Ana Perez Hincapie
Tell us about yourself
Hola! My name is Ana. I am a PhD candidate in Geosciences at Colorado State University, working with Dr. Sean Gallen on research in southern Italy and Puerto Rico. I am an international student and grew up surrounded by beautiful mountains in Colombia. There, I completed both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees at EAFIT University, supported by a full scholarship. This opportunity had a profound impact on my career and shaped my view of academia and education. Today, my dream is that more people who are growing up in countries like mine can experience science as a career path and a powerful tool for social mobility and development, just as it was for me.
I am passionate about the processes that shape landscapes across timescales ranging from seconds to millions of years. I worked for several years in applied geomorphology, particularly in natural hazards, and my favorite experience was being part of an Early Warning System, where I had the chance to work closely with local communities, something I still deeply miss. My current research focuses on understanding the complex relationships between topography, geodynamics, and climate by combining fieldwork, geochronology, and numerical modeling. I also really enjoy being involved in science communication and education; currently, I am a member of GeoLatinas and DeltaH.
What is your research about?
My research project is a dream opportunity for me. I work primarily in southern Italy, in the Calabrian subduction zone, where I use geomorphic markers such as marine terraces to investigate vertical motions in subduction forearcs and, through them, explore deep Earth processes that we cannot observe directly. Southern Italy provides an ideal natural laboratory to study the interplay between mantle dynamics, slab break-off, and forearc rock uplift during the Quaternary. In addition, I examine how these dynamics influence drainage reorganization processes and modulate phenomena such as drainage divide migration and river capturing. In Puerto Rico, I am a collaborator on a project aimed at understanding the geomorphic role of extreme events and the erosional patterns that shape the island’s landscape.
To address these questions, we combine multiple geochronological approaches, including luminescence dating, detrital sanidine 40Ar/39Ar dating, and cosmogenic nuclide derived erosion rates, together with extensive fieldwork, mapping, remote sensing, and numerical modeling.
What excites you about your research?
What excites me about my research is the opportunity to work in environments that are completely different from anything I have experienced before, combined with the constant need to develop new skills along the way. My work requires integrating diverse tools such as geochronology, coding, and geodynamics, and for me, geomorphology represents the ideal balance between the aspects of Earth science I enjoy most: fieldwork, geochronology, remote sensing, tectonics, and numerical analysis.
From a broader perspective, my research engages with the challenge of understanding a planet shaped over millions of years through the narrow window of a human lifetime. This temporal contrast continually reminds me of how limited our perspective can be, and yet how much information is preserved in the landscapes we study. Even today, this process still feels like a challenge that I genuinely enjoy.
What broader importance does your research have for society?
I believe we cannot meaningfully address highly applied societal challenges, such as sustainability or climate change, without first understanding the landscapes we inhabit. This is where our research plays a fundamental role: in revealing how landscapes respond to extreme events and identifying the erosional dynamics that shape relief and influence, for example, our productive systems. We live in a world with clear examples of how a disconnect from landscape dynamics translates not only into billions of dollars in losses, but also into millions of lives affected, along with persistent issues such as inequality and uneven development. I strongly believe that understanding the processes shaping landscapes across different spatial and temporal scales provides a more integrated perspective on the role our actions as a species play in shaping the future.
What inspired you to pursue a career in Earth Science?
I would not be exaggerating if I said that becoming an Earth scientist has been my childhood dream. I have been fascinated by scientific topics for as long as I can remember, and they were always my favorite subjects in school. I even collected magazines about space and Earth, which were published every few weeks in my hometown newspaper. Growing up surrounded by a beautiful landscape, I was constantly curious about why my mountains looked the way they did, why volcanoes exist in some mountain ranges and not in others, and why some regions host high plateaus while others form deep valleys.
Today, it is almost impossible for me to imagine my life without science, but I am also deeply aware of how privileged I have been along this path. Even though this journey now feels like a natural progression, I am increasingly amazed by it, especially by the unconditional support of people like my grandmother and my mother, who were unable to complete their own formal education yet supported my dreams as if they were their own, even when they did not fully understand what I was talking about. I feel incredibly fortunate and deeply grateful to them, as well as to the institutions, scholarships, and mentors who have made it possible for me to live this dream.
What are you looking to do after you complete your PhD or postdoc?
Now, as I near the completion of my PhD, I am incredibly excited by the results we have achieved, and I can’t wait to share them in the publications we are preparing. I am actively seeking a postdoctoral position that will allow me to continue this path, develop as a researcher, and ultimately become a professor and researcher at the college level. I dream of mentoring students, conducting fieldwork as much as I can, and exploring the world to experience its most beautiful landscapes. There are so many questions I want to answer and projects I am passionate about pursuing.
Given unlimited funding and access to resources, what is your dream project that you would pursue?
I would love to work on understanding the Quaternary evolution of landscapes in subduction zones, especially in the Andes, particularly in the Northern Andes. I dream of having unlimited resources to conduct geochronology without constraints, allowing me to reconstruct in detail the histories of rock uplift, exhumation, and landscape response.
Beyond this, I am motivated to lead a project that not only addresses these scientific questions but also promotes greater visibility for the excellent research conducted in the Global South, ensuring that researchers from these countries have access to laboratories and international funding opportunities.
What else do you do? Any hobbies or interests outside of work?
I love crafting and making all sorts of creative things. I currently run a small handmade jewelry brand, which I find both fun and incredibly relaxing. Music is also a big part of my life, and I’ve recently returned to playing the bass guitar, still eager to improve and learn. Finally, physical activity is central to my mental health, and I make a conscious effort to train regularly alongside my academic schedule.
Email: anamariaperezhi@gmail.com
Website: https://www.analoveslandscapes.com/