Christina De Jesús Villanueva
About Christina's Work
Christina is a conservation scientist passionate about applying research in natural resource management. For the past decade her work has focused on the Invasive Green Iguana, which Christina used as a model to learn multiple approaches to addressing conservation issues. Today, she holds a Ph.D in Biological and Environmental Sciences from the University of Rhode Island. For her doctoral dissertation she explored the impact of the green iguana, an invasive species in Puerto Rico, to assess the impact of the reptile on Puerto Rico’s agricultural community. Christina has taken the lessons from working with farming communities, population genetics, scientific writing and engaging with global conservation experts into her currently role as forest health and protection program manager with the U.S Forest Service. She began this role in late 2022 and is learning about the ways she can positively impact forests in Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra and the US Virgin Islands of St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas.
During her Ph.D, Christina’s goal was to develop multi-stakeholder programs to address problems of conservation concern at local and regional scales. Now, as an integral part of the Forest Health and Protection program Christina’s job is to form these ties.
She holds a B.Sc from the University of Puerto Rico in Humacao and a Masters in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. For her master’s dissertation at the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras, Christina developed expertise in the practical use of genetic analysis to identify animal trade routes. She is an Ecological Society of America SEEDS alumni, a Ronald E. McNair Scholar alumni, A Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation- Bridge to the Doctorate alumni, and NSF- GRFP recipient. Christina has held Internships with the American Museum of Natural History, The International Union For the Conservation of Nature, and The U.S Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestry as a National Science Foundation GRIP fellow and under the Natural Resources Assistant Program. In her spare time, she is an avid baker, folkloric dancer and novice rock climber.
