Costa Rica: Field Research in the Environment, Social Sciences, & Humanities

San José & field sites, Costa Rica

Local research advisors & potential areas of research

There are a wide variety of student research areas available in Costa Rica, across the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. These local advisors are an intergral part of the research process. Research Coordinators Michael McCoy (Natural Sciences) and Daniel Rojas (Social Sciences), together with the Program Director, work with students in small groups and individually to provide overall guidance in the development, implementation, data analysis, and preparation of final papers and presentations of student research projects. The work of the Research Coordinators enhances the individual guidance provided by the local research advisors.

For more detailed information about potential student research areas and complete advisor biographies, click on the photo or name of each advisor below:

	Nicolas Boeglin Areas of expertise: International Environmental Law, International Watercourses Management, Human Rights and Environmental Law			Gabriela Calvo Areas of expertise: Exploration and Development of Industrial Mining, Environmental Impact Statements, Environmental Administration of Mining Projects
	Carlos Roberto Chavarría Areas of expertise: Protected Areas Management, Community relations with Biodiversity, Sustainable Tourism			Jorge Cortés Areas of expertise: Marine Biology, Coral Reef Ecology, Marine Biodiversity
	Eliécer Duarte Areas of expertise: Volcanology, Natural Disasters			Quince Duncan Areas of expertise: Latin American Studies, Literature, Black History and Culture in Latin America, Human Rights issues, Natural and Homeopathic medicine
	Paul Hanson Area of expertise: Entomology			Hugo Hermelink Area of expertise: Agricultural Economics
	Ana Istarú Area of expertise: Theater and poetry			Michael McCoy Colton Areas of expertise: Control of Agricultural Damage by Wildlife Species, Wetland Ecology and Rehabilitation, Tropical Dry Forest Ecology
	Helena Molina-Ureña Areas of expertise: Fish ecology and conservation, Tropical fisheries ecology, Fish biology and ichthyoplankton, Biological Oceanography			Manuel Monestel Areas of expertise: Sociology, Music
	Javier Monge Meza Areas of expertise: Vertebrate pest management, Ecology of rodents			Julián Monge-Nájera Areas of expertise: Ecology and Evolutionary Psychology
	Mario Morera Area of expertise: Cultural interdisciplinary studies			Mónica Retamosa Areas of expertise: Wildlife Ecology and Management, Landscape Ecology, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Biodiversity Monitoring and Conservation Planning
	Bernal Rodríguez Herrera Area of expertise: Mammal ecology			Carlos Manuel Rodriguez Areas of expertise: Law and Environmental Policy, Biodiversity Conservation, Climate Change, Financial Mechanisms, Sustainability
	Roberto Rene Roque Pujol Areas of expertise: Recreation and Leisure Studies, Poverty Studies			Daniel Rojas Areas of expertise: Anthropology, Ethnography, Studies on cultural identity, Indigenous studies
	Ana Cristina Rossi Areas of expertise: Environment, Writing, Indigenous Women			Leslie Ragde A. Sanchez Talavera Areas of expertise: Bats Ecology, Forest and Agroecosystem Conservation, Corporate Responsibility, Community Relations, Development
	Rafael Ocampo Sánchez Areas of expertise: Ethnobotany on useful plants, Domestication of medicinal plants			Claudine Sierra Areas of expertise: Community Based Conservation, Introduced Species, Sustainable Tourism, Protected Areas Management, Yoga
	Vivienne Solís Rivera Areas of expertise: Conservation and Governance of Biological Resources			Manuel Spínola Areas of expertise: Widlife Ecology/Conservation, Environmental Study Design & Analysis, Statistical Ecology, Mammal & Carnivore Ecology, Wildlife-Habitat Relationships, Biodiversity Monitoring
	Monika Springer Areas of expertise: Aquatic Ecology & Entomology, Aquatic Biomonitoring & Conservation			Freddy Ulate Areas of expertise: Child health issues and children's issues related to human rights
	Christopher Vaughan Areas of expertise: Wildlife, Wildlands & Ecosystem Management