Ph.D., Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis

Gerardo began his graduate studies at the University of Colorado in Boulder, and received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He was trained in the physiological ecology of tropical lianas and worked on the canopy crane set up at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. His Ph.D. thesis (1999) examined light acclimation of lianas to temporal and spatial changes in light availability at the surface of the canopy. His current research interests include the response of tropical montane forests to global warming, the biomechanics of woody palms, the ecophysiology of tropical lianas, the effects of habitat fragmentation on the conservation of local and migratory bird species, the impact of illegal extraction on the population biology of tropical palms, and the population cycles of aquatic macroinvertebrates. He has taught at the University of Costa Rica, EARTH University, SFS and ACM. Prior to August, 2007 Gerardo was the SFS resident ecologist in Costa Rica, and was responsible for the tropical ecology component of the program. In August, 2007, Gerardo was promoted to the position of Center Director.

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