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Mr. Alberto González-Talaván has joined the Secretariat to take up this role. He comes to the GBIF Secretariat from GBIF-ES, where he has served as Projects Coordinator since 2004. There, he was involved in a number of training sessions on GBIF-related topics, including georeferencing and ecological niche modelling.
"Alberto's experience at GBIF-ES, which among all of GBIF's Nodes has a very active training program, will be a great asset to the Secretariat," said Nick King, GBIF Executive Secretary. "His prior knowledge of virtual learning environments and video editing and publication will help us move our print-based materials into new formats."
With a degrees in biology specialising in botany, and experience in translation and web page design as well as four years' service as Informatics Coordinator for several relevant projects led by the University of Salamanca's Department of Botany, Alberto has a background well suited to the production and presentation of training materials.
As GBIF Training Officer, Alberto will, among other duties as assigned:
- Lead the assessment of training needs and opportunities across the GBIF Work Programmes and network, including the identification of key training audiences and partners;
- Develop a Training Strategy which among others will include a portfolio of training modules, designed to assist GBIF members (including Nodes and widely disparate data providers and data users) to efficiently mobilise, make available, and use biodiversity data;
- Promote and establish partnerships at global, regional, and national levels to develop curricula, and facilitate training activities in biodiversity informatics, including the "train the trainers" approach;
- Coordinate the development, publication and updating of multilingual training tools and materials, particularly those enabling distance learning on a wide range of GBIF-related topics;
- Monitor impacts of GBIF training activities, and refine strategies / approaches in order to improve the contribution of these activities to GBIF's mission and goals;
- Actively engage in the implementation of GBIF's Capacity Enhancement Programme for Developing Countries (CEPDEC) training components in e.g. Tanzania, and the SEP-CEPDEC Project (for Francophone countries in Africa and Asia); and
- Participate in the preparation of relevant components of fundraising plans and projects.
Of his new position, Alberto said, "I've enjoyed the years I've spent at GBIF-ES, and I'm looking forward to the challenge of working globally to improve both the users' and providers' abilities to make the most of biodiversity informatics."
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