Our Team

Core Team Members

Dr. Pablo A. Méndez-Lázaro

Lead Principal Investigator
University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, Graduate School of Public Health
CCAN Focus Academia & Research
Description
Dr. Pablo Méndez-Lázaro works in the Department of Environmental Health at the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Puerto Rico. He leads science on Climate Change, Equitable Climate Adaptation, and Public Health. Trained as a geographer, Pablo expanded his transdisciplinary background by pursuing a master's degree in Marine Sciences, a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences, and a three-year Postdoctoral Fellowship in Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events at the University of South Florida-College of Marine Science and the San Juan Bay Estuary Program in Puerto Rico. He is the Chapter Lead for the ongoing Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) for the U.S. Caribbean. Currently, Pablo is the Lead Principal Investigator at NOAA CAP/RISA: Caribbean Climate Adaptation Network (CCAN).

Core Team Members

Manuel Heredia Morales

Coordinator
University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, Graduate School of Public Health
CCAN Focus Academia & Research
Description
Manuel is a dedicated and competent professional with a solid background in public health and gerontology, along with a passion for community development and health promotion. He holds a Master's in Public Health from the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, with practical experience and specialized certifications, reflecting a commitment to continuous learning and professional growth. With extensive experience in community settings, Manuel has demonstrated exceptional competence in health promotion, project development, and implementation. As a Project Coordinator at the Primary Health Services and Socioeconomic Development Corporation El Otoao, Manuel led the development and implementation of a Community Health Promoters project aimed at underserved communities in rural areas. He ensured effective coordination of project staff, implemented intervention plans, and facilitated educational workshops, thus making a tangible contribution to community well-being. Additionally, he has actively participated in advisory roles, such as Community Technician at the Puerto Rico Community Foundation, where he provided invaluable guidance in community preparedness initiatives and proposal development processes. Manuel is motivated by a deep commitment to fostering healthier communities through collaborative efforts and innovative approaches to problem-solving.

Core Team Members

Dr. Tischa Muñoz-Erickson

Co-PI
USDA Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry
CCAN Focus Academia & Research
Description
Dr. Tischa Muñoz-Erickson is a Research Social Scientist at the International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF) of the USDA Forest Service in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico. She currently co-leads the IITF's International Urban Field Station, the Urban Long-Term Research Area of San Juan (ULTRA), and the NSF-funded Convergence Research Project SETS. She has served as Co-PI in several research programs on sustainability and resilience, including the NSF Urban Resilience to Extreme Weather Events Sustainability Research Network (UREx SRN), the Smart Coastal Communities Resilience (SCC RC2), and USAID's Climate Resilience program in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She holds a Master's in Environmental Science and Policy from Northern Arizona University and a Ph.D. in Sustainability from Arizona State University. Muñoz-Erickson's research currently focuses on exploring governance modes, collaborative networks, transformative capabilities, anticipatory planning practices, and inclusive knowledge systems to advance sustainable, just, and resilient climate solutions for urban areas. As part of her transdisciplinary research, she is deeply involved in knowledge co-production efforts that bring together diverse communities and stakeholders to build knowledge and actions addressing interconnected social, ecological, and technological sustainability challenges. She has co-authored two books, "Designing Knowledge and Resilient Urban Futures," and has published in interdisciplinary journals such as "Ecology and Society," "Environmental Science and Policy," "Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability," "Society and Natural Resources," "Landscape and Urban Planning," among others. She is a Co-Author for the U.S. National Climate Assessment 5th Assessment and a Contributing Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). She is also a member of the Urban Knowledge-Action Network (UKAN) and the Ecosystem Change and Society Program, two research networks supported by Future Earth for global sustainability science.

Core Team Members

Dr. Mimi Sheller

Co-PI
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Global School
CCAN Focus Academia & Research
Description
Dr. Mimi Sheller is the inaugural Dean of The Global School at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. She was a Professor of Sociology, Head of the Department of Sociology, and founding Director of the Center for Mobilities Research and Policy at Drexel University in Philadelphia. She holds an A.B. in History and Literature from Harvard University and a master's and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the New School for Social Research. Dr. Sheller has researched the cultural history of the Caribbean for over 25 years and has published extensively in the fields of mobilities research, Caribbean and Haitian studies, and on mobile media, public space, climate justice, and infrastructure. Her books include *Island Futures: Caribbean Survival in the Anthropocene* (Duke University Press, 2020); *Mobility Justice* (Verso, 2018); *Aluminum Dreams* (MIT Press, 2014); *Citizenship from Below* (Duke University Press, 2012); *Consuming the Caribbean* (Routledge, 2003); and *Democracy After Slavery* (University Press of Florida, 2001). Her partner is an artist and woodcarver who enjoys cooking and mushroom foraging. They have two daughters. She enjoys reading, traveling, biking, hiking, swimming, sea kayaking, and sailing around the coastal islands of Maine. She is not a good cook but loves Caribbean food. She’s not a good dancer, but she loves Caribbean music!

Core Team Members

Dr. Patricia Chardón Maldonado

Co-PI
CARICOOS
CCAN Focus Academia & Research
Description
Dr. Patricia Chardón-Maldonado is a coastal and civil engineer with 6 years of experience in coastal morphodynamics, oceanographic and meteorological modeling, and the design of coastal risk mitigation alternatives. Chardón-Maldonado earned her Bachelor's in Civil Engineering and Master's in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, and a Ph.D. in Coastal Engineering from the University of Delaware. Dr. Chardón-Maldonado currently serves as the Technical and Deputy Director of the Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System (CARICOOS; https://www.caricoos.org) and co-leads the design and implementation of CARICOOS' observation and numerical modeling components. She has participated in multiple research projects measuring, analyzing, and modeling climate, weather, coastal characteristics/processes, and their impacts on socio-ecological systems, infrastructure, and communities in the U.S. Caribbean region. Chardón-Maldonado is enthusiastic about promoting a consistent, well-integrated, and sustainable approach to coastal risk management in Puerto Rico, as well as maintaining a healthy, resilient, and sustainable ocean and coastal resources for the benefit of present and future generations. She is addicted to the ocean and the adrenaline it brings; it's her place for swimming, paddleboarding, diving, sailing, and surfing.

Core Team Members

Dr. Frank Muller-Karger

Co-PI
University of South Florida
CCAN Focus Academia & Research
Description
Dr. Frank E. Müller-Karger is a Professor at the College of Marine Science at the University of South Florida (USA). As a biological oceanographer, Dr. Müller-Karger’s research focuses on how marine ecosystems change over time. He assesses the connections between water quality, primary production, and biodiversity in coastal marine environments, and how these may be linked to climate change and human activities. Müller-Karger is a co-leader of the U.S. and international Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON), the Marine Life 2030 program supported by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, and the NOAA Climate Program Office/Sanctuaries Climate Indicator Task Force. He has published more than 340 peer-reviewed articles. He is the recipient of the 2021 William T. Pecora Award (Individual); he is a Fellow of the AAAS; and he has served on the U.S. Ocean Policy Commission.

Core Team Members

Dr. Jorge González-Cruz

Co-PI
University at Albany's College of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences
CCAN Focus Academia & Research
Description
Professor González-Cruz is a SUNY Empire Innovation Professor at the University at Albany's College of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, the Chief Scientist of the Urban-Coastal Environmental Research Group (CUERG), and a Presidential Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the City College of New York (CCNY). He earned his Ph.D. (1994) and Bachelor's (1988) in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, respectively. His teaching and research focus on urban energy sustainability and resilience, urban climate and meteorology, and regional climate modeling and analysis. Professor González-Cruz holds several patents in solar energy equipment, solar desalination systems, aerosol detection, and energy forecasting for buildings. He was recognized as an outstanding young researcher by the National Science Foundation with the prestigious CAREER Award. He has authored or co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications, presented hundreds of papers at conferences, and his research has attracted over $50 million in external funding. He is a Fellow Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and former Vice Chair of the Urban Environment Board of the American Meteorological Society. In 2015, he was appointed by the Mayor of New York City as a Member of the Climate Change Panel for the City of New York, and more recently, he was appointed as a Senior Scientist at the Brookhaven National Laboratory and a Member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. He is a co-editor of the ASME Handbook of Integrated Sustainable Building Equipment and Systems and in 2019 was appointed as the Founding Editor of the newest ASME Journal of Engineering for Sustainable Buildings and Cities.

Core Team Members

Dr. Stephen Hughes

Co-PI
University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus
CCAN Focus Academia & Research
Description
Dr. Stephen Hughes is a Professor in the Department of Geology at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez (UPRM). He obtained his Bachelor's degree in Earth Sciences in 2009 and his Ph.D. in 2014 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University. At UPRM, he teaches courses in Structural Geology, Geomorphology, and Field Geology, in addition to conducting research primarily related to tropical landslides and landscape evolution. His projects have been sponsored by groups such as the NSF, the Science, Technology, and Research Trust of Puerto Rico, USGS, USDA NRCS, and NOAA. He also collaborates on landslide-focused initiatives with colleagues from mainland academic institutions and involves students at all levels in research and outreach. Hughes is the principal investigator of the Storm-induced Landslide Impact on Environment and Society in Puerto Rico (SLIDES-PR) initiative.

Core Team Members

Dr. Masoud Ghandehari

Co-PI
New York University
CCAN Focus Academia & Research
Description
Masoud Ghandehari is a professor at the Civil and Urban Engineering Department of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering and an associate professor at the Center for Urban Science and Progress at NYU. His research focus is on urban systems engineering and the application of advanced instrumentation and data analysis aimed at aging, health, and performance of infrastructure systems. Through sensor application and modeling, he works on methodologies that generate data on the interaction of physical, natural, and human systems in cities. His research in optical spectroscopy, sensors, imaging, and data analysis has led to the development of applications and technologies suitable for diverse environments and multiple scales, from molecular to urban landscapes. Professor Ghandehari is the author of "Phenomenology and Optical Applications: Health Monitoring for Infrastructure Materials and the Environment, 2018," a founding researcher of the New York State Resilience Institute for Extreme Climate Events, and founder of Chromosense LLC, supported by the National Institutes of Health for environmental sensor innovation.

Core Team Members

Dr. Seth Tuler

Co-PI
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
CCAN Focus Academia & Research
Description
Seth has been part of the Division of Interdisciplinary and Global Studies since 2002, serving as a professor, advisor, and co-director of project centers. He is the co-director of the Boston Project Center and was the co-director of the Bangkok Project Center from 2011 to 2018. He enjoys exposing students to contemporary issues in environmental and public health policy formulation, challenging them to apply emerging research ideas to practical applications. He loves sharing his curiosity with students about how people are affected by different technological and natural systems. The desire to link research and practice has been a central part of Seth's work since he earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Policy from Clark University in 1996. Seth's research interests have focused on risk governance, public participation, long-term management of contaminated sites, and the development of tools to characterize human impacts and vulnerabilities to risk events. He has conducted research primarily with colleagues from the Institute for Social and Environmental Research, in a wide range of policy areas, focusing more recently on climate change adaptation planning, cleanup of sites in the U.S. nuclear weapons complex, and nuclear waste management. A common thread throughout his work has been empowering communities to participate more effectively in risk management. Seth was a member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Energy-Related Epidemiologic Research, which provided guidance to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on health studies derived from programs in the U.S. nuclear weapons complex, and chaired its Community Affairs Subcommittee for 2 years. The role of this subcommittee was to bring the voices of community residents into deliberations on health study designs and public health responses to contamination from nuclear weapons facilities. He also served on the National Academies Committee on Nuclear Fuel Transportation and High-Level Radioactive Waste, the Standing Committee on Chemical Demilitarization, and the Committee on Alternatives for the Demilitarization of Conventional Munitions.

Core Team Members

Dr. Carlos Ramos-Scharron

Co-PI
University of Texas at Austin
CCAN Focus Academia & Research
Description
Carlos, a native of Puerto Rico, earned his Bachelor's degree in Geology from the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez in 1993. He completed his Ph.D. in Watershed Sciences at Colorado State University in 2004. In 2013, Carlos joined the faculty of the Department of Geography and the Environment and the Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. His research areas include watershed sciences, hydrology, and applied geomorphology, with a focus on the Insular Caribbean and Latin America. His work has a strong environmental component, addressing how human modification of landscapes for urbanization, agricultural production, or recreation affects their hydrological behavior, resulting in accelerated soil erosion, degraded water quality, and impoverished habitats like coral reefs. He has served as a principal investigator and collaborator on several projects funded by NOAA, NASA, NSF, the National Parks Service, and the National Wildlife Federation in the Eastern Caribbean, and has authored articles in journals such as Scientific Reports, Water Resources Research, and the Journal of Geophysical Research, among others. His current work focuses on characterizing the magnitude and geomorphological impacts of tropical cyclones in the Caribbean and providing technical assistance to communities affected by water scarcity issues driven by climate change in Latin America.

Core Team Members

Dr. Kim Waddell

Co-PI
University of the Virgin Islands
CCAN Focus Academia & Research
Description
Kim Waddell is the project leader for the upcoming Update of the Risk Mitigation and Resilience Plan for the US Virgin Islands, with the support of FEMA and the Virgin Islands Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA). He is also the Principal Investigator and Program Director of the Virgin Islands Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (VI-EPSCoR), a research capacity development program supported by the National Science Foundation and based at the University of the Virgin Islands. This program focuses on land impacts on the health and function of marine ecosystems in times of Climate Change, as well as STEM education research and opportunities for underrepresented minority students from K-12 to master's degrees. Before that, Kim was a Senior Program Officer at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Dr. Waddell served as study director for over a dozen National Academies reports on agriculture, fisheries, and other natural resource management topics. Kim earned his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the University of South Carolina and his bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz. For fun, Kim enjoys hiking on remote island beaches and fishing. He also loves good street food and soca music!

Core Team Members

Dr. Gregory Guannel

Co-PI
University of the Virgin Islands
CCAN Focus Academia & Research
Description
Dr. Guannel is the Director of the Caribbean Green Technology Center at the University of the Virgin Islands, whose mission is to improve resilience, climate adaptation, and sustainable development in the US Virgin Islands. The center's work primarily focuses on issues related to the resilience of civil and coastal infrastructure, renewable energy technology and policies, and water resources management. Dr. Guannel holds a Master's in Public Works from the Ecole Supérieure des Travaux Publics (Paris, France), a Master's in Coastal and Oceanic Engineering from Texas A&M University, and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Oregon State University.

Core Team Members

Dr. Reza Khanbilvardi

Co-PI
CCNY/CUNY
CCAN Focus Academia & Research
Description
Reza Khanbilvardi, a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of New York, has been the NOAA Professor of Civil Engineering and the founding Executive Director of the CUNY Institute for Earth Systems Science and Environmental Remote Sensing (CUNY-CREST) at the City University of New York since 2010. He also served as the founding Director of a NOAA Cooperative Science Center, NOAA-CREST (2001-2016), and NOAA CESSRST (2016-2021). He has been the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal for Water (InderScience Publications) since 2011. Dr. Khanbilvardi has extensively collaborated with agencies such as NOAA, NASA, NSF, USAID, UN, USDA, and CRDF. Dr. Khanbilvardi earned his Bachelor's in Civil Engineering, followed by Master's degrees (Environmental Engineering) and a Ph.D. (Civil Engineering/Water Resources), along with a Post-Doctoral award (Water Resources) from Pennsylvania State University in 1980, 1983, and 1984, respectively. His research interests include Satellite-Based Remote Sensing Applications in Hydroclimate, Hydrology, and Earth Processes; Climate Impacts on Water Resources and Climate Adaptation; Surface Water Hydraulics and Hydrology; Monitoring and Mapping of Urban Flash Floods; and Snow Water Equivalent Studies. He has authored or co-authored over 210 publications with an extensive track record of conference presentations. Dr. Khanbilvardi has served as principal investigator and co-investigator on numerous research grants totaling over $98 million sponsored by various agencies such as NOAA, NASA, NSF, USAID, US Department of Education, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and others.

Core Team Members

Dr. Eric Harmsen

Co-PI
University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus
CCAN Focus Academia & Research
Description
I am a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez. I teach courses in agricultural hydrology, agroclimatology, and irrigation. My research interests include the measurement and modeling of all components of the hydrological cycle, remote sensing of water and energy balance in the tropics, and agroclimatology.

Core Team Members

Dr. José Seguinot

Co-PI
University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, Graduate School of Public Health
CCAN Focus Academia & Research
Description
Dr. José Seguinot Barbosa is a retired professor from the Department of Environmental Health at the University of Puerto Rico - Medical Sciences Campus. Dr. Seguinot earned a Bachelor's degree in Geography from the University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras in 1975, a Master's in Natural Resources Planning from the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 1978, and a Ph.D. in Geography and Geology from the School of Geosciences at Louisiana State University in 1983. He obtained a Juris Doctor (law) degree from the University of Puerto Rico in 1990. He pursued postdoctoral studies in Global Changes at Laval University (Canada) and in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at the University of Alcalá in Spain. From January 1981 to July 1990, Dr. Seguinot was affiliated with the Department of Geography at the Río Piedras campus of UPR. Since 1990, he has served as a professor of geographic information systems, environmental law, and environmental geology in the Department of Environmental Health at the Medical Sciences Campus of UPR. He has been the director of the Department of Geography, the Atlantea-Caribbean Exchange Program, and is currently the chair of the Department of Environmental Health. In 2008, he received a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct research in Spain on climate change, health, and sustainable development. He has been a legal advisor and expert in several environmental legal cases and has led over 50 research grants related to water and coastal pollution, tropical forest deforestation, human ecology, environmental management, law, risk assessment, global changes, environmental health, culture, and environment, among others. He co-authored two high school textbooks titled "Puerto Rico and the Americas" (1989) and "History of Puerto Rico: Sites of Memory" (1994). He also served as editor and co-author of a university textbook titled "Globalization in the Americas: A Geographical Approach" (1997). He was the sole author of these university textbooks: 1. Geography, Ecology, and Law of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean (1994) 2. San Juan, Puerto Rico: The City by the Bay (1998) 3. Who Defends Nature? Environmental Laws of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean (1999) 4. Environmental Law (2000) 5. Geonature: Applications of GIS in Environmental and Health Sciences (2001) and Geocaribbean: Essays on Environment, Culture, and Health (2005). He recently completed a new book titled "Environmental Impact on the Islands of Puerto Rico." He has published over a hundred peer-reviewed articles in environmental sciences and education, global changes, and law. Dr. Seguinot maintains an active research program in GIS, environmental geology, and global climate changes. Specifically, he applies GIS to local, regional, and global environmental changes, ecological corridors, and geological risk assessment. His laboratory technique studies global change processes such as sea level rise, human disease distribution, and human impact on the environment. He has been a visiting professor at the following universities: University of Cádiz, National University of Costa Rica, Laval University in Quebec, Complutense University of Madrid, University of Alcalá de Henares, University of São Paulo, University of Buenos Aires, University of Havana, University of Chicago, University of Costa Rica, Autonomous University of Madrid, University of Salamanca, University of Quintana Roo, University of Aveiro, National Autonomous University of Mexico, and University of Catania.

Senior Personnel

John-Michael Davis

Assistan Professor & Co-Director, WPI Center in Puerto Rico
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Senior Personnel

Senior Personnel

Scott Jiusto

Professor Emeritus & Co-Director, WPI Center in Puerto Rico
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Senior Personnel

Michelle Mulkern

Deputy Director, Grant Services
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Senior Personnel

Senior Personnel

Sara Strauss

Professor of Anthropology
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Senior Personnel

Collaborators

Wanda Crespo

Climate Adaptation Program Specialist I
NOAA- Climate Adaptation Partnerships
CCAN Focus Federal Governmental Agency
Description
Climate Adaptation Specialist for Puerto Rico supporting NOAA's Climate Adaptation Partnerships Program, contracted through Lynker. A Environmental and Urban Planner with over 20 years of experience managing complex projects requiring intersectoral coordination. Served as Director of the Environmental, Urban, and Regional Planning Division at one of Puerto Rico's leading planning firms, providing consulting services to federal and Commonwealth agencies, municipalities, NGOs, and community organizations. Has extensive experience with multimethod research techniques and participatory approaches. Has taught classes at the Graduate School of Planning at the University of Puerto Rico. Authored the 2022 Puerto Rico State of the Climate Report, and the Caribbean chapters of the Fourth and Fifth National Climate Assessments. Holds a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Sciences and a Master's degree in Planning from the University of Puerto Rico.

Post Doctoral Fellows

Dr. Sarah Molinari

Post Doctoral Fellow
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Post Doctoral Fellows

Dr. Mónica V. Sánchez Sepúlveda

Post Doctoral Fellow
University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, Graduate School of Public Health

Research Assistants and Graduate Students

Varun Baht

Research Assistant,
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Frederick Boakye Oppong

Research Assistant,
University at Albany

Ryan Brenner

Research Assistant,
New York University

Laura T. Cabrera-Rivera

Doctoral Research Assistant
University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, Graduate School of Public Health

Jonathan Chang

Research Assistant,
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Stephan Cortes

Research Assistant,
Urban Systems, New York University

Juan E. Florez Coronel

Research Assistant,
University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus

Sol Giesso

Research Assistant,
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Keneshia Hibbert

Research Assistant,
CUNY

Jhon Ibsen-Chaguendo

Research Assistant,
CCNY

Gabriela Martinez Serrano

Research Assistant,
University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, Graduate School of Public Health

Ana Mejia Manrique

Research Assistant,
CUNY

Said Mejia-Manrique

Research Assistant,
CUNY

Joshua A. Reyes Cintron

Research Assistant,
University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, Graduate School of Public Health

Vanelia Ruiz Perez

Research Assistant,
University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, Graduate School of Public Health

Francis Russell

Teaching and Research Assistant,
University of Texas at Austin

Keivan Tavakoli

Research Assistant,
University of Texas at Austin

Solange Uwera

Research Assistant,
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Harold Valle Reyes

Research Assistant,
University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus