Physical & Biological Sciences Division
PhD Candidate
Graduate
CSC Coastal Biology Auxiliary Building
164
261
CBB/EE Biology
I am an ecologist whose research interests span conservation, restoration, and invasive species management, and I am dedicated to developing innovative solutions for nature and people. As a Filipino whose family moved from one island to another, I have long been fascinated by the ecological communities and ecosystems islands have to offer. My doctoral work is advised by Dr. Ingrid Parker in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCSC and has been funded by the UCSC DDCSP Fellowship and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.
I explore the ecological processes that promote or hinder native forest regeneration in southern Guam’s patchwork of non-native plantations and savannas. My research combines greenhouse and field experiments, as well as forest surveys. I also use remote-sensing tools to map and analyze how savannas and forests shift over time, seeking to understand the ecological feedbacks that maintain these states. I hope to support decision-making surrounding the restoration of native forests in Guam. Every aspect of my research has been developed in collaboration with local agencies such as the Guam Department of Agriculture and Guam SeaGrant, and more recently with federal agencies, such as the US Forest Service Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry (IPIF) based in Hawaii.
Plant ecology, invasion ecology, restoration ecology, conservation, biodiversity, Pacific Biology
Doris Duke Graduate Fellow
NSF Graduate Research Fellow
Santa Cruz Community Foundation Educational Fund
UCSC Activating Innovative Graduate Research
American Philosophical Society Lewis and Clark Exploratory Fund
NSF Navigating Home Summer Fellow
