Simone Athayde joined Florida International University in August of 2020, as an Associate Professor with a joint appointment in the Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies and the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center. Dr. Athayde is an environmental anthropologist and interdisciplinary ecologist who has worked across the Amazonian region for over 20 years, supporting Indigenous peoples and local communities’ self-determination and sustainable livelihoods, as well as biocultural and territorial rights. She is also a Coordinating Lead Author of the Assessment on Multiple Conceptualizations of the Diverse Values of Nature for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), and a Lead Author of the Science Panel for the Amazon (SPA) of the United Nations. Her mission is to achieve excellence in connecting inter- and trans-disciplinary research to policy making, towards reconciling socio-environmental justice, the conservation of biocultural diversity, and sustainable development. Her research examines the impacts of large infrastructure projects and climate change on Indigenous peoples and local communities across the Amazon, as well as their responses and agency over these processes. At LACC/GSS/FIU, she plans to work with several FIU faculty, staff, and students, as well as with diverse Brazilian social actors, to develop a joint vision and a strong research component for the new Brazilian Studies Institute.
Simone Athayde
