MARÍA DEL MAR MORETTA-URDIALES
Education
Ph.D. Aquatic Resources & Integrative Biology, Texas State University, USA, 2025
Outstanding Dissertation Award
Advisor: Dr. David Rodriguez
B.Sc. Biology, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), Ecuador, 2018
Highest GPA Award
Honors Advisor: Dr. Rafael Bermúdez M.
TITLES AND AFFILIATIONS
Associate Researcher, Fundación Alianza Jambatot (Ecuadorian NGO), 2025-present
Fundraising Lead, Women in Nature Network (WiNN), 2025-present
Environmental Commissioner, Environmental Commission at the City of Austin, 2025-present
National Geographic Explorer, 2023-present
Future Leader of Amphibian Conservation, Amphibian Survival Alliance, 2023
Associate Researcher, Fundación JAPU (Ecuadorian NGO), 2023-present
PROJECT MANAGEMENT Experience
Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA
Postdoctoral Researcher | June 2025–present
The Effects of Nitrite on Maternal Transfer of Steroid and Immune Factors during Gestation
• Facilitated cross-team learning and collaboration through training sessions, developing communication materials consistent with best practices.
• Supported early-career researchers and students in cohort-style field training programs, including onboarding, progress tracking, and capacity-building
• Managed routine sampling, data collection, and reporting, translating technical results into clear summaries for internal and external audiences.
Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA
PhD Researcher | August 2020–2025
Host-Pathogen Dynamics of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in mainland Ecuador
• Designed and led independent research on disease-environment interactions in tropical ecosystems, with direct relevance to decision-making under environmental uncertainty.
• Coordinated multi-institutional field campaigns in remote regions, fostering collaboration and capacity development among local researchers and students.
• Supervised and mentored an international cohort of field staff and lab technicians, emphasizing training, onboarding, and inclusive team building.
• Secured competitive funding and managed project budgets, aligning with donor compliance requirements.
• Cultivated partnerships with academic and NGO stakeholders (e.g., Third Millennium Alliance, Amphibian Survival Alliance, Fundación JAPU, UC Berkeley, Texas A&M), advancing community engagement and shared conservation goals.
• Delivered findings through strategic communication—including international conferences, policy-facing presentations, community talks, and peer-reviewed publications.
FUNDACIÓN JAPU (NGO), Ecuador
Associate Researcher | 2023-present
• Engage with universities, NGOs, and community partners to co-develop conservation initiatives that support locally driven decision-making.
• Co-author technical reports and policy recommendations for Ecuador’s Natural Resources Department, contributing to evidence-based environmental planning.
• Facilitated structured knowledge-sharing and collaborative sessions across diverse teams to foster interdisciplinary learning.
Universidad Espiritu Santo, Guayaquil, Ecuador
Researcher | 2018–2020
• Led field teams and trained students in biodiversity assessment, data analysis, and specimen curation, contributing to capacity development in conservation science.
• Conducted urban biodiversity surveys to establish ecological baselines for evidence-based management of Guayaquil Historical Park.
• Designed and delivered community outreach campaigns to promote urban forest conservation and foster public engagement in environmental issues.
• Produced technical reports and peer-reviewed publications to communicate findings to decision-makers and broader audiences.
University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA & Third Millenium Alliance, Ecuador
Field Expedition Leader & Researcher | 2019
• Led biodiversity and wildlife disease surveillance expeditions in remote tropical reserves, generating field data to support science-informed conservation strategies.
• Engaged local governments and natural resource departments to strengthen partnerships and inform environmental planning.
• Translated research outcomes into actionable insights for park rangers and reserve managers, promoting cross-sector knowledge exchange and local capacity building.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, Austin, TX, USA
Facilitator of Local Partnerships & Field Researcher | 2018
• Built and maintained trusted partnerships with rural communities to support collaborative conservation research in Ecuador’s coastal and montane regions.
• Facilitated data collection on species thermal tolerance and climate vulnerability to inform climate-resilient conservation planning.
• Served as a liaison between local stakeholders and academic researchers, ensuring community-informed project design and ethical research practices.
CHARLES DARWIN RESEARCH STATION, Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Team Leader | 2017
• Led teams in implementing ecological field studies, ensuring data quality, resource coordination, and collaboration across NGOs and academic partners (Universities and Natural History Museums).
• Facilitated cross-sector engagement.
COMMUNICATION AWARDS & EXPERIENCE
I have delivered over 30 oral presentations as a scientist, conservationist, and invited speaker. I am fluent in both English and Spanish.
National Geographic Explorer | Awarded to emerging scientists conducting impactful fieldwork in biodiversity conservation. Create content for Nat Geo media (Instagram and TikTok).
First Place and People’s Choice, 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition | Recognized for delivering the most compelling and accessible research presentation (university-wide at Texas State University).
Best Research Presentation | Selected as the top doctoral presentation for excellence in scientific communication, research quality, and audience engagement at the Biology Department annual research showcase at Texas State University.
FUNDRAISING: GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS, AND AWARDS
2025 Graduate College Outstanding Dissertation Award, Texas State University
Recognized exceptional research and original contribution to the field.
2024-2025 Dissertation Completion Fellowship, Texas State University
Highly competitive award granted to exceptional PhD candidates demonstrating academic excellence and real-world impact.
2024 Carl Gans Foundation Grant – World Congress of Herpetology | Malaysia
2024 National Geographic Scholarship – National Geographic Explorers Festival
2023 Robert M. Seese Award for Outstanding Achievement in International Education
Honors exceptional contributions to advancing international education, cultural exchange, and global understanding through leadership, and outreach.
2023 Future Leader for Amphibian Conservation, Amphibian Survival Alliance
Selected as one of the world’s emerging leaders in amphibian conservation.
2023-2025 National Geographic Grant Level I
2021 & 2023 Student Government Scholarship, Texas State University
2021 & 2023 P.E.O. IPS Fellowship for International Women in STEM
Fellowship supporting distinguished international women in STEM who demonstrate leadership and a commitment to creating global impact through science.
2021-2022 AAUW Fellowship for International Women in STEM
Awarded by the American Association of University Women to support exceptional international women pursuing advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering.
2021 & 2023 The Good Neighbor Scholarship
2022-2023 Prestigious state-funded award granted to outstanding students from Latin America.
2020-2022 Special Wilson Fellowship for Latin American Studies
Recognized for bridging scientific inquiry with regional conservation impact.
2020 Doctoral Merit Fellowship, Texas State University
2018 Research Honors and Highest Cohort Grade Award
2017 Academic Merit Grant, ESPOL
2017 Research Grant, ESPOL
SELECTED ECOLOGY & CONSERVATION PUBLICATIONS
Mentees are starred (*).
Moretta-Urdiales, M.D.M., Lynch, R., Guayasamin, J.M., McCracken, S., Tenorio, M*., W. J. Neely., Rodriguez, D. (2025). Bromeliads as environmental pathogen reservoirs and disease dynamics of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in equatorial forests. Submitted to Peer Review.
Moretta-Urdiales, M.D.M., Narváez, A., Bermeo, M*., Cuadrado, S*., Molina, N., Guayasamin, J.M. (2025). Contrasting Seasonal Prevalence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Fragmented Urban Forests of Coastal Ecuador. Journal of Wildlife Diseases.
Moretta-Urdiales, M.D.M., Tenorio, M. *., Velasquez, F. ., Davis, R. , Lynch, R., Guayasamin, J.M., McCracken, S., Rodriguez, D. (2025). Look up: Canopy Amphibian diversity of Mashpi Reserve in the Andean Choco bioregion of Ecuador. Herpetological Conservation and Biology.
Keyko Cruz-García, Barreno, M. *., Cuadrado, S. *., Moretta-Urdiales, M.D.M., Molina-Moreira, N., Salas, J.A., Torres-Domínguez, Á., Narváez, A.E. (2023). Amphibians and reptiles of Isla Santay (Durán, Ecuador). Check List, 19(3), 347–369.
Harding, S.F., Moretta-Urdiales, M.D.M., Nordmeyer, S.C., Wostl, E., Rodriguez, D. (2023). Leveraging preserved specimens of Nerodia to infer the spatiotemporal dynamics of Ophidiomyces ophidiicola via quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Ecology and Evolution, 13(4), e9998.
Michelsohn, M.J., Barrow, L.N., Moretta-Urdiales, M.D.M., Achig-Vega, A., Nusirwuia, K., Ron, S.R. (2022). Geographic distribution: Dendropsophus gryllatus. Herpetological Review, 53, 257–258.
Narváez, A.E., Ghia, T., Moretta-Urdiales, M.D.M., Molina-Moreira, N. (2021). Feeding habits of Anolis sagrei, an introduced species, in city gardens in Guayas Province. Urban Ecosystems.
Moretta-Urdiales, M.D.M., Ernst, R., Pontón-Cevellos, J., Bermúdez, R., Jäger, H. (2020). First assessment of trophic interactions in the introduced hylid frog Scinax quinquefasciatus and its potential impact on the native invertebrate fauna of Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos. NeoBiota.