FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

         THE HONORS COLLEGE AMAZON PROGRAM

PROFESSORS

James R. Riach, Ph.D.
(University of Georgia, 2001)
Instructor, Environmental Studies
Fellow of the Honors College

Dr. Riach's research and teaching interests include the interconnections between ecosystem health and human well-being, with a focus on the Amazon and South Florida regions. In 1994 he arranged and translated a cultural exchange between members of the Cayapas, an Ecuadorian rainforest culture group, and the Miccosukee of South Florida. Curious about the varied traditional beliefs different cultures have regarding the nature of the universe and human's role in it, he does not restrict himself to just one interpretation of reality or to just one disciplinary approach to studying it. His work combines multiple theories and methodologies from anthropology, epidemiology, medicine, ecology, and geography. He has worked on health and environmental projects among indigenous rainforest cultures including the Cayapas and the Siona-Secoya of Ecuador and the Aguaruna and Yagua of Peru. As a member of Project Amazonas, Inc., a humanitarian and environmental research and education non-profit organization, he has helped develop integrated strategies to address health, conservation, and development needs in the Peruvian Amazon. He has an interest in incorporating field-based educational programs, communications technologies, and distance learning to assist in such efforts.

Devon L. Graham, PhD.
(University of Miami, 1996)
Adjunct Professor in the Honors College at FIU where he has co-taught a fourth year honors field option on the Florida Everglades for 10 years.