Claudia Juliana Garnica Díaz, Ph.D.
Claudia Juliana Garnica Díaz, Ph.D., is a Colombian plant ecophysiologist and first-generation scholar specializing in forest ecology, plant functional traits, and ecosystem resilience. She began her journey in education and plant ecology in 2012 as an undergraduate teaching assistant in Colombia. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Forestry Engineering from Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas in Bogotá in 2014, followed by a master’s degree in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, completed in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. She recently completed her Ph.D. in Botany at the University of Florida in December 2024. She currently serves as a Project Assistant at the University of Florida supporting an Amazon conservation initiative and is scheduled to begin a postdoctoral position at Louisiana State University in June 2025.
Her research focuses on plant ecophysiology, with an emphasis on how leaf anatomy, physiology, and functional traits influence tree performance and forest ecosystem resilience under environmental stress. She works across tropical and temperate forest systems in the United States, Colombia, and Puerto Rico, studying how plants respond to drought, nutrient limitation, and extreme disturbance events such as hurricanes. By linking leaf-level processes to broader ecosystem dynamics, her work informs conservation and restoration strategies in vulnerable forest landscapes and contributes to a deeper understanding of how ecological systems adapt to global change.
Beyond her research, Claudia is deeply committed to equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive approaches to science. After relocating to the United States, she experienced firsthand the challenges of navigating academia as a non-native English speaker and a minority scientist, which shaped her dedication to supporting underrepresented and underserved communities in STEM. She is particularly focused on culturally appropriate mentoring and actively challenges extractive “helicopter science” practices that overlook local knowledge and collaboration. Proud to be a first-generation academic in plant ecology, she has mentored approximately 8–9 undergraduate students during her Ph.D., including several who completed honors theses under her guidance. Her mentorship philosophy centers on understanding students as whole individuals, especially those from community colleges, and supporting them in overcoming barriers to achieve their academic and professional goals.
• Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas - BS in Forest Engineering
• University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez - M.S. in Plant Biology/Botany
• University of Florida - Ph.D. in Botany, Plant Eco-physiology
• Mildred Mason Griffith Botany Grant
• Botanical Society of America (BSA)
• Association of Tropical Biology and Conservation
• SACNAS (Society for the Advancement of Hispanics
• And Native Americans in Science)
• Latina Women's League
• Trabajando Juntos Gainesville
• Volunteer coordinator for Latino Film Festival (20+ years running)
• Monthly cooking for Ronald McDonald House (70-80 people)
• Health fair volunteer with Trabajando Juntos Gainesville
• COB (Caring and Outreach Beyond Our Borders)
• And UF Health Shands (cooking for 120 people quarterly)
What do you attribute your success to?
I feel that my success has been supported by the fact that I want to help others follow their dreams. Since I was an undergrad, and then through my master's and PhD, every time I've had the possibility of helping another student going through research or having practices, I have been there for them. During my PhD, I helped mentor around 8 or 9 undergrad students, and a few of them did honors theses with me. I really like to try to help them, especially because I see a lot of struggle with students that come from community college. I like to get to know them just as a person - like, what are you struggling with and how can I help you? I think because I have focused on helping the next generation, that has helped me progress on my own work.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say there are three words that have led my success while I have become an academic, basically: persist, resist, and insist. This is especially important when you're coming as a first generation. You need to be very persistent, and you will probably not understand many of the things that are happening, or your family will not understand what you're doing and why. But if you are persistent, you will follow your dreams. Just stand for yourself that's very important. Always be respectful, but don't let others tell you that you cannot do something, because you can do anything that you want to do.