Victor H. Gutiérrez-Vélez
victorhugo@temple.edu

I investigate how climate variability and human use of the land interact to transform the biosphere and its capacity to support life. Applications include the use of remote sensing, geospatial intelligence, and data-intensive modeling to study changes in ecosystems and biodiversity, fire dynamics, disease risk and survival, and spatio-temporal variations in air quality. My research integrates diverse data sources, methods, and disciplinary perspectives for environmental monitoring and modeling while fostering collaborations across scientific and knowledge traditions to understand human-nature relationships. I also contribute with the development of data and information infrastructure to inform decisions that align human well-being and the conservation of nature.

I have a master’s degree in Geographic Information Science from Clark University and a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology from Columbia University.

Victoria Sarmiento is a PhD student in Geography and Urban Studies. Her research centers on Land System Science, with a keen interest in exploring the relationship between environmental change, land use, and socioeconomic dynamics. She has over a decade of professional experience in biology and wildlife management, and she is proficient in GIS and remote sensing techniques, tools essential for environmental studies. Her dissertation centers on the Caribbean region of Colombia, exploring how wetland transformations correlate with extreme weather events like floods and droughts and their subsequent impact on local communities. This study also critically examines how post-disaster policy interventions interact with land use assessing their role in either exacerbating or mitigating the challenges faced by these communities. Victoria’s work aims to contribute to the development of effective strategies that can effectively mitigate the negative consequences of environmental change, especially in areas as vulnerable as the Colombian Caribbean.

I am a Land Systems and Landscape Ecology researcher with expertise in remote sensing, GIS, and connectivity analyses in Latin American landscapes. In my work I combine geospatial methods to understand ecosystem and biodiversity changes in landscapes, and how these transformations are interrelated with human wellbeing. I also have experience in the formulation and development of wildlife conservation and management projects, focused on connectivity and conservation within fragmented landscapes. Currently my dissertation is focused on evaluating the contributions of different management categories of protected areas and collective territories to ecosystem preservation and functional connectivity maintenance. In addition, understanding the human wellbeing factors associated with these contributions.  

I am master in Ecology and Conservation from Instituto de Ecología A.C., Mexico, and I earned my bachelor’s in Biology in Universidad del Quindío, Colombia. Aside from my work, my hobby focuses on describing wildlife characteristics through scientific illustration. 

I am an Environmental Engineer with a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from the Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia. My research has focused on evaluating the spatiotemporal variation of particulate matter (PM_2.5 levels) and other pollutants through the development of land use regression models for different cities in Colombia, adding to the groundwork for understanding urban air pollution dynamics and health effects exposure to air pollution. 

My expertise spans from research to data analysis, spatial science, and emissions modeling targeted to evaluate impacts of air pollution on public health and climate change, evident in my contributions to the implementation of the National Strategy for Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCP) of Colombia and the inclusion of SLCPs in relevant planning processes, such as the Nationally Determined Contribution for the Paris Agreement and the National Air Quality Strategy of Colombia. 

Viviana Ceballos

I am a PhD student in Geography, Environment, and Urban Studies. My research focuses on the relationship between sustainable agriculture, conservation, and people’s well-being in rural communities. My experience has been developed in Colombia, working with communities affected by armed conflict and displacement.

I have an undergraduate degree on political scientist from the University of Antioquia. My expertise includes the use of qualitative and quantitative research methods to analyze conservation, restoration, and alternative land-use initiatives implemented by community organizations in areas historically affected by armed conflict.