For as long as I can remember I have been passionate about environmental conservation. Growing up in Peru, I was exposed to some of the most biodiverse places on the planet. From a young age I was intent on protecting, conserving, and educating people about our environment. As I grew, my interest in conservation surpassed my national borders.
I have conducted quantitative analyses on illegal wildlife trade in the Amazon rainforest, performed fieldwork on the coexistence of livestock and wildlife in the Tarangire-Manyara region of Tanzania, and more recently examined the application of climate resilient management tools for fisheries in Antarctica. I have published research in several peer reviewed scientific journals including Science, Marine Policy, Ocean & Coastal Management, and Ecology and Evolution. I previously worked for Defenders of Wildlife in Washington D.C. as their International Conservation Associate and more recently for the Governors’ Climate and Forest Task Force as a Research Consultant. I hold a Master’s Degree in Environmental Policy from the University of Colorado Boulder, and I am currently a Ph.D. candidate in Environmental Studies under the guidance of Dr. Cassandra Brooks. Some of the courses I have taken include: Environmental Science, Environmental governance, U.S. Environmental Policy, Environmental Decision Making, GIS, Environmental Economics, Sustainability Management and Environmental Finance.

Vasco Chavez-Molina

Ph.D Candidate in Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder

Research Interests

Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

Aquatic Science

Economics and Econometrics

Law

Oceanography

Nature and Landscape Conservation

Ecology

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

About

For as long as I can remember I have been passionate about environmental conservation. Growing up in Peru, I was exposed to some of the most biodiverse places on the planet. From a young age I was intent on protecting, conserving, and educating people about our environment. As I grew, my interest in conservation surpassed my national borders. <br> I have conducted quantitative analyses on illegal wildlife trade in the Amazon rainforest, performed fieldwork on the coexistence of livestock and wildlife in the Tarangire-Manyara region of Tanzania, and more recently examined the application of climate resilient management tools for fisheries in Antarctica. I have published research in several peer reviewed scientific journals including Science, Marine Policy, Ocean & Coastal Management, and Ecology and Evolution. I previously worked for Defenders of Wildlife in Washington D.C. as their International Conservation Associate and more recently for the Governors’ Climate and Forest Task Force as a Research Consultant. I hold a Master’s Degree in Environmental Policy from the University of Colorado Boulder, and I am currently a Ph.D. candidate in Environmental Studies under the guidance of Dr. Cassandra Brooks. Some of the courses I have taken include: Environmental Science, Environmental governance, U.S. Environmental Policy, Environmental Decision Making, GIS, Environmental Economics, Sustainability Management and Environmental Finance.

Publications

Protecting the Salas y Gomez and Nazca Ridges: A review of policy pathways for creating conservation measures in the international waters of the Southeast Pacific

Marine Policy / Jun 01, 2023

Chavez-Molina, V., Wagner, D., Nocito, E. S., Benedum, M., Gaymer, C. F., Currie, D., Beam, E. G., & Brooks, C. M. (2023). Protecting the Salas y Gomez and Nazca Ridges: A review of policy pathways for creating conservation measures in the international waters of the Southeast Pacific. Marine Policy, 152, 105594. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2023.105594

Managing for climate resilient fisheries: Applications to the Southern Ocean

Ocean & Coastal Management / May 01, 2023

Chavez-Molina, Vasco., Nocito, E. S., Carr, E., Cavanagh, R. D., Sylvester, Z., Becker, S. L., Dorman, D. D., Wallace, B., White, C., & Brooks, C. M. (2023). Managing for climate resilient fisheries: Applications to the Southern Ocean. Ocean & Coastal Management, 239, 106580. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106580

Protect global values of the Southern Ocean ecosystem

Science / Nov 04, 2022

Brooks, C. M., Ainley, D. G., Jacquet, J., Chown, S. L., Pertierra, L. R., Francis, E., Rogers, A., Chavez-Molina, V., Teh, L., & Sumaila, U. R. (2022). Protect global values of the Southern Ocean ecosystem. Science, 378(6619), 477–479. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.add9480

Long‐term persistence of wildlife populations in a pastoral area

Ecology and Evolution / Aug 07, 2020

Kiffner, C., Kioko, J., Baylis, J., Beckwith, C., Brunner, C., Burns, C., Chavez‐Molina, V., Cotton, S., Glazik, L., Loftis, E., Moran, M., O’Neill, C., Theisinger, O., & Kissui, B. (2020). Long‐term persistence of wildlife populations in a pastoral area. Ecology and Evolution, 10(18), 10000–10016. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6658

Education

College of the Holy Cross

BA, Environmental Studies and Anthropology double major / May, 2018

Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America

University of Colorado Boulder

MENV, Environmental Policy / December, 2020

Boulder, Colorado, United States of America

University of Colorado Boulder

Ph.D, Environmental Studies / December, 2024 (anticipated)

Boulder, Colorado, United States of America

Experience

Defenders of Wildlife

International Conservation Associate / June, 2018 — July, 2019

Brooks Lab CU Boulder

Antarctic Policy Researcher / January, 2021 — September, 2021

Links & Social Media

Vasco Chavez-Molina Linkedin

ORCID

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