Professor (Assistant) | USC · Department of Applied Economics | University of Santiago de CompostelaBasic Information Sebastian Villasante
Research interests
Dr Sebastian Villasante is interested in understanding the social adaptation, transformations and vulnerabilities of marine social-ecological systems to global change, and examining trade-offs in managing and conserving living marine resources. In particular, Sebastian has been working on the development and application of quantitative and qualitative models to investigate the spatial conflicts of marine uses of different activities (e.g., commercial and recreational fisheries, aquaculture). Specific topics of research interest include: explicit spatial modeling of marine ecosystem services by using InVEST and Ecopath with Ecosim models, development of new a social vulnerability index to measure the spatial exposure of coastal communities to climate change and other pressures. Sebastian also works closely with a diversity of stakeholders to create windows of opportunities for resilient ecosystem, industries and communities.
Short biography
Dr. Sebastian Villasante is an Assistant Professor at the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain). His main research areas include understanding social adaptation, transformations and vulnerabilities of marine social-ecological systems to global change, and examining trade-offs in managing and conserving living marine resources. His works cut across multiple disciplines, from ecology, economics to social sciences, and range from local to global scales.
Sebastian has published over 90 peer-reviewed publications, including papers in leading international journals. Sebastian is also actively involved in international and regional initiatives that bridge science and policy. For instance, he was the founder of the ICES Working Group on Resilience and Marine Ecosystem Services, Coordinator of the Working Group on Monetary Valuation of ecosystem services of the Ecosystem Services Partnership, and co-founder of the Working Group on Small-Scale fisheries in Galicia (NW Spain). He serves as member of the editorial board of Frontiers of Marine Sciences, and as scientific advisors in a number of international and local organizations including Future Earth, International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.
Education
D
egrees
| Institution | Degree | Major | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |||
| University Santiago de Compostela | PhD. | Applied Economics | July, 2005 | July, 2009 |
| University Santiago de Compostela | M.A. | Fisheries Economics | Sep, 2007 | Jun, 2008 |
| University Santiago de Compostela | DEA | Fisheries Economics | Nov, 2001 | Jun, 2002 |
| University of Buenos Aires | BSc | Law and Social Sciences | Mar, 1995 | Dec, 2000 |
R
elated Studies
| Institution | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | ||
| The Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics | Postdoctoral fellowship | June, 2009 | Sep, 2009 |
L
anguage Competencies
Spanish (Read Write Speak Understand-mother tongue)
English (Read Write Speak Understand)
Portuguese (Read Write Speak Understand)
French (Read Write Understand)
Italian (Read Understand)
T
itle of Dissertation and Name of Supervisor
“Magnitude and implications of the Common Fisheries Policy on marine social-ecological systems”, MC Garcia-Negro, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Employment Record
W
ork prior to coming to USC
| Employer | Department | Position | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |||
| United Nations Environmental Program | Environment | Research Associated | Jan, 2009 | Dec, 2009 |
| University of Buenos Aires | Social Sciences | Researcher Assistant | Mar, 2000 | Dec, 2000 |
A
t USC
| Employer | Department | Position | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |||
| University Santiago de Compostela | Applied Economics | Assistant Professor | Dec, 2016 | |
| University Santiago de Compostela | Applied Economics | Lecturer | Jul, 2010 | Nov, 2016 |
| University Santiago de Compostela | Applied Economics | Assistant Researcher | Mar, 2002 | Dec, 2008 |
W
ork while working at USC (Consultancy)
| Employer | Department | Position | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |||
| World Bank | The Environment and Trade & Competitiveness Global Practices of the World Bank Group | Consultant | Dec, 2017 | Mar, 2018 |
| University of Washington | School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences | Policy Analyst | Jan, 2012 | Dec, 2012 |
V
isiting research
| Institution | Supervisor | Position | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |||
| Natural Capital Project-Stanford University | R.Griffin, S. Wood | Visiting Researcher | Mar, 2018 | Mar, 2018 |
| University Federal Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil) | P. Lopes | Visiting Researcher | Sep, 2013 | Sep, 2013 |
| The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics and Resilience Stockholm Centre (Sweden) | M. Tröell | Visiting Researcher | Sep, 2011 | Sep, 2011 |
| Patagonian National Research Center-CENPAT (Argentina) | I. Elías, L. Orensanz | Visiting Researcher | Jul, 2010 | Sep, 2010 |
| The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics and Resilience Stockholm Centre (Sweden) | M. Tröell | Visiting Researcher | Jul, 2009 | Sep, 2009 |
| University of British Columbia, Fisheries Centre (Canada) | R. Sumaila | Visiting Researcher | Nov, 2005 | Jan, 2006 |
In bold and italics I highlight the international collaborations.
Awards and Distinctions
A
wards for Scholarship
| Granting Agency | Project Title | COMP | Amount ($CDN) | Years | Investigators | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |||||
| Beijer International institute of Ecological Economics | Marine social-ecological systems in Peninsula de Valdes | C | 7,500 | 2009 | 2009 | S. Villasante, G. Macho, I. Elías |
| University of Santiago de Compostela | Researcher assistant | C | 24,000 | 2008 | 2009 | MC Garcia-Negro, S. Villasante |
| Xunta de Galicia (Spain) | USC Master Degree in Fisheries Economics | NC | 5,000 | 2008 | 2009 | S. Villasante |
| University of Santiago de Compostela | PhD students | C | 12,000 | 2005 | 2008 | MC Garcia-Negro |
* International collaborators in bold and italics.
P
rizes
| Name | Type | Presenter | Amount ($CDN) | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | ||||
| Best PhD Thesis in Economics | Prize | University Santiago de Compostela | – | 2011 | |
| Yamamoto First Distinction (with Prof. Rashid Sumaila) | Prize | Japanese International Society for Fisheries | 1,500 | 2010 | |
| I “INESMA Prize” on marine conservation in Spain | Prize | INESMA | 5,800 | 2009 | |
| Extraordinary merits for PhD students | Prize | University Santiago de Compostela | – | 2009 | |
| Young scientists from developing countries | Prize | American Fisheries Society | 1,200 | 2008 | |
Leaves of Absence
I took a 4-week parental leave from Dec 26 2008 to January 28 2009 to be primary caregiver to my daughter Sophia (born December 26 2009).