Javier Ruiz-Pérez

Professional Summary

Javier Ruiz-Pérez, Ph.D. is an archaeologist and paleoecologist at Pompeu Fabra University in Spain. He primarily conducts research in tropical South America, investigating past human-environment interactions and the long-term ecological role of fire in shaping savannas and forests. Over the years, Ruiz-Pérez has led or contributed to numerous international projects funded by institutions such as the National Geographic Society and the U.S. National Science Foundation. He is currently the Project Manager of the Mapping the Archaeological Pre-Columbian Heritage of South America project, the first comprehensive, open-access database documenting the pre-Columbian archaeological heritage across the continent. Previously, Ruiz-Pérez was a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology at Texas A&M University and served on the executive committee of the Texas A&M Postdoctoral Association. Since 2021, he has been a board member of the International Committee on Open Phytolith Science and the International Committee on Phytolith Morphometry at the International Phytolith Society.