Juliana is pursuing a Ph.D. in Sustainable Development Policy, Economics, and Governance at the University of Vermont. She was born in Bogotá, Colombia and migrated to Florida, USA. She obtained a BS in Biology from Florida International University and worked as a scientific diver determining anthropogenic impact in Florida Bay through algae tissue analysis. She then pursued teaching certification and has taught integrated & environmental sciences and English at schools in Colombia, USA, South Korea, Spain, and Trinidad and Tobago. Juliana holds a master’s degree in Sociocultural Anthropology from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain and her thesis focused on the epistemology of human-environment relations.

 

Juliana has enjoyed inspiring young activists around the world and wishes to continue generating impact through place-based transformative pedagogies. Her research interests are nested in an imminent shift in consumption and production paradigms from modern westernized societies. Drawing from post-development theory, political ecology, regenerative agriculture, and ecological economics, Juliana hopes to employ decolonial and participatory place-based approaches to inspire increasingly critical, political, and sustainable consumers. Juliana likes to write, all arts, mindfulness, and among her favorite activities is watching sea turtles nest.