Sonia Delphin Pérez

Sonia Delphin Pérez is a doctoral student in the Natural Resources program. She attended the National University of Asuncion in San Lorenzo, Paraguay, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Forest Engineering in 2005. After working in the field for a few years, she attended the University of Florida, where she graduated with a Master of Science in Forest Resources and Conservation in 2012. Her research interests are land use planning, conservation of natural resources, and sustainable development, all with an emphasis on finding ways to balance growth and conservation. In particular, her research will focus on the feasibility of developing, implementing, and monitoring a municipal level land use planning strategy that integrates environmental, social, and economic factors, using the Chaco Ecoregion of Paraguay as an example. An avid traveler, she has worked in her native Paraguay, Florida, and Washington, D.C. on projects for the National University of Asuncion, the University of Florida, consultancy firms, and, most recently, the World Wildlife Fund. She enjoys learning about other cultures and being outdoors.