The University Libraries are pleased to welcome Dr. Larissa Montás Bravo as the GIS librarian for instruction and engagement within the department of Research Data & Open Scholarship, effective February 5, 2024. In this role, Dr. Montás provides GIS-oriented research, consulting, and instructional services for faculty, staff, and students at the University. Her experience includes working as a postdoctoral research associate at the University’s Department of Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering, as well as teaching undergraduate and graduate courses. In addition to her background in GIS and spatial analysis, she has over 15 years’ experience in the practice of engineering and corporate governance.
Dr. Montás is a University of Miami alumna, with undergraduate degrees in civil and environmental engineering, a master’s degree in civil engineering with an environmental focus, and a Ph.D. in chemical, environmental, and materials engineering. Her dissertation centered on understanding the spatiotemporal distribution of oil spill chemicals of health concern using data from oceanographic models, remote sensing technology, and environmental sampling measurements. Her research is on computational techniques for spatiotemporal analysis, as well as contaminant fate and transport in the marine nearshore environment.
Dr. Montás has worked on integrating knowledge from GIS, environmental chemistry, and statistical analysis to estimate the concentrations of chemicals of health concern near coastal populations. She is currently involved in a project focused on modelling groundwater and using spatial analysis with the goal of understanding contaminant transport to the marine environment.
Larissa Montás Bravo can be reached at l.montas@umiami.edu.
