Oswaldo Medina-Ramírez is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at the University of Florida specializing in governance and public policy. As an interdisciplinary researcher/practitioner, he has worked in various policy and management positions with the government of Ecuador and has conducted research with state and civil society organizations throughout the Americas. His doctoral research focuses on participatory environmental governance, particularly the role of state officials in promoting more democratic modes of governing water in the tropics. He is part of the Inducing Resilience for Water-Subsidized Systems Project, an effort to strengthen connections between the social and natural sciences at the University of Florida Water Institute. Oswaldo holds an M.A. in Sustainable Development Practice from the University of Florida, and a B.Sc. in Socioeconomic Development and Environment from Zamorano University (Honduras).