Costa Rica: Field Research in the Environment, Social Sciences, & Humanities
San José & field sites, Costa Rica
Program faculty & staff
Click here to meet the spring research advisors and learn about possible areas of research!
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Christopher Vaughan 
Program Director
Supervises all administrative and educational program matters and coordinates the work of professors and staff. Serves as contact in case of emergencies and for general information about the program.
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Eduardo Estevanovich
Spanish Language and Academic Coordinator
Coordinates the Spanish language program and trains the language teachers, teaching classes Monday through Friday.
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Judith Magnan
Coordinator of Academic Services
Manages student placement and support in rural host families, as well as coordinating the Tico scholarship program, and supervising the library and computer services. Judy is a graduate of Grinnell College and an alumna of the spring ACM Costa Rica Field Research program.
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Alejandra Loaiza Ch.
Financial Assistant
Coordinates all financial matters for the ACM Costa Rica program, including payroll, family payments, service providers, and building maintenance.
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Kennia Umaña
Administrative Assistant
Handles administrative work and student services, including the management of student placement and support in San José host families.
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Iveth Duarte
Building Attendant
Is responsible for taking care of and maintaining the building, and she prepares food for all ACM events.
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Hermes Sandoval
Security Guard
Don Hermes has been with ACM for many years- he opens the building in the morning, helps students exit the building at the end of the day and on weekends, and is also a good resource on a variety of topics from the weather and the daily news to soccer.
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I considered a number of study abroad programs before choosing ACM, and what appealed to me about the Costa Rica Field Research program was that it allowed me to pursue independent research at a single site over several months, rather than "touring" many sites for just a few days at a time with larger groups of students, as was typical of many other programs. The educational "pay-off" of this approach, both in terms of insights gained from the many hours spent in the field and in terms of the language skills and cultural experiences gained from living in a small, rural community, was huge. My experience in Costa Rica was a strong influence in my decision to pursue a graduate degree in Conservation Biology, and many of the experiences and contacts I made laid the groundwork for future projects in Costa Rica.
—Mark Myers, Associate Professor and head of Ecosytem Studies Program at Northern Iowa University, Costa Rica, Spring 1995
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