marine ecosystems. When not sampling fisheries or shrimps Diego can be found practicing marine sports specially apnea diving.

Tomás López Londoño Posted on Oct 06, 2007 by admin

Tomás is a Marine Biologist from the Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano and is the Aquatic Research Coordinator for ProCAT International and ProCAT Colombia. His research has focussed on coral reef ecology, having worked with cold-water corals and shallow-water corals reproduction and recruitment. When not working with biological information, Tomás can be found in field making marine surveys or terrestrial samplings or making an attempt to surf in some hidden beach.

Sergio Alejandro Balaguera Posted on Jan 15, 2008 by admin

Sergio is a marine biologist from Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano. His work has been related mainly with ecology of aquatic ecosystems focusing on species from crocodiles to otters, research methods and populations estimates. Currently he is the Aquatic Biodiversity Research Thematic Coordinator for ProCAT International and Terrestrial Research Coordinator for ProCAT Colombia. Additionally, Sergio works as Research Associate for Fundación Omacha Colombia and has also experience working on fisheries and captive management of amphibians and reptiles. When not in a boat surveying crocodiles, Sergio can be found listening and playing his favourite metal music.

Armando H. Escobedo Galván Posted on Oct 10, 2007 by admin

Armando is a PhD student in Biomedical Sciences at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). His work has been related primarily with crocodiles and caimans, understanding the population ecology, threats and possible effects of climate change on their populations. He has several publications on crocodilians and conservation, and has experience working on Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador and Peru. Currently, he is dedicated to his PhD studies about climate change modelling and their effects on biodiversity and is Research Associate for ProCAT international on the interactions on terrestrial and aquatic environments and climate change. Armando is also the Terrestrial Ecosystems Thematic Coordinator for ProCAT Colombia. When not on a boat trapping caimans, Armando can be found watching or playing soccer.

Elizabeth Navarro-Arquez Posted on Oct 06, 2007 by admin

Liz is a Colombian biologist from Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá. She is a compromised mammalogist and since her undergraduate has focused on mammal ecology in mountain areas. His research interests are felids , mainly jaguar and puma, ecology and conservation and the understanding of threats to mammal populations from the ecological perspective. Currently she is Research Associate for ProCAT working with jaguar diets and distributions in Talamanca and is implementing a jaguar density study for the Tortuguero Conservation Area. When not in the field collecting scats or doing camera/trapping, Liz can be found hiking with her dogs.

Catalina Angel Yunda Posted on May 07, 2008 by admin

Catalina is a marine biologist from Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Colombia. Her work has been related mainly with ecology and biogeography of crustacean species. Currently she is working in a project based on the identification and ecology of jellyfish in the Caribbean coast of Colombia with ProCAT. Additionally, Catalina works in the marine natural museum of INVEMAR (Institute of marine and coastal research). When not identifying crustaceans she can be found fishing, practicing surf, getting a new tattoo or listening punk rock music.

Amancay de Atacama Cepeda Posted on Jun 16, 2008 by admin

Amancay is a marine biologist who has been working in Chile in projects related with the protection and conservation of natural resources, mainly on the knowledge of the natural patrimonies of the Atacama region of Chile, laboring not only in generating base information of the flora and fauna of the region but also doing environmental education with high school students aiming their priorities on the care of the nature. Amancay is a sea lover so you can find her always thinking about how to get advantage of the ocean reducing the damage as posible and she also loves to do diving, trekking, climbing and enyoing seafood. Amancay is Research Associate of GMA Consultores (Environmental Managment and Monitoring Consultant), Corporación Naturaleza Para Todos (Nature For Everyone Corporation) and ProCAT Colombia.

Juan Mata-Lorenzen Posted on Mar 05, 2007 by admin

Juan is a naturalist and biology student from Costa Rica, he has a vast experience with insects ecology and taxonomy, mainly with mantids and termites and has worked with birds in Costa Rica and Colombia. He has been working for the National Biodiversity Institute (INBio) for over 6 years. Now he is in charge of the butterfly farming project at Veragua in Costa Rican Caribbean, and is Research Associate of ProCAT where he is dealing with the establishment of insect surveys in the landscape scale to understand processes and patterns in mountain areas, and biodiversity field monitoring at long term. When not in the field with his nets, he can be found on the office doing what he knows best...

David Alberto Zarrate Posted on Oct 13, 2007 by admin

David is Finances and International Relationships professional and has post-graduate studies in finances and a Masters degree in Economical Analisys. His work has been related mainly with development working for the government all over Colombia and is assessor in economy and development for different institutions. He has travelled almost the entire country solving developmental issues in rural and urban communities. He is advisor for ProCAT on issues related with development and conservation interactions in rural populations. When not discussing deep developmental issues David can be found at the stadium or enjoying "the best tomato soup in the world" in Bogota downtown.

Victor Baruch Arroyo Posted on Jan 15, 2008 by admin

Victor is a Mexican biologist working on big mammal conservation ad GIS ecological analysis for the last three years. His work has been related mainly with extinction modelling since the Pleistocene. Currently he is doing an internship in the Spatial Analysis lab at UNAM under Dr. Martinez-Meyer advice and is Research Associate for ProCAT. Baruch is also an experimented photographer and enjoys travelling and the field work. When not running complex niche analysis, Baruch can be found training his martial art.

Beth Polidoro Posted on May 28, 2006 by

Beth is PhD in Soil and Water Quality from University of Idaho and Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE), and is Research Associate for ProCAT on conservation chemist. Her current research is focused on the ecotoxicology of applied pesticides in Talamanca, Costa Rica. For the past three years she has been collaborating with regional NGOs and several research institutions to monitor contaminants in aquatic resources and to develop an ecological risk assessment for contaminants in Talamanca. She also works closely with indigenous farmers to characterize soils on their farms and to develop community based educational resources on pesticide safety and the reduction of agrochemical use. Beth loves to travel and has spent the past 12 years working on projects in S.E. Asia, Latin America, Africa and the U.S. that combine community development and education with natural resource conservation. When not sampling for contaminants, Beth enjoys snorkelling along the Caribbean coast and making jewelry.