The team that makes our museum possible :
The museum's mission is built upon collaborative agreements and strategic alliances with the City of Aguadilla, universities, private entities, and the community. Together, they aim to educate and conduct research on geology and paleontology, using these fields as educational tools to explore paleontological specimens, sedimentary rocks, and marine deposits that reflect ancient sea levels. Recognizing the value of studying natural history and exhibiting these remarkable findings, universities, professionals, organizations, and governments have invested resources in these endeavors, benefitting society and individuals through exhibitions and museums that preserve these historical pieces.
Board of Directors
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Maribel Ramirez
Business Entrepreneur
President & Founder, Natural History and Conservation Museum of Puerto Rico.
She is the visionary founder of Puerto Rico’s first Natural History and Conservation Museum, dedicated to uniting education, sustainability, and cultural identity to inspire future generations.
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Dr. Jorge Vélez Juarbe
Paleontologist
Vice President & Co-Founder, Natural History and Conservation Museum of Puerto Rico
Associate Curator of Marine Mammals at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, is a Puerto Rican paleontologist whose research has led to over 30 new species discoveries and 50 scientific publications.
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Dr. Michael González Cruz
Sociologist
Secretary, Natural History and Conservation Museum of Puerto Rico
A sociologist and professor at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, he holds a Ph.D. from Binghamton University and focuses his research on the relationships between environment, society, and culture in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.
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Dr. Hernán Santos
Geologist
Facilitator / Collaborator & Co-Founder, Natural History and Conservation Museum of Puerto Rico
An associate dean and geology professor at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, he researches paleontology and Caribbean geology, focusing on Cretaceous to Miocene biostratigraphy and Puerto Rico’s fossil record.
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Emilia Quiñones-Otal, PhD
Associate Professor
Director of Museum Development
An associate professor and director of the Humanities Department at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, with a Ph.D. in Art History and over 16 years of experience curating contemporary art and contributing to international publications.
Our Collaborators
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Haydée E. Reichard De Cardona
Historian, Writer & Lecturer
A historian, writer, and lecturer with a Ph.D. in History from Richmonds University, UK, and has published over fourteen books and 200 articles on Puerto Rican traditions, history, and popular religiosity; she serves as the Official Historian of Aguadilla and is a member of multiple historical and arts academies.
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Eduardo J. Cruz Vega
Undergraduate Student of Geology
A final-year Geology student at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, he has participated in paleontological expeditions across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, contributed to research on Mesozoic birds and Caribbean paleofauna, and collaborates with the Field Museum of Chicago and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.
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Carlos J. Carrero Morales
Content Assessment
He holds a master’s in Planning with social and environmental concentrations and a doctorate in Puerto Rican and Caribbean history, and has published extensively on Puerto Rico’s military, cultural, and historical topics, including his book When Heroes Are Not So Heroes: Militarization in Aguadilla 1939–1941.