ourCollaboratorsIntro
Ricardo Carrera-Martínez
Raised in the fields of San Germán and Sabana Grande, Ricardo developed an interest in earthworms during his undergraduate studies. He completed a master’s degree studying the distribution and diversity of semi-aquatic earthworms. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin, researching the diversity of earthworms in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, as well as the phenomenon of gigantism in Puerto Rican species.
Ricardo Carrera-Martínez
Ecologist
Abdiel Santana
Abdiel Santana is a graduate of the UPR, Mayagüez Campus, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Agronomy with a specialization in soils. He works as a soil scientist at the Natural Resources Conservation Service. He collects small samples of clay in various colors that he finds while describing soils in his work, shaping them into different geometric figures.
Abdiel Santana
Soil scientist
Mariely Morales-Vargas
Passionate about biology, the earth, and visual arts from a young age. In 2017, she left the private sector to focus on the non-traditional education of her two children. She now dedicates her time to fostering creative and free learning for her children and enjoying her favorite hobbies, which include watercolor painting, farming, knitting, open-water swimming, and cycling throughout Puerto Rico.
Mariely Morales-Vargas
Biologist
Samuel Ríos Tirado
Samuel, originally from Mayagüez, is a soil scientist with over 22 years of experience at USDA-NRCS. His work focuses on updating soil surveys, with an emphasis on coastal, urban, and under-documented areas such as the limestone belt in northern Puerto Rico and Mona Island. He also collaborates on research related to saline-sodic and acid-sulfate soils, as well as projects involving Caribbean wetlands.
Samuel Ríos Tirado
Soil Scientist
Amara Abdal Figueroa
Amara Abdal Figueroa lives between Puerto Rico and Kuwait. She is an agroceramicist, artist, and environmental advocate. Amara is dedicated to the study of soils and the use of ceramics as a key tool for conserving essential resources such as land and water. As the founder of Tierrafiltra, she has spent over a decade deeply connected to the earth, integrating ancestral knowledge with innovative ecological approaches.
Amara Abdal Figueroa
Artist
Dr. David Sotomayor
Dr. David Sotomayor Ramírez is a Professor in the Department of Agro-Environmental Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez. His research focuses on nutrient management, soil fertility, soil health, microbial ecology, water quality, and watershed management. He leads the Soil Fertility and Water Quality Laboratory, with the objective of quantifying and improving soil health through sustainable agricultural practices and conservation techniques.
Dr. David Sotomayor
Soil Scientist
Rosaura Rodríguez
Artist and educator from Puerto Rico interested in nature and society through a multisensory approach. She creates illustrations, graphic narratives, pigments, and objects where manual creation and artisanal traditions converge with contemporary experimentation.
Rosaura Rodríguez
Artist and educator
Dr. Miguel Muñoz
Dr. Miguel Muñoz has over 20 years of experience as a professor of Soil Science at the College of Agricultural Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses. His work includes mentoring and active participation in research on soils and environmental sciences. His areas of interest include the chemistry and mineralogy of iron oxides, soil genesis and classification, soil health and quality and more.
Dr. Miguel Muñoz
Soil Scientist
Manuel Matos
Manuel Matos is the State Soil Scientist for the Caribbean Area at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Since 2004, he has held various roles within NRCS, leading soil teams across several states and territories, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Additionally, he has participated in international training programs and has received multiple awards, such as the "Nopal" Award and the USDA Under Secretary Honors Award in 2018.
Manuel Matos
Soil Scientist
Beverly Álvarez Torres
Beverly is an expert in soil salinity and urban soils, she combines research, education, and scientific communication. As the founder of Soil Science Ladies, where she promotes diversity and inclusion in soil science, connecting and supporting women and marginalized communities.
Beverly Álvarez Torres
Soil Scientist
Dra. Nina Camillone
Dr. Nina Camillone is deeply committed to studying the connections between conservation agriculture, soil microbial health, and the human aspects of community development. During her doctoral studies, she developed low-cost soil health testing methods and used DNA sequencing to characterize the soil microbial community in Costa Rican coffee plantations, in collaboration with EARTH University.
Dra. Nina Camillone
Ecologist
Dra. Lara M. Sánchez
Lara's research currently focuses on studying the relationship between humans and their landscapes through the analysis of the physical and chemical components of ancient soils, as well as microbotanical remains deposited within them. For Lara, soils are the foundation of life on our planet, safeguarding millennia-old stories that reveal social, ecological, and climatic changes.
Dra. Lara M. Sánchez
Environmental Archaeologist
Steve Maldonado Silvestrini
An artist and self-taught botanist/plant taxonomist. Although his academic background is in architecture and design, he currently works on several projects and explorations that intersect the practices of art and science. His artistic work centers on living systems, interspecies communication, mutualism, natural history collections, and site-specific/time-specific explorations.
Steve Maldonado Silvestrini
Artist and botanist
Kidany Selles
Kidany Selles is dedicated to researching residential soils within the Río Piedras Watershed in Puerto Rico. Through his work, he aims to understand the benefits that residential soils provide and how human decisions impact the ecological functioning of soils.
Kidany Selles
Biologist, doctoral student
José R. Almodóvar
He works as a scientific instrumentation specialist at the Microscopy Center at the UPR, Mayagüez Campus. He is also a landscape and nature photographer. José has been recognized receiving awards in international competitions such as Olympus Bioscapes and Nikon Small World.
José R. Almodóvar
Scientific and photographer
Femarie Rosario Disla
Femarie Rosario Disla is a professional artist and interior designer from Gurabo, Puerto Rico, whose work spans a variety of mediums. Her artistic vision combines creativity and functionality, enhancing spaces and projects with her unique touch. As part of Arte-Suelo-Ser, Femarie contributed her talent by designing with Alexandra Santos the logo for the Caribbean Soil Museum, capturing the essence of soil conservation and education.
Femarie Rosario Disla
Artist
Ana C. Rivera Arroyo
She is skilled in multiple mediums such as drawing, painting, ceramics, and performance props. She is primarily known for her watercolor paintings. Her artwork explores autobiographical themes related to femininity, nature, and magical realism. She is also deeply interested in the flora and tropical vegetation of the Caribbean.
Ana C. Rivera Arroyo
Artist
Malena Ramirez
Malena is a faculty member at the School of Theatre at Penn State University and a member of the Spanish Repertory Theatre Company in New York City, where she performed in plays such as "In the Time of the Butterflies", "Discreet but in Love", among others. When she is not acting, she enjoys roller skating and creating comics and illustrations. Additionally, Malena teaches acting and clown workshops at various schools and universities.
Malena Ramirez
Ilustrator and actress