Meet the Experts

Jorge Recharte

Executive Director: Dr. Recharte graduated from Cornell University with a Ph.D. in anthropology in 1989. He served as the Andes Program Director for The Mountain Institute between 1997 and 2019. Recharte was part of the International Potato Center during 1979-1981 and 1991-1993, and developed FLASCO-Ecuador–a sustainable mountain development program–between 1994 and 1996. Recharte designed the Páramos Program in Ecuador in 1997-98, followed by various proects in Ecuador and Peru. Recharte has been director of three, USAID/The Mountain Institute projects dedicated to climate change challenges in Peru. He has contributed to developing regional, sustainable tourism initiatives in the Cordillera Blanca mountains and the Inca Road since 2003. Recharte is part of an extensive professional and academic network of specialists in ecosystems and mountain societies, both at the national and global level. LINK TO FULL BIO.

Mirella Gallardo

Specialist, Water and Climate Change: Gallardo’s undergraduate degree in agricultural engineering is from La Molina National Agrarian University in Peru and her Masters in land and water resources engineering is from Karlsruhe University, Germany. Gallardo has teaching experience at the university level and has worked on international cooperative projects focused on various topics: water resource evaluation, design and implementation of erosion mitigation, irrigation canals and rural roads, community ecotourism projects as an alternative to sustainable forest use, managing and processing alpaca fiber, developing strategies for sustainable biodiversity use, territorial order with regional governments, climate change adaptation projects for managing water, and mountain ecosystem based adaptation.

Florencia Zapata

Deputy Director: Zapata is an anthropologist and naturalist, specializing in sustainable management of mountain ecosystems, participatory action-research methodologies and social memory. She has worked for the Instituto de Montaña for over 20 years, collaborating on environmental conservation, climate change adaptation and cultural affirmation projects in the Andes. Her recent work topics include: nature-based solutions with an emphasis on ecosystem-based adaptation, sustainable and participative management of mountain ecosystems and ancestral technologies for water management in the Andes. Zapata is a member of the Association of Latin American Studies (LASA) and the Permanent Seminar on Agrarian Research (SEPIA).

Vidal Rondán

Leader, Alliances with Mountain Organizations: Rondán has his degree in education from the National University Pedro Ruíz Gallo and is pursuing his Masters in Education Planning and Management at the University Santiago Antúnez de Mayolo. He also has a diploma in Identification, Development and Evaluation of Public Investment Projects with a focus on climate risks, gender and development. Since 1995, Rondán has been part of the Instituto de Montaña team. He has been the facilitator of participative processes for social and institutional organizations in the wholistic management of natural resources and integrated conservation and development projects. He has also coordinated projects to train community leaders in conservation and ecotourism in Ancash and the Inca Road-Huancabamba-Piura, Peru. In 2018, he was part of the social technical team for the Scaling up Ecosystem-based Adaptation Project in the Nor Yauyos Cochas Landscape Reserve of Peru.

Manuel Asencios

Administrator: Asencios is a certified public accountant with a degree from Santiago Antúnez de Mayolo University and a Masters in Social Management from Pontifical Catholic University of Peru and a Masters in Public Administration from San Martín de Porres University. He has more than 15 years experience as administrator of non-profit organizations. Asencios has been responsible for the administration of the Instituto de Montaña since 2001.

Cecilia Turin

Lead Researcher, Mountain Social Ecosystems: Turin is an interdisciplinary scientist with a degree in Zootechnic Engineering from the National Agrarian University La Molina, a Ph.D. in Rural Sociology from the University of Missouri, plus a postdoctorate in Climate Change Adaptation and Gender from the International Potato Center (CIP.) Turin has experience teaching at universities (UNALM, UPCH), and on agrarian and food systems at international centers and as part of global programs (CIP, IFPRI, CCAFS, Dryland Systems, RTB.) She has consulted on gender and climate change (FAO, World Bank) and has managed reseach in the public sector (PNIA-BID) and in sustainable development and conservation (IdM). Turin is a specialist in pastoral and agropastoral systems of the high Andes, South American camelids, indigenous knowledge and technology, management strategies and practices and institutions for stewarding pastures and wetlands of the high Andes. She leads transdisciplinary projects employing integrated frameworks and a transformational approach to holistic management, landscape focused agroecology, gender specific issues, collective action and participative-action research.

Ángel Mendoza

Research Assistant, Mountain Social Ecosystems: Mendoza graduated from the Santiago Antunez de Mayolo National University and is an environmental engineer. He has is Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Catholic University of Los Angeles of Chimbote. Mendoza’s scientific articles have been published in Glaciers and Mountain Ecosystems (INAIGEM) magazine and in Aporte Santiaguino-UNASAM. He is a specialist in geographic information systems (ArcGis, QGis, ArcGis Online, Global Mapper.) Mendoza also specializes in teledetection and image processing (Erdas, Envi) as well as in developing and collecting data offline with Survey 123, ODK and KoboToolbox. He was part of the Punas Agua III team (2016-2018) as project assistant. Currently he is part of the Punas Agua IV team as research assistant. He has ample experience in developing environmental impact studies, disaster risk evaluation and management, potable water supply and security and health at work.

Luis Armas

Facilitator, Participative Processes: Armas earned his Bachelor’s degree in agronomic engineering from the José Carlos Mariátegui University in Moquegua, Peru and graduated as an agricultural technician from the Eleazar Guzán Barrón Techology Institute in Huaraz. His diploma in intercultural, sustainable education is from the National University de la Selva. He is a specialist in facilitating participative processes in rural communities and a specialist in biodiversity and rural agriculture of the Andes. Armas has belonged to the Urpichallay Associaton for more than 10 years and has designed management for sileage and hay, along with projects focused on identifying and enriching native pastures.

Doris Chavez

Facilitator, Participative Processes: Chavez is an educator who graduated from the University Alas Peruanas Peru (2005-2009) and from the Eleazar Guzmán Barrón Technological Institute as an agricultural technician. Since 2009 she has taken the lead role in building relationships with the rural communities where Instituto de Montaña works and is immersed in the research process. She has extensive experience in community outreach as part of her work with the Natural Pastures Users Committee, and is a specialist in forest ecosystem conservation, medicinal plants and recovery of conservation units. (PNH-2008-2007-1997.) Chavez has ample experience in the research and production of entomopathogens, knowledge and application of preventive medicine and diagnostic capabilities, treatment and control of animal diseases and pests, and plants as biocontrol. (SENASA 1998-2001 and 2003-2004.)

Hulfer Lázaro

Technician, Natural Resources: Lázaro earned his Bachelor’s in forest and environmental engineering from the National University of Central Peru. His specialties include GIS-geographic information system, management, design and evaluation of environmental impact studies, and environmental supervision. Lázaro has experience as a consultant in the areas of environmental monitoring, water resources and evaluation of mountain ecosystems for public and private institutions.

Paloma Rodríguez

Communications: Rodríguez earned her Bachelor’s in communications wth a specialty in development from the University of Lima. She is experienced in digital community management, event planning and knowledge management. Rodríguez has a background in logistics and communications for social development projects. She has worked for the Instituto de Montaña since 2018 and is responsible for communications for the Scaling Up Mountain EbA and Punas Agua IV projects.

Fidel Torres

Leader, Innovation and Value Chain Processes: Dr. Fidel Torres has a Ph.D. and Masters in biochemistry, and is a biologist and botanist. He has completed phytochemical and ethnobotanical studies focused on the wild plant species of the páramos and Andean cloud forests of northern Peru. Torres has also conducted research on the physiology of the seed potato in the warm, tropical Andes, in-situ coservation of agrobiodiversity and agrarian innovations to improve competitiveness. He is the principal investigator for the Instituto de Montaña’s projects with the National Program of Agrarian Innovation (PNIA-IdM) from 2016 to 2020: “Ethnobotany and Bioprospecting in the Páramos and Cloud Forests for Innovation” and (2016-2018) “Producing Sexual Seed for Potato Production in the Face of Climate Change.” Torres is the principal investigator for Agrored Norte on the project financed by FONDECYT–CONCTEC: “Native Fruit Trees: Phytochemical richness for biocommerce of páramos and cloud forest species and profitable reforestation.”

Jaymee Silva

Specialist, Conservation and Biodiversity: Silva studied veterinary medicine and zootechnics at the Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia and later earned a diploma in biodiversity management from the National University of San Marcos. She worked for several years as a veterinarian for various rescue and rehabilitation centers that cared for threatened wildlife species. Silva later discovered her passion for environmental education and sustainable development projects with local communities. She worked several years on projects to establish natural protected areas and on developing eco-enterprises for the benefit of neighboring communities. After completing her Masters in climate change and the environment at the University of Melbourne, Australia, she joined the Instituto de Montaña team as Program Officer for the Scaling Up Mountain EbA global team.

Daniella Vargas-Machuca

Geographer: Vargas-Machuca graduated in geography from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, with studies in wetland ecology and geographic information systems. She is an environmental activist focusing on youth participation in climate policies. Vargas-Machuca’s main work has been on high Andean ecosystems, environmental monitoring systems, teledetection and studies on the management of territories by their rural communities. She has worked in public and private institutions (Instituto de Montaña, Spacedat, UNDP, MINAM, SERNANP.) Vargas-Machuca has experience in mountain ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change, socio-ecological systems, database development and research planning associated with highlands and climate change.

Sandra Nichols

Nichols is a cultural geographer dedicated to the environment, cultural patrimony and community welfare. She co-led “The Geography of Alexander von Humboldt: Yesterday and Today” expedition (IdM, 2019) and helped develop photographic exhibitions to call attention to an Andes-Amazonian region of great biological and archeological richness that is currently under great threat. Nichols produced television documentaries for more than 20 years, including the prize-winning documentary, “The Fragile Mountain” filmed in the Nepal Himalayas. She has researched and published on the relationship between environmental degradation and rural migration. Nichols is a member and ex-resident of the Society of Woman Geographers. She grew up in Lima, Peru and holds a Bachelors in anthropology (1967), a Masters in communication, both from Stanford, and a Ph.D. in geography from the University of California, Berkeley (2002).

Miriam Torres

Torres is a forestry specialist with expertise in participatory management of natural protected areas and rural tourism projects managed by local communities. She worked for ProNaturaleza for six years and later was part of the Instituto de Montaña staff for 15 years, serving another five years as a consultant to the Instituto. Torres conducted the IdM projects that were directly related to supporting natural protected areas and rural community tourism. She was also responsible for leading the team based in Huaraz, Peru and the general administration of that office.

Anaïs Zimmer

Zimmer is a doctoral candidate in the Geography Department at the University of Texas in Austin. She is an agricultural engineer with a degree from the National School of Agronomy of Toulouse, France. Zimmer specializes in the conservation and management of natural resources. In collaboration with the Instituto de Montaña, her research aims to evaluate how the physical, ecological and social processes interact with landscapes at the margin of glaciers and how these factors foster adaptation strategies. After workiing with the French Institute for Development in Bolivia, where she studied plant colonization after glacial retreat, she joined the Instituto de Montaña en 2013. Zimmer was part of the “High Mountain Glacial Basins” program and later became part of the “Securing Mountain Water and Livelihoods” project (2014-2018). She also worked as a consultant on the “Scaling Up Mountain EbA.” (2018-2019).

Alton Byers

Byers is a mountain geographer, conservationist and mountain climber specializing in applied research, highland ecosystems, climate change, glaciar risks and integrated conservation and development programs. He received his Bachelors in 1975 and Ph.D. in 1987 from the University of Colorado, Boulder. His doctorate was focused on landscape change, soil erosion and the vegetation dynamics in Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal. Byers joined The Mountain Institute (TMI) in 1990 as an environmental advisor, working as co-manager of the Makalu-Barun National Park. He founded TMI’s Himalayan Program and was the founder/director of TMI’s Andes Program and also served as director of TMI’s Appalachian Program. Byers founded and directed TMI’s Science and Exploration Program. In 2015, he joined the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) at the University of Colorado, Boulder, as associate researcher and senior docent.

Gabriela López

López has her Masters in rural development from the National Center for Agricultural Studies for Tropical Regions (CNEARC), Montpellier, France and is a zootechnic engineer with a Bachelors in science from the National Agrarian University La Molina, Peru. She also was trained in governance for conservation and sustainable management of ecosystems in the United States, Bolivia and Italy. López has significant experience in conservation, rural development, climate change and ecosystem-based adaptation projects plus experience working with NGOs, the public sector and International Cooperation in the participatory management of fragile ecosystems. López also facilitates social processes for conservation and events to train rural and urban facilitators. She has coordinated and managed local and national projects, leading methodological and inter-institutional processes and has contributed to the design and development of participatory methodologies with mountain communities and local governments.

Ed Bernbaum

Bernbaum is a mountaineer, author, and student of comparative religion and mythology whose work focuses on the relationship between culture and the environment. His book “Sacred Mountains of the World” won the Commonwealth Club of California’s gold medal for nonfiction and an Italian prize for literature on mountaineering, exploration, and the environment. At The Mountain Institute (TMI), Bernbaum founded and directed the Sacred Mountains Program, developing interpretive materials with National Parks based on the cultural and spiritual significance of natural features in cultures around the world. He is currently Co-Chair of the IUCN Specialist Group on the Cultural and Spiritual Values of Protected Areas (CSVPA). Bernbaum has a Bachelors in mathematics from Harvard College and a Ph.D. in Asian studies from the University of California at Berkeley. He did additional graduate work in social psychology and anthropology at Harvard University.