Lara de Macedo Monteiro
Ph.D. Student in Natural Resources
Gund Graduate Fellow
- M.S. Ecology and Evolution, Federal University of Goiás, Brazil
- B.S. Biological Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Teaching degree, Biological Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Areas of expertise
ecosystem restoration, sustainable management, biodiversity conservation, human behavior, participatory methods, citizen science
BIO
I am a biologist with a degree from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and a master’s in Ecology and Evolution from the Federal University of Goiás (Brazil). During my master, I studied how climate change may affect in the future the distribution of threatened plants in the Brazilian savanna and developed conservation prioritization scenarios for these species. My time living in and studying in the Cerrado, the world’s most biodiversity-rich savanna, deepened my commitment to this vast, dry ecosystem, which is often overlooked by forest-oriented science and policy. I then spent five years at the NGO International Institute for Sustainability working on ecosystem restoration and sustainable management in the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest, implementing participatory projects with rural communities. This experience strengthened my interest in the connections between human and natural sciences and led me to pursue a PhD focused on understanding the incentive mechanisms and motivations for restoring open ecosystems such as savannas and grasslands, with particular emphasis on the Cerrado.
When I am not studying, I love to do physical activities, including acrobatics, capoeira (Brazilian sport that combines elements of dance, fight, acrobatics, and music), dance, and hiking, among other ways of moving.
Prospective graduate students interested in learning more about research and experiences in the Rubenstein School may contact Lara.
Bio
I am a biologist with a degree from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and a master’s in Ecology and Evolution from the Federal University of Goiás (Brazil). During my master, I studied how climate change may affect in the future the distribution of threatened plants in the Brazilian savanna and developed conservation prioritization scenarios for these species. My time living in and studying in the Cerrado, the world’s most biodiversity-rich savanna, deepened my commitment to this vast, dry ecosystem, which is often overlooked by forest-oriented science and policy. I then spent five years at the NGO International Institute for Sustainability working on ecosystem restoration and sustainable management in the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest, implementing participatory projects with rural communities. This experience strengthened my interest in the connections between human and natural sciences and led me to pursue a PhD focused on understanding the incentive mechanisms and motivations for restoring open ecosystems such as savannas and grasslands, with particular emphasis on the Cerrado.
When I am not studying, I love to do physical activities, including acrobatics, capoeira (Brazilian sport that combines elements of dance, fight, acrobatics, and music), dance, and hiking, among other ways of moving.
Prospective graduate students interested in learning more about research and experiences in the Rubenstein School may contact Lara.
Advisors
Advisors: Brendan Fisher and Gillian Galford