We extend our sincere thanks to the SER2027 Conference Committees 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, specialising 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.
Bidhan Chandra Pal
Open Doors Committee Representative
Bidhan Chandra Pal is a climate and sustainability leader from Bangladesh specialising in environmental education, ecological restoration, and youth engagement. He is the Founder and Managing Director of Probha Aurora, a Bangladesh-based organization advancing sustainability through environmental education, ecosystem restoration, climate-responsive governance, innovation, and community engagement. As the National Operator of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in Bangladesh, Probha Aurora delivers internationally recognized programs that promote environmental literacy, sustainability leadership, and responsible environmental practices. A Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner in Training (CERPIT), Bidhan focuses on empowering youth and communities while connecting education, policy, and practice to build long-term ecological and social resilience. He served as Global Committee Chair in 2025 and was re-elected Chair of the Make a Difference Week Global Committee for 2026–2027. He is also a Core Group Member of the Society for Ecological Restoration Asia Network and contributes to international initiatives advancing restoration, climate action, and environmental education.
Warren Frost
Open Doors Committee Representative
Warren is an ecological restoration practitioner based in Cape Town, South Africa, specialising in the biophysical mechanics of soil health regeneration. With a background as a mentor, writer, and researcher, his work focuses on the intersection of Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) and Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) grazing frameworks. Warren’s practice centers on diagnosing and overcoming critical subsurface barriers—such as compaction layers and compromised soil biology—that frequently stall conventional, surface-centric restoration projects. Actively engaged in professional practitioner training through SER, he bridges the gap between academic restoration standards and the practical, scalable realities required to restore ecosystem function in degraded landscapes. As a member of the SER Open Doors Committee and the ODAP sub-committee, Warren is eager to bring a pragmatic, risk-mitigating, and practitioner-first perspective to the SER2027 Organizing Committee to ensure a highly successful and structurally sound conference in Lisbon.
Bruna Paolinelli Reis
Student and Emerging Professionals Committee Representative
Bruna is a researcher at CE3C at the University of Lisbon, specialising 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.
Ekaterina Lengefeld
Student and Emerging Professionals Committee Representative
Ekaterina is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Amrita University, specialising in sustainability and ecological restoration. Her PhD research focused on land degradation, restoration, and community engagement in mountain ecosystems within the biodiversity hotspot of the Western Ghats in Karnataka, India. Her research interests include sustainability, ecological restoration, socio-ecological resilience, behaviour change, and environmental policy. She is a member of the SER Publications Committee and has held various roles within the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER), including serving on the Students and Emerging Professionals Committee, as a Core Group Member of the SER-Asia Network, and as a Co-Chair for the SEP Committee at the 11th World Conference on Ecological Restoration (SER2025).
The Society for Ecological Restoration Team:
Tony Ballard, Senior Manager of Conferences and Events
Pablo Ferrero, Manager of Conferences and Events
Alicia Rodríguez, Conferences and Events Coordinator
Bethanie Walder, Executive Director
George Gann, Global Policy Lead
Marina Best, Associate Director
Amarizni Mosyaftiani, Policy and Practice Specialist
Harold Manrique-Hernandez, Programs Manager
Karen Tekverk, Certification Program Manager
Aamir Shehzad Khan, CERP Program Specialist (Part-Time)
Keith MacCallum, Program Coordinator
Wendy Sturley, Director of Membership and Marketing
Miranda Rueckert, Membership and Marketing Associate
Elise Mackie, Marketing Consultant
Florencia Panizza, Communications Consultant
The Herlitz Company, Inc
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Kristofer Herlitz, Managing Director