Silvia Patricia González Díaz, Ph.D.

Dr. González became the HRI International Chair for Coastal and Marine Studies in Cuba in 2017. She served as the Director of the Center of Marine Research at the University of Havana (CIM-UH) from 2014-2020, where she now continues as a faculty member and researcher in the Marine Ecology group. She is also an affiliate faculty member at the University of Vermont. Her research interests and specialties include: Community, population and individual level indicators for ecological research of coral reefs; Natural and anthropogenic impact on coral reefs; and Conservation and management of coastal ecosystems. She teaches at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and her classes include: Structure and Function of Marine Ecosystems; Marine Ecology; and Components and Processes of Coastal Ecosystems. She has participated in more than 15 past and current research projects; has published more than 30 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and has served as the advisor for more than 15 graduate theses and dissertations. Dr. González is also a member of the CIM-UH Scientific Council; a member of CIM-UH Postgraduate University Council; head of the MS and PhD Programs in Marine Biology and Aquaculture at the University of Havana; a member of the IBERMAR network; and a member of National Oceanographic Committee of Cuba.