On July 2024, I finished my PhD in Environmental Life Sciences at Arizona State University (ASU). My PhD research focused on root functional traits in many aspects. Specifically, I studied how grass species root functional traits are affected by different soil abiotic conditions (based on soil restoration modifications) and species identity, how root traits affect root decomposition rate and developing photogrammetry mechanisms to measure these root traits. 

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  I also have a deep interest in community engagement, intersectional justice, art and science communication. Integrating these interests into my scientific background is leading me to explore the topic of restoration in a more  holistic perspective. I am hoping to explore these topics at my postdoc at Earth System Science of the Anthropocene (ESSA) lead by Dr. Nancy Grimm at ASU. 

 

 

Background

Born and raised in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, my undergraduate studies were at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, in the Environmental Sciences Program. Through my undergraduate years, I have been working on topics like mating mechanisms in Red-Eyed Tree frogs in Costa Rica, community outreach in Puerto Rico, and how drought affects nitrogen cycles at El Yunque National Forest. Moreover, I have researched about antibacterial and anti-fungal properties of algae's allelopathy at New Mexico State University and how wildfires affect the nitrogen cycle at the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta with the Polaris Project at Woodwell Climate Research Center. All these experiences led me to discover my curiosity for drylands' soil restoration, plant roots, and their interactions.