An Evolving Floodplain: My Journey Through Tropical and Temperate Mountainous Rivers
The rivers of the tropical Andes and the Pacific Northwest—dynamic, intricate, and ceaselessly evolving—have not only shaped landscapes but have also shaped the way I understand the world. In Colombia, where I first immersed myself in the study of rivers and forests, the pulse of equatorial rainfall dictates a rhythm of flux and transformation. These steep terrains channel immense sediment loads, each grain carrying echoes of geologic upheaval and human history. Later, in the Pacific Northwest, I found a different yet strangely familiar confluence of forces—where geomorphology, climate, and forests engage in their own complex dialogue. This interplay of landscapes, cultures, and scientific inquiry has been the bedrock of my evolution as both a researcher and a science communicator.
Arriving in the United States, I carried more than a suitcase. I brought with me a set of questions, an insatiable curiosity, and the quiet tension of belonging to two worlds. My academic trajectory—from earning a B.Sc. in Biology at Universidad del Magdalena in Colombia, to an M.Sc. in Hydrosystems at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, and finally a Dual-Major Ph.D. in Sustainable Forest Management & Water Resources Science at Oregon State University—has been a journey through knowledge systems as much as through physical landscapes. With each transition, I deepened my understanding of how watersheds encode their histories and how scientific knowledge can inform both policy and practice.
My professional journey has further expanded this perspective. As a Water Science-Policy Fellow with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I focused on modeling the effects of short, intense precipitation events on stream phosphorus and sediment concentrations across multiple river basins. Using high-resolution precipitation data and statistical models, I worked to clarify how watershed characteristics influence nutrient and sediment fluxes. My contributions extended beyond research, assisting in drafting policy language for monitoring phosphorus concentrations in Wisconsin streams, ensuring that science-informed regulations addressed the state’s water quality challenges.
As a Research Associate in the River Corridors Science Focus Area at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, I led research predicting watershed-scale respiration rates in the Yakima and Willamette River Basins. By analyzing hydrologic, hydraulic, and landscape watershed attributes, I contributed to a broader understanding of the interactions between physical and biological processes shaping riverine ecosystems. I also developed reproducible workflows integrating R, Python, and open-source publishing systems, enhancing the efficiency and transparency of scientific research. Engaging with the Yakama Nation on water quality impacts for salmon ecology reinforced my commitment to integrating Indigenous knowledge with scientific approaches, fostering collaborative solutions to pressing environmental challenges.
Beyond research, my passion for science communication has led me to share knowledge across diverse platforms—through teaching, media contributions such as CNN Español, and workshops with organizations like NCEAS and COMPASS. Winning the Three-Minute Thesis Competition was a pivotal moment, affirming my belief that the most powerful discoveries do not exist in isolation but in the stories we craft around them. Science is, after all, as much about the act of connection as it is about inquiry.
Today, as a Senior Technical Analyst at the Oregon Water Resources Department and a Courtesy Faculty Appointee at Oregon State University, I navigate the intersection of research and real-world application. My work integrates modernized water resource assessments, artificial intelligence-driven policy analysis, and sediment-carbon flux studies to better understand and manage our rivers. The scientific process, I have learned, is not merely a pursuit of technical precision; it is also an act of translation—transforming complexity into clarity, ensuring that research informs policy, and bridging disciplines to create a more comprehensive understanding of environmental change.
Yet, beneath this professional trajectory lies a deeper narrative—the evolving tension of identity. To be a scientist trained in Colombia and working in the U.S. is to exist at the confluence of two intellectual traditions, each with its own perspectives, methodologies, and challenges. At times, I have felt like an outsider in both worlds. And yet, this very duality has become a strength. It has allowed me to see linkages others might overlook, to ask different questions, and to challenge prevailing models of how landscapes store and release carbon. Whether mentoring emerging scholars or collaborating on international projects, my commitment remains steadfast: to bridge gaps—between disciplines, between cultures, and between science and society.
Looking back, I see my journey not as a linear path but as an evolving floodplain—shaped by the confluence of tropical and temperate influences, by moments of erosion and deposition, by the ever-changing flow of ideas and experiences. Like the rivers I study, my career is not defined solely by its point of origin or its final destination, but by the continuous transformation that occurs along the way. In this flux lies resilience, discovery, and the unyielding pursuit of understanding.