Curriculum vitae [pdf]
Wilfredo Falcón
Bureau of Research and Conservation of Habitats and Biodiversity
Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources
P.O. Box 366147, San Juan, PR 00936 USA
wfalcon[at]drna.pr.gov
Skype: wil.falcon
Elsewhere on the internet:
Research Gate Profile
Google Scholar Profile
Bureau of Research and Conservation of Habitats and Biodiversity
Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources
P.O. Box 366147, San Juan, PR 00936 USA
wfalcon[at]drna.pr.gov
Skype: wil.falcon
Elsewhere on the internet:
Research Gate Profile
Google Scholar Profile
Education
University of Zürich - Irchel
2018 - PhD Program in Ecology
University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras Campus
2013 - MSc in Biology (Summa Cum Laude)
University of Puerto Rico - Humacao Campus
2010- BSc in Wildlife Management (Cum Laude)
2018 - PhD Program in Ecology
- Project: From understanding to predicting: Giant tortoises as drivers of the seed dispersal network of Aldabra
- Advisor: Dr. Dennis Hansen
University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras Campus
2013 - MSc in Biology (Summa Cum Laude)
- Project: Consequences of acquired interactions of an invasive orchid on its population growth rates in Puerto Rico
- Advisor: Dr. James D. Ackerman
University of Puerto Rico - Humacao Campus
2010- BSc in Wildlife Management (Cum Laude)
- Project: Population ecology and distribution of the White-winged parakeet (Brotogeris versicolorus) in Puerto Rico
- Advisor: Dr. Raymond L. Tremblay
Other Qualifications
2013 - PADI Advance Open Water Diver Certification, Mahé, Seychelles
2012 - Population Genetics and Statistics Workshop, Oslo, Norway
2012 - Population Genetics and Statistics Workshop, Oslo, Norway
- Workshop at the 3rd International Statistical Ecology Conference
- Workshop organised by the Center for Applied Tropical Ecology and Conservation, University of Puerto Rico
- Workshop organised by the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University
- Graduate course by the Organization of Tropical Studies, Duke University
- Course by the University of Puerto Rico's INTECO/WIRED Partnership
Awards & Honours
2013 - José Ramón Ortíz Awardee
2013 - Fulbright US Student Program
2010 - Bridge to the Doctorate Fellow
2010 - Antarctica Service Medal of the USA
2010 - USDA Faculty and Student Teams Program Fellow
2008 - Ronald E. McNair Scholar
2007 - UPR-SMART Scholarship
2002 - US-National Honor Society –"Noblesse Oblige"
- Awarded to the student with the highest GPA upon graduation in the MSc Biology Program.
2013 - Fulbright US Student Program
- Recommended by the US National Screening Committee of the Institute of International Education for studies in New Zealand.
2010 - Bridge to the Doctorate Fellow
- 2-year competitive fellowship sponsored by the US-NSF that included salary, and research/travel funding.
2010 - Antarctica Service Medal of the USA
- Awarded to personnel serving in the US Antarctic Program and stationed in the continent.
2010 - USDA Faculty and Student Teams Program Fellow
- Competitive fellowship placing a faculty and two students from Hispanic Serving Institutes in selected National Research Initiatives. Dr. Curt Daehler was our host Faculty during our training on Species Distribution Modelling in the University of Hawai'i - Mãnoa.
2008 - Ronald E. McNair Scholar
- A US Federal TRIO program that provides competitive scholarships with the aim to prepare undergraduates for doctoral studies.
2007 - UPR-SMART Scholarship
- Scholarship awarded to 3rd-4th year STEM students based on academic merit.
2002 - US-National Honor Society –"Noblesse Oblige"
- Member of the Hortus Chapter; member of the History team - University Gardens High School
Research Experience
See publication list here
Presentations (selection)
Other research experience
Research volunteer, Puerto Rican Bank
Research volunteer, Mona, Puerto Rico
Presentations (selection)
- Ackerman, JD, W Falcón*, J Molinari, C Vega, I Espino, and AA Cuevas. 2013. Consequences of acquired interspecific interactions for an invasive orchid, Spathoglottis plicata in Puerto Rico. 33rd PRISM. Gurabo, PR. [poster]
- Falcón, W, JD Ackerman, W Recart and CC Daehler. 2012. March of the green iguana: Vulnerability of invasion in the Greater Caribbean and the Pacific Islands. Iguana Specialist Group/1st Latin American Iguana Meeting. Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico. [info]
- Falcón, W, JD Ackerman, W Recart, and PJ Hernández-García. 2011. Hawai’i and Puerto Rico: A story of shared orchid weeds. Hawai’i Conservation Conference. O’ahu, HI.
- Falcón, W, RL Tremblay, and JD Ackerman. 2011. The emerging dominance of Spathoglottis plicata in Puerto Rico. Botany Conference. St. Louis, MO. [poster]
- Falcón, W, CS Goldberg, LP Waits, WA Estes-Zumpf, and JL Rachlow. 2011. First record of multiple paternity in the pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis): Evidence from analysis of 16 microsatellite loci. PR-LSAMP 5th Transdisciplinary Conference. San Juan, PR. [poster]
- Falcón, W, W Recart, and JD Ackerman. 2011. Invasive green iguanas (Iguana iguana) on the march: Vulnerability of tropical islands. Tercer Simposio de Herpetología Puertorriqueña. Arecibo, PR. [poster]
- Falcón, W, and RL Tremblay. 2009. Population growth rates and distribution of the non-indigenous Brotogeris versicolurus: Puerto Rican passport granted? Biolief: World Conference on Biological Invasions and Ecosystem Functioning. Porto, Portugal. [poster]
Other research experience
Research volunteer, Puerto Rican Bank
- Assisted Dr. Brittany Barker of the University of New Mexico in her dissertation fieldwork with Eleutherodactylus frogs in Puerto Rico and the (US & UK) Virgin Islands. Tasks included capturing frogs and taking DNA samples, habitat description, sampling logistics, identifying species and finding sampling sites. [related article]
Research volunteer, Mona, Puerto Rico
- Assisted Dr. Julissa Rojas-Sandoval (University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras) in her dissertation fieldwork with Harrisia portoricensis as a volunteer. Duties included measuring plant phenology, maintenance of invasive grass plot experiments and collecting environmental data.
Service
See Service page.
Academic & Professional Memberships
- Ecological Society of America
- British Ecological Society