Rocio Rodriguez Granados

I have worked in the conservation arena in Colombia for eight years, mainly with local communities and institutions in different areas of the country and with people that come from eclectic backgrounds. This has allowed me to understand the importance of considering not only local frameworks and systems but also the unique conditions of people themselves, so that the whole conservation process becomes effective and resources are used as efficiently as possible.

I plan to become a University professor and continue doing research in the field in order to generate local knowledge and motivate students and stakeholders. I made a commitment to COLCIENCIAS, which has funded my PhD in the United States, to return to Colombia, where I have always wanted to live and work, to lead projects that practice sustainable conservation by balancing the welfare of human communities with the protection of nature.