Jennifer Angel-Amaya

 

Jennifer Angel-Amaya is a Colombian geologist, Fulbright Scholar, and National Geographic Explorer with more than 15 years of experience in environmental assessment, geoconservation, and sustainable development across Latin America. She is a PhD candidate at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, where her research examines mercury contamination from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in the Peruvian Amazon. Her dissertation integrates hydrology, sediment transport, and mercury geochemistry to quantify the environmental impacts of mining on Amazonian watersheds, aiming to inform science-based policy and supply chain accountability.

Education

M.A., M.Phil in Earth and Environmental Sciences (2023 and 2025) Columbia University – Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, New York, USA

MSc. Geology and Geophysics (2011) Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro - Brazil.

B.S. Geology (2008) Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota-Colombia.

Honors & Awards

National Geographic Explorer 2023

Outstanding Student Presentation Award - AGU Fall meeting 2022

Fulbright Scholar 2021

Atwood, A., Ramesh, S., Amaya, J.A. et al. Landscape controls on water availability limit revegetation after artisanal gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon. Commun Earth Environ 6, 419 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02332-y