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

San José & field sites, Costa Rica

Manuel Spínola

Areas of expertise

Widlife Ecology and Conservation, Environmental Study Design and Data Analysis, Statistical Ecology, Mammal Ecology, Carnivore Ecology, Wildlife-habitat Relationships, Habitat Evaluation, Biodiversity Monitoring

Degrees

  • B.S. in Biological Sciences, Universidad de la Republica, Uruguay
  • M.Sc. in Wildlife Management and Conservation, International Institute in Wildlife Management and Conservation, Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica
  • Ph. D. in Wildlife and Fisheries Ecology, The Pennsylvania State University
  • Post-doc on Monitoring Biodiversity, The Ohio State University

Potential student research areas

  • Influence of landscape attributes on the occurrence of medium and large sized mammals
  • Medium and large-sized mammal assemblage at La Tirimbina
  • Carnivore ecology in tropical forests
  • Habitat evaluation of forest carnivores
  • Impact of forest management on bat communities

Biography

Manuel was born in Uruguay.  He has conducted wildlife research in South, Central and North America.  He has been consultant for the US Forest Service and Visiting Researcher at Purdue University, Indiana, USA.  At present, he is professor and researcher at the International Institute in Wildlife Management and Conservation at the National University, Costa Rica and Adjunct Professor at Frostburg State University, Maryland, USA.

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

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John Guittar As a youngish college student with no international experience and a poor track record in Spanish class, I signed up for an ACM semester in Costa Rica eager for a vaguely alien adventure to broaden my horizons. The ACM spring semester program in Costa Rica is unique in that it gives students like me ample freedom to explore a new country on our own terms, while still demanding enough structure and self-accountability to ensure that the semester is productive and successful. My experience studying Scarlet Macaw nesting on the Osa Peninsula was foundational to my future: it led to a peer-reviewed publication, and prepared me for three years of public service and science in Belize, Namibia, Colombia, Ecuador, and the Mojave Desert. Now, as a student at University of Michigan, my Spanish language skills and tropical fieldwork experience will again serve me as I pursue a PhD on the evolution of tropical tree communities in Ecuador. Many thanks, ACM.

—John Guittar, Costa Rica, Spring 2006

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