About us
The IUGS Young Reporters is a dynamic team within IUGS that brings together passionate and talented young and early career geoscientists. Our mission is to create written reports and videos recounting stories or interviewing relevant authorities to inform and engage the general public on various topics related to Geosciences. From climate change and volcanic hazards to earthquakes and geological curiosities, we strive to share our knowledge about our planet and explain the ways in which our actions as individuals have an impact in our home: Earth. We strongly believe in the interplay between scientific advances and environmental responsibility, and our goal is to foster understanding, raise awareness and train the next generation of science communicators. Join us on this exciting journey!
Project leaders
María Daniela Muñoz-Granados
IUGS Social Media and Outreach Manager
Founder of the IUGS Young Reporters initiative
Geoscientist, Planetary Geosciences MSc
I'm a Colombian geoscientist and Erasmus Mundus Planetary Geosciences MSc student, who is currently in charge of social media and outreach activities at the IUGS. I graduated from the University of The Andes in 2019, and after that, I worked as a research assistant at the same university. Later, I worked as a research intern at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and, subsequently, as a professional geologist at the Servicio Geológico Colombiano (SGC). In parallel with my research and work experience, I co-founded a bilingual (English and Spanish) science communication project named Geolchat with two female colleagues. I am a committed believer in the importance of "soft skills" in science. Our investigations, when published in scientific papers, are relevant, but they become very powerful when society understands and makes decisions based on reliable information. If we all know and understand the dynamics of our planet, it will be easier to take care of it.
Yamirka Rojas-Agramonte
IUGS Executive Councilor, Community Manager and Founder of the IUGS Young Reporters' initiative.
Research Associate at Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
I completed my degree as a geology engineer at the University of Pinar del RÃo, Cuba. After finishing my degree, I trained as a stratigrapher/sedimentologist at the Institute of Geology and Paleontology in Havana (Cuba) followed by a period of training in Geological mapping and GIS at the ITC-Enschede (the Netherlands). I continued my Ph.D. studies in Salzburg (Austria) Â focusing my research on paleostress analysis, geochemistry, and geochronology of the Sierra Maestra mountain, eastern Cuba. I continue my scientific career studying the evolution of orogens and island arc systems through time in regions of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, the Caribbean, and the northern Andes. Â In the last years, however, I have focused my research on quantitative understanding of sediment recycling processes in subduction zones, mantle compositional heterogeneities, and the evolution through time of mantle plumes, hotspot-related islands, and associated Large Igneous Provinces.