We extend our sincere thanks to the SER2027 Organizing Committee for their dedication, leadership, and commitment to advancing ecological restoration. Their hard work and collaboration are essential to creating a meaningful conference that brings together the global restoration community to share knowledge, build partnerships, and inspire action.
Organizing Committee
Alice Nunes
Conference Co-Chair
Alice is a researcher at CE3C and CHANGE at the University of Lisbon, specializing in plant ecology, functional ecology, and ecological restoration. With over 20 years of experience, she has led and contributed to restoration projects across drylands, coastal systems, and urban environments. She is PI of the Restoration Ecology group, co-coordinator of the Portuguese Ecological Restoration Network, and Vice-Chair of SER Europe. She also contributes to Portugal’s National Nature Restoration Plan and is active in teaching and supervising graduate students.
Boze Hancock
Conference Co-Chair
Boze is the Senior Marine Restoration Scientist for TNC’s Massachusetts Chapter, with over 20 years of experience in marine habitat restoration across the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. With a background in fisheries research, he focuses on scaling restoration, quantifying ecosystem benefits, and advancing restorative aquaculture. He founded the SOAR program to engage oyster growers in conservation and is developing approaches to integrate reef restoration into offshore wind infrastructure. His work includes pioneering restoration in mesophotic marine zones.
Jordi Cortina-Segarra
Program Committee Co-Chair
Jordi is a Full Professor at the University of Alicante, Spain, and served as Chair of the SER European Chapter (2014–2024) and member of the SER Board of Directors. He holds a PhD in Biology from the University of Barcelona and completed postdoctoral research at Colorado State University. His work spans multiple areas of ecological restoration, including species selection, site preparation, and participatory planning. He has collaborated globally and taught restoration ecology for over 25 years, coordinating the University of Alicante’s MSc program in Restoration and Management of Natural Environments.
Phanor H. Montoya Maya
Program Committee Co-Chair
Phanor is a coral reef restoration expert whose field experience began in Seychelles with the Reef Rescues project. He is the founder and former CEO of Corales de Paz in Colombia and currently serves as Restoration Program Manager at the Coral Restoration Foundation in Florida, USA. A Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner (CERP) with the Society for Ecological Restoration, he specializes in project design, grant writing, and strategic consulting. His work integrates science and field-based methods to deliver sustainable, resilient reef restoration outcomes aligned with global restoration principles.
Cristina Branquinho
Local Committee Co-Chair
Cristina is a Full Professor of Ecology at the University of Lisbon and a researcher at CE3C, where she leads the Systems Ecology group. Her work focuses on how ecological systems respond to Anthropocene pressures and how to strengthen their resilience and sustainability. She represents the University of Lisbon in international environmental networks and is a member of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences and the Royal National Academy of Pharmacy of Spain. Her research explores ecosystem responses to environmental change, including climate change and pollution, through modelling, biodiversity indicators, and restoration. She also curated a major exhibition on Portuguese landscapes and enjoys rhythmic gymnastics and nature walks.
Patricia María Rodríguez González
Local Committee Co-Chair
Patricia María Rodríguez-González is professor at the School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, and carries out her research at the Forest Research Centre and the Associate Laboratory TERRA, on the ecology of riparian and wetland ecosystems. Her work focuses on the characterisation, modelling, assessment and monitoring of riparian vegetation and applying this knowledge to the ecological restoration of riverine and wetland ecosystems. Patricia collaborates with the public administration in the national implementation of the Water Framework Directive, Habitats Directive and Ramsar Convention, and implementation of National Restoration Plans in Portugal. She co-coordinates the Portuguese Network of Ecological Restoration, and leads the SER-Europe Working Group on Education and Training.
Boris Barov
Sponsorship and Fundraising Co-Chair
Boris coordinates the daily operations of SER-Europe, with specific responsibility for fundraising and strategic development. He is also responsible for SER-Europe’s participation in LIFE-BCR, LIFE WoodMeadows and AlfaWetlands. He has 25 years of experience in conservation and the management of non-profit organisations.
Eric Slaugh
Sponsorship and Fundraising Co-Chair
Eric is a Lead Engineer at WSP specializing in water resources and habitat restoration. He has ten years of experience in site remediation, coastal and shoreline restoration, stream and river restoration, and coastal resiliency. He holds degrees in Chemical and Environmental Engineering from Clarkson University and North Carolina State University. Eric serves as the SER Northwest Chapter Representative for the Salish Sea Wiki Site and is Co-Chair of the Fundraising Committee for SER Global 2027. Based in Munich, Germany, he enjoys running, hiking, skiing, and biking.
Sharif Durzi
Film Festival Committee Co-Chair
Sharif is returning in the role of Co-Director of the SER Film Festival for 2027. Sharif is an ecological restoration practitioner based in Denver, Colorado who works across the greater Western United States, with particular research interests in pollinator habitat recovery and cross disciplinary coordination. In his free time Sharif works as a community organizer for grassroots local campaigns with particular focus on sustainable practices and defending immigrant rights. Sharif enjoys cooking, gardening, musical theatre, and film (of course).
Jillianne Segura
Film Festival Committee Co-Chair
Jillianne is Co-Founder and Director of the SER Film Festival, featured at the 2023 and 2025 World Conferences. She previously researched mine site restoration as a PhD student, focusing on ecohydrology and the recovery of tropical savanna ecosystems, and presented her work at SER World Conferences. She also contributed to the Routledge Handbook of Ecological and Environmental Restoration. Jillianne now works as an enabling educator, supporting students in accessing higher education through pathways programs. She remains passionate about ecological restoration and uses storytelling through film to connect science with broader audiences.
Bruna Paolinelli Reis
Student and Emerging Professionals Committee Representative
Bruna is a researcher at CE3C at the University of Lisbon, specializing in ecological restoration across forest, grassland, and dryland ecosystems in Brazil and Europe. She holds degrees in Forest Engineering and a PhD in Biology and Ecology. Her work focuses on plant ecology, restoration monitoring, and landscape-scale processes that enhance ecosystem services. She currently works on Mediterranean restoration projects and actively supports early-career researchers and knowledge exchange within SER Europe.
Bidhan Chandra Pal
Open Doors Committee Representative
Bidhan is a climate and sustainability leader from Bangladesh and Founder of Probha Aurora, an organization advancing ecological restoration through education, policy, and community engagement. His work integrates environmental education, restoration, and youth empowerment to address climate change and biodiversity loss. He is a Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner in Training (CERPIT) and an active member of multiple SER initiatives, including the Asia Network and SER2027 Global Organizing Committee. He has also held leadership roles in global environmental networks and committees, advancing collaborative and youth-driven restoration efforts.
The Society for Ecological Restoration Team:
Tony Ballard, Senior Manager of Conferences and Events
Marina Best, Associate Director
George Gann, Global Policy Lead
Harold Manrique-Hernandez, Programs Manager
Keith MacCallum, Program Coordinator
Elise Mackie, Marketing Consultant
Amarizni Mosyaftiani, Policy and Practice Specialist
Miranda Rueckert, Membership and Marketing Associate
Wendy Sturley, Director of Membership and Marketing
Aamir Shehzad Khan, CERP Program Specialist (Part-Time)
Karen Tekverk, Certification Program Manager
Bethanie Walder, Executive Director