Diego F. Cisneros-Heredia
Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Quito, ECUADOR
Dear Smithsonian Women's Committee,
I would like to express my greatest and deepest gratitude for giving me the opportunity to participate in the 2002 Research Training Program. Your support is invaluable, as it gave me the opportunity of working with Dr. Roy McDiarmid, an incredible advisor and remarkable scientist. He has done a lot of research in Ecuador in the past, and this summer he has shared a lot of his knowledge and experience with me. Moreover, I participated in the RTP which gave me the opportunity to know the different divisions of the NMNH, as well to attend interesting talks and to have a close perspective of the science and the scientists that do it.
The Smithsonian Women's Committee grant opened to me the doors of the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution in such a way that I was able to be a part of a huge structure dedicated to the development of science. I worked within the Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, and had the chance of learning not just from my advisor, but from researchers that have dedicated their life to the study and conservation of the herpetofauna, such as George Zug, Ron Heyer, Steve Gotte and Ken Tighe.
My project is about the systematics, biology and conservation status of some species of Glass Frogs (Amphibia: Centrolenidae) from the western slope of the Andes, in Ecuador, with the description of new species. The populations of amphibians around the world are suffering a huge decline, and many species have become extinct in the last few years. The new species that I am describing is critically endangered, if not extinct. I hope that our work will help to better understand and protect these species and their ecosystems.
Once again, I would like to thank you. This internship was an opportunity not just to acquire and develop knowledge and skills around research. It gave me the chance to meet a lot of people, including some amazing new friends, as well as see unique specimens and artifacts that are part of the collections of the different fields of the NMNH.
With best regards and appreciation,
Diego F. Cisneros-Heredia
Research Training Program, 2002