每日大赛

As a tropical biologist, Dr. Carmona鈥檚 research focuses on the ecology of interspecific interactions, examining how these interactions vary with respect to local biotic and abiotic environments. He investigates how the resulting mosaic of conditional outcomes affects community structure (such as species assemblages) and ecosystem function (such as ecosystem services). Students in Dr. Carmona鈥檚 research lab explore topics such as ant-plant interactions, plant-defense chemistry, sexual dimorphisms in mutualistic species, vector ecology, and forest conservation. They utilize tools like image processing, geographic information systems, machine learning algorithms, metagenomics, and UAV/drones.

Dr. Carmona maintains active research projects in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, and California, and regularly publishes scholarly articles with undergraduate co-authors. His teacher-scholar model links multiple disciplinary scientists and engineers with local community stakeholders to champion research innovations in environmental justice and sustainability.

Academic technology and student mentoring are integral components of Dr. Carmona鈥檚 teaching, research, and professional outreach. His model for course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) facilitates the mentorship of short-term field projects that contribute to the long-term study of ecological phenomena both in the U.S. and abroad. Bilingual and bicultural in English and Spanish, Dr. Carmona has mentored undergraduate students who have gone on to conduct field projects abroad through the Fulbright Student Program and Engineers Without Borders.