Leonardo Hernandez
Graduate Student
San Jose State University

My name is Leonardo Hernandez. I come from Venezuela, and nowadays I am a graduate student at San Jose State University in the Ecology and Conservation Program. I am working with Dr Susan Lambrecht in high altitude plant ecology.

During my undergraduate research back in Venezuela I was working with the effects of climate change on the distribution of high altitude plants. After finishing my studies I took an ecology and conservation course in Costa Rica with the Organization for Tropical Studies, which enhanced my love and interest in ecology and field work.

To me, field work is probably the most important part in the ecological research, because it gives me the chance to watch patterns as they are in nature, which makes it easier to study them and explain them to others.

My future plans include finishing my MS program and then continue with a Ph.D. program in the plant ecology area, all of that, while building my family.