Zapata Villegas_Monica_Participant

Monica Zapata Villegas

Tillamook Estuaries Partnership

Where are you from?

Colombia 

What are your academic and/or technical interests?

I’m deeply passionate about everything related to water. From water quality and hydrology to infrastructure and policy. I love working with data, whether it’s analyzing water samples, mapping environmental risks, or using R and GIS to uncover patterns that help inform real-world solutions. My academic background and current work have allowed me to connect science with community impact, and I’m especially interested in using data-driven tools to protect water resources and support resilient infrastructure in vulnerable areas. 

Do you have any hobbies?

Yes. Love to workout early in the morning, Reading different kind of books, and spending time with friend in a coffee shop. 

What are you most excited about for this program?

I’m most excited about the opportunity to strengthen my technical skills while applying them to real-world environmental challenges. Working with high-performance computing tools to analyze large datasets.   I’m looking forward to collaborating with others, learning new methods, and seeing how HPC can be used to support environmental issues and decision-making in communities like the ones I currently serve.