BIOGRAPHY:
Nilver Tovar-Ospina is the first Colombian Ph.D. candidate in Anthropology at the University of Central Florida and the first in his subfield of Environmental Anthropology. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology and a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and Management from Surcolombiana University. His interdisciplinary background spans research on infrastructure impacts, Indigenous cultural preservation, pesticide exposure in rural communities, and biodiversity assessments for conservation and urban planning. His work integrates natural and social science approaches, and he is committed to decolonizing Western-centric knowledge production and expanding public access to scientific and environmental research.
RESEARCH:
Nilver’s research explores how flooding and sea-level rise intersect with environmental degradation, infrastructural inequality, and racialized planning to shape coastal vulnerability. Using GIS, community-generated spatial data, archival analysis, and ethnographic fieldwork, he examines how historical drainage systems and discriminatory urban policies have produced long-term flood exposure in low-income immigrant and Black neighborhoods. His work documents both the material and social impacts of chronic flooding, as well as how new development practices can displace risk onto marginalized communities. His broader goal is to integrate community knowledge with interdisciplinary coastal science to advance equitable adaptation, environmental justice, and resilience planning.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
DEPARTMENT: Anthropology
Email: nilver.tovar@ucf.edu
LinkedIn: Nilver Tovar