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Chilean environmental expert to join UNT faculty
DENTON (UNT), Texas -- Dr. Jaime Jiménez, a leading expert on wildlife conservation and environmental studies in the sub-Antarctic region of Chile, will join the faculty of the University of North Texas in January, bringing a wealth of technical expertise to one of the university's most prominent areas of international and interdisciplinary research. Jimenez will be part of the Sub-Antarctic Ecosystems and Biocultural Conservation research cluster, hosted at UNT by the Departments of Biological Sciences and Philosophy & Religion Studies in association with Chilean partners including the Universidad de Magallanes and the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity. This world recognized team collaborates with private agencies and government officials to implement long-term biocultural conservation in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve in Chile. "Dr. Jimenez is a wonderful addition to our department because of the knowledge he brings to us in terms of basic ecology and the experience he has in sub-Antarctic ecosystem research," said Art Goven, chair of the department of Biological Sciences at UNT. "Dr. Jimenez will serve as a bridge, strengthening the already strong ties between UNT and our partners in Chili as we continue focus our research efforts on bio-cultural conservation." Currently a professor in the Department of Basic Sciences at the Universidad de Los Lagos in Osorno, Chile, and an associate researcher with the Chilean Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Jimenez' current research focuses on the conservation of the critically endangered Darwin's fox, the study of the slender-billed parakeet as a model to conserve biodiversity in highly modified agricultural areas, and the Magellanic Woodpecker, the largest woodpecker of South America which is closely related to the presumably extinct North American Ivory Billed Woodpecker. He also leads an education outreach program targeting elementary students and ecotourists to increase their awareness of our forest biodiversity. Jimenez also has been a guest professor at the Catholic University of Chile, the Universidad Austral de Chile, Universidad de Magallanes in Chile and the University of Connecticut.,. He holds a licenciatura degree in Biological Sciences (equivalent to a Master of Science degree) from Catholic University of Chile, a Master of Science in Conservation of Natural Resources from the University of Florida and a Doctor of Philosophy in Wildlife Ecology from Utah State University. Vish Prasad, vice president for the Office of Research and Economic Development, said, "UNT is working alongside UNESCO, the Charles Darwin Foundation and a consortium of other important conservation groups in the international community to protect the fragile ecosystems of sub-Antarctica, such as the Cape Horn Archipelago. Jimenez' contributions to the research cluster will further these goals and give students and faculty additional opportunities for meaningful research exchange." About the Sub-Antarctic Ecosystems and Biocultural Conservation research cluster The Sub-Antarctic Ecosystems and Biocultural Conservation research cluster and its affiliated program build on UNT's strength in environmental ethics and ecological sciences. For several years, UNT has been working with the government of Chile, the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, the Universidad de Magallanes and non-profit organizations, to integrate ecological and social aspects of research, education and conservation into a long-term initiative that will make the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve a formal Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research (LTSER) site networked with other sites in Chile and International LTER network. The sub-Antarctic ecoregion lies at the tip of South America and hosts some of the largest protected areas in Latin America, ten times the size of Yellowstone National Park. The program is developing effective conservation and sustainable development practices for the region and has been recognized with the 2008 "Science and Practice of Ecology and Society" Award and second place in the 2010 Raanan Weitz Innovation in Sustainable Development Competition. The research cluster team at UNT includes researchers from the departments of Philosophy & Religion Studies, Biological Sciences, Studio Art and Library & Information Sciences, among other active collaborations across campus. About UNT's research clusters The research clusters are collaborative, cross-disciplinary teams comprised of leading researchers, faculty, students and institutions engaged in research to find solutions to some of today's most pressing problems. By investing in diverse expertise and cutting-edge technologies within an interdisciplinary framework, UNT promotes creative, competitive methodologies that will transform applications across sciences and humanities.
UNT News Service Phone Number: (940) 565-2108
Contact: Buddy Price (940) 565-2943
Email: buddy.price@unt.edu
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