FCAT Ecuador Team
Luis Carrasco
Reserve Director
Luis has nearly two decades of experience working in the rainforests of northwest Ecuador. He studied Biological Sciences at the Central University of Ecuador and He is currently studying a master’s program in Biodiversity and Climate Change at the Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica. Luis has led research projects for several national and international organizations including the Ministry of the Environment. Luis is an author and coauthor of several articles in scientific journals. His interest focuses on community-based conservation and understanding the ecology of Neotropical bird species.
Ailin Blasco
Director of Operations
Ailín Blasco is an Ecuadorian biologist and photographer who has worked in various research areas with the objective of doing, hand in hand with sustainability, environmental conservation in Ecuador. She has two master degrees, one in Photography from the SVA-NY, and the second one in Climate change, Sustainability and Development from the UASB Ecuador. As a biologist, she has worked on projects related to Neotropical frog diversity and to discover novel antimicrobial molecules isolated from anurans. At the same time, she is interested in studying the relation of human health, landscape use and climate change.
Fernando Castillo
Director of Sustainable Agriculture
A Mache-Chindul native, Fernando holds a degree in Environmental Engineering from the Escuela Superior Politécnica de Manabí. Fernando is an expert ornithologist with over ten years years of experience studying avian populations across Ecuador. He is currently leading projects to document avian diversity and promote conservation in local communities. He has promoted his research through the publication of peer-reviewed scientific studies, as well as presentations at international scientific meetings.
Carlos Aulestia
Director of Reforestation
Carlos has a degree in Forestry Engineering from Universidad Técnica del Norte, Ecuador. He is an expert in botany and has reforested hundreds of hectares in the Mache Chindul Reserve. Carlos leads our field operations and heads our reforestation work. He is a well-respected local leader with over two decades experience in our project area.
Karla Zambrano
Station Manager
Karla has been an active FCAT member since 2021. She played an integral role in various ongoing biological research projects before becoming FCATs station manager. With an Environmental Engineering degree, Karla’s professional career has focused on environmental conservation, with roots in the Mache Chindul reserve in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, where she grew up. Her dedication to environmental protection and desire to continue learning about biology and conservation motivate Karla to contribute her expertise to the real-world impact projects ongoing at FCAT.
Elizabeth Vásquez
Logistics Manager
Elizabeth has an undergraduate degree in Biology from PUCE and a postgraduate degree in Biological Anthropology from UB and UAB. She has a diverse background; she has worked from data generation to its application in society. Her main interest is the link between nature and human populations, both in ancient and current times. She is committed to seeking sustainable solutions that allow us to conserve and live in harmony with nature.
Jordan Cruz
Program Manager
Jordan is an environmental engineer from Escuela Politécnica Nacional and a tropical ecologist from Universidad San Francisco de Quito. Additionally, Jordan completed a diploma at the University of Wuhan in remote sensing. Their experience revolves around promoting conservation programs that prioritize both communities and the protection of ecosystem services. Their areas of interest include utilizing technology to study carbon dynamics in tropical ecosystems and exploring the relationship between conservation efforts and local communities in the fight against climate change.
Domingo Cabrera
Senior FCATero + Founding Member
Domingo is a highly respected local resident that lives in the Mache-Chindul Reserve, northwest Ecuador. Domingo has worked with FCAT since 2004, with a focus on scientific research and community outreach. He is an expert in plant, seed and fruit identification and in the reproductive phenology of the palm Oenocarpus bataua and other plant species. He has disseminated the results of his research via several peer-reviewed publications and presentations in international scientific meetings including at the annual Ecuadorian Ornithological Society’s annual meeting in 2015, where he won a prize for ‘best presentation of the conference.
Margarita Baquero
Active Member
Margarita holds an undergraduate degree from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, and two Masters degrees, one from Universidad San Francisco de Quito and a second from Mississippi State University. Margarita has research expertise in herpetology, aquatic ecology and insect genetics, and a deep commitment to conservation of biodiversity in Ecuador.
Jordan Karubian
Founding member
Jordan lived in Ecuador from 2001- 2005 and helped to found FCAT. He is a Professor in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at Tulane University, where he founded TIERA, the Tulane Interdisciplinary Environmental Research & Action Program. Jordan is an internationally recognized researcher in the fields of tropical ecology, conservation biology, animal behavior, and environmental studies and is grateful for the opportunity to link this scholarship to real world conservation outcomes through his association with FCAT. He is a Fellow of the American Ornithological Society and has received two Fulbright Fellowships. He has received the ‘Ernest A. Lynton Award for the Scholarship of Engagement for Early Career Faculty’ from the New England Resource Center for Higher Education, the ‘Excellence in Tropical Biology and Conservation Award’ from the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, and the ‘Ralph W. Schreiber Conservation Award’ from the American Ornithological Society in recognition of his contributions to science and conservation.
Zoe Diaz-Martin
Active Member
Zoe received her PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department from Tulane University in 2020 and is currently a post-doctoral research associate at the Chicago Botanic Garden. She has worked with FCAT since 2014 on research projects as well as community-based conservation. She has supported the Gavilanez family develop and run a community based ecotourism reserve in northwestern Ecuador.
Jorge Olivo
Senior FCATero + Founding Member
Jorge is a highly respected local resident in the Mache-Chindul Reserve and a core member of FCAT since 2003. Jorge is passionate about field biology and community conservation, with a broad expertise that includes radio-tracking, camera trapping and avian observation. His research focuses on the endangered long-wattled umbrellabird and the frugivory and dispersal of palm communities. Jorge has received the ‘Conservation Hero Award’ from Disney World Wildlife Conservation for his work with FCAT, and has disseminated the results of his research via peer-reviewed publication and presentations in international scientific meetings, including the ‘best presentation award’ at the IV meeting of the Ecuadorian Ornithological Society.
Johanna Bravo
Accountant
Julio Loor
Senior FCATero
Carolina Bahamonde
FCATera
Darwin Zambrano
FCATero
Dario Cantos
FCATero
Rosa Mendoza
FCATera
Jairo Cabo
FCATero
Isabel Rodriguez
FCATera
Evaristo Cedeño
FCATero
Alex Gualan
FCATero
Maria Zambrano
FCATera
Gregory Paladines
FCATero
David Cantos
FCATero
Gloria Loor
FCATera
Luis Zambrano
FCATero
Medardo Quiñonez
FCATero
FCAT-USA Board of Directors
Established in 2021, FCAT-USA (Foundation for the Conservation of the Tropical Andes, Inc., FEIN: 87-4197204) is an independent 501(c)(3) registered in California, USA supporting FCAT-Ecuador in their mission and activities.
Jordan Karubian
President, Co-Founder
Jordan lived in Ecuador from 2001- 2005 and helped to found FCAT. He is a Professor in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at Tulane University, where he founded TIERA, the Tulane Interdisciplinary Environmental Research & Action Program. Jordan is an internationally recognized researcher in the fields of tropical ecology, conservation biology, animal behavior, and environmental studies and is grateful for the opportunity to link this scholarship to real world conservation outcomes through his association with FCAT. He is a Fellow of the American Ornithological Society and has received two Fulbright Fellowships. He has received the ‘Ernest A. Lynton Award for the Scholarship of Engagement for Early Career Faculty’ from the New England Resource Center for Higher Education, the ‘Excellence in Tropical Biology and Conservation Award’ from the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, and the ‘Ralph W. Schreiber Conservation Award’ from the American Ornithological Society in recognition of his contributions to science and conservation.
Michelle Howard
Secretary
Michelle brings a unique blend of business acumen and nonprofit leadership to FCAT-USA. At 25, she became a Vice President at Yardi Systems, where she built a startup department into a 75-person team serving over 100 enterprise clients. Her strengths in team-building, strategic growth, and authentic leadership have carried through a diverse career spanning software development, grassroots organizing, and nonprofit fundraising.
Michelle has led national fundraising initiatives, co-founded the advocacy firm Grassroots Campaigns, Inc., and supported operational sustainability for several Santa Barbara–based organizations. Her lifelong commitment to ecological justice and community well-being continues through board service and writing.
Joining the FCAT-USA board allows Michelle to support biodiversity and conservation in one of the planet’s most critical regions. She is a certified California Naturalist and an aspiring bird nerd. She also writes speculative fiction that envisions hopeful, climate-resilient futures.
Luke Browne
Treasurer, Co-Founder
Dr. Luke Browne has been part of the FCAT Team since 2011 and co-founded FCAT-USA in 2021. Browne is also an Associate Research Scientist at the Yale School of the Environment and contributing instructor the Yale's Environmental Leadership and Training Initiative (ELTI). His research focuses on how tropical forests respond to climate change and deforestation, using approaches from community ecology and population genetics. His work with FCAT aims to conserve biodiversity and promote the social and economic well-being of local communities in the Chocó rainforests of northwestern Ecuador.
Thomas Smith
Board Member
Thomas Smith is the founding director of UCLA's Center for Tropical Research, co-founding director of the Congo Basin Institute, and a Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. With over 40 years of experience in tropical rainforests, Smith's research focuses on understanding how biodiversity is generated and maintained in the tropics. His findings have led to innovative methods for prioritizing conservation efforts. In 2015, Smith co-founded the Congo Basin Institute, UCLA's first foreign affiliate, which serves as a regional hub for interdisciplinary research, education, training, and technology development. The Institute addresses critical issues in the Congo Basin, including climate change, water and food security, biodiversity, and human health. Smith has received numerous awards and held various prestigious positions, including serving over ten years on the Committee for Research and Exploration at the National Geographic Society. He is also an elected American Academy of Arts and Sciences member.
Vincent Ilustre
Board Member
Vincent Ilustre is the Chief Philanthropic Officer for the Urban Land Institute Foundation (ULIF), where he leads fundraising efforts to support the Urban Land Institute’s programs.
In addition to his role at ULIF, Vincent is a consultant with the SDG Impact Fund, focusing on philanthropic initiatives related to Donor-Advised Funds. He also personally advises individuals and families on charitable giving strategies.
Previously, he served as Vice President of Development at Tulane University, where he oversaw the strategic alignment of the university’s major gifts portfolio, including undergraduate and professional schools, gift planning, legal affairs, compliance, parent programs, and regional engagement.
Vincent holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology from Tulane College and an MBA with concentrations in management and marketing from Tulane’s A.B. Freeman School of Business. Before transitioning to advancement, he was the founding Executive Director of Tulane’s Center for Public Service, where he led efforts to implement the university’s public service graduation requirement.
Beyond his professional roles, Vincent is deeply committed to service. In addition to FCAT Ecuador he also serves on the Board of New Voices for New Orleans, an organization providing vocal music education for students in New Orleans public schools. He has also held board positions with New Orleans CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), Harvard University’s Public Service Advisory Committee, the Louisiana Serve Commission, and the International Association of Researchers on Service-Learning and Community Engagement. Vincent’s leadership and contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including Gambit Weekly’s 40 Under 40, Diversity MBA Magazine’s Top 100 Under 50 Diverse Emerging Leaders, Tulane’s Excellence Award, and the Yvette Milner Jones Award.
Victoria Sork
Board Member
Victoria Sork is a Distinguished Professor and Director of the UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden and is affiliated with the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. She studies evolutionary and conservation genomics, ecological genetics, and conservation science to discover how long-lived trees can survive climate warming, with a special focus on oaks. Dr. Sork received her B.S. from University of California Irvine and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. She is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the California Academy of Sciences. Throughout her career, Dr. Sork has been dedicated to advancing conservation science and promoting inclusive excellence in education and research. She acknowledges and respects the relationship of Native Peoples with the ecosystems and plants of California. She likes to cycle on weekends.
Kimberly Foster
Board Member
Kimberly Foster is the former Dean of the Tulane University School of Science and Engineering, starting in 2018. As a leader, she is committed to and passionate about interdisciplinary research and education for scientists and engineers, and on the continued evolution of engineering and science education at all levels. Foster grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University in 1994. She then studied Theoretical & Applied Mechanics at Cornell University, receiving a PhD in 1999.
While at Cornell, she became fascinated by the “very small” and spent most of her time there building and inventing methods of characterizing microelectromechanical devices. Following her PhD, she moved to UC Santa Barbara, where as an assistant professor, she began a laboratory effort focused on understanding and exploiting nonlinear dynamics for a wide range of microscale sensors. She became Associate Professor in 2004, and Full Professor in 2008. She served as Vice Chair of the mechanical engineering department from 2006-2008 and department Chair from 2008-2013. She also co-Chaired UCSB’s BRAIN Initiative, and until her departure from UCSB in 2018, was Associate Director of the Center for Bioengineering at UCSB. She was the Sensors Task order Leader for the UCSB-MIT-Caltech ARMY Institute for Collaborative Biotechnology from 2004-2009.
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