On January 30th, 2003 the Minister of Environment of Ecuador, Dr. Edgar Isch appointed Marco Altamirano, Ph.D. as the new Director of the Galapagos National Park Service.
The official presentation ceremony occurred at 6 P.M. on Friday, January 31 in the conference hall of the national park. Many people attended the ceremony including island authorities, National Park and Darwin Foundation employees, and members of the community.
During the ceremony Dr. Altamirano thanked the local population for their support and specially mentioned his mentor, Dr. Howard Snell, Director of Sciences of the Darwin Foundation for having directed his studies at the University of New Mexico in the United States.
Dr. Altamirano began his scientific relationship with the Darwin Foundation as a volunteer in 1990 and in the following years as a Masters and Ph.D. student. His academic record includes a Doctor in Biology from the Universidad Central of Ecuador, a Master in Biology from University of New Mexico and most recently a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of New Mexico, U.S.A. Dr. Altamirano’s scientific studies have focused on research in Herpetology (the study of reptiles and amphibians).
Additionally, he has worked for various environmental organizations in Ecuador. His most recent position was with the Jatun Sacha Foundation in the rainforest of Ecuador.