1. Distribution patterns and paleoecology of benthic foraminifera along the Oligocene/Miocene boundary in southern Puerto Rico to better understand carbonate platform development in an ancient active tectonic setting. Preliminary data shows a possible tectonic uplift of less than 50m after the Oligocene/Miocene boundary.
2. Assemblage of upper Maastrichtian charophytes, between Puerto Rico and Jamaica to establish a regional paleoecological and paleobiogeographical view between these two islands by the end of the Cretaceous period.
3. Co-assemblage of Foraminifera and ostracods in reef development and subsequent environmental shift towards deltaic/estuarine environments bordering Lake Enriquillo-Dominican Republic.
4. Culture experiments to understand the effects of heavy metal pollution on the morphology of benthic foraminifera from estuarine environments and establish them as bio-indicators or proxies of pollution in Puerto Rico.

Educational Background:

• Bachelor’s degree in Geology - University of Puerto Rico, 1997
• Master’s degree in Geology - University of Puerto Rico, 2003

Relevant Professional Experience:

• St. Petersburg College-Gibbs Campus, Natural Science Department, St. Petersburg-FL
  Aug. 2008-Present:
  Adjunct Faculty- Earth Science, Earth Science Lab., and Physical Science.
• Manatee Community College, Natural Science Department, Bradenton-FL
  Aug. 2007-December 2008:
  Adjunct Faculty- Introduction to Oceanography, Modern Physics, Earth & Space Science, and Interdisciplinary Science.
• NASA-MASTAP Grant, Universidad del Este, Department of Education, Carolina-Puerto Rico
  June 2002-Aug. 2005
  Co-Writer- Development of project concepts, workshop ideas, courses, objectives and goals.
  Earth Science Specialist- Lecturer and developer of workshop activities (30) for in/pre-service teachers who wish to become Certified in Earth Science teaching.
  Assistant Project Director- Materials and equipment selection; follow up on budget status; workshop and field trip coordinator; developer of 6 core courses in Geology (Physical Geology, History and Evolution of Life, Geomorphology, Rocks and Minerals, Oceanography, and Geology of Puerto Rico); coordination and development of the text and laboratory manual entitled Earth Sciences in Puerto Rico: a different teaching approach.
  
• MSEIP-UGREAT (Undergraduate Research Education and Training)- Universidad del Este Institutional Project.
  Jan. 2003-July 2005
  Mentor/Researcher- Developer of research topic proposal (Foraminifera Research Study: Faunal Successions and/or Extinction Patterns along the Oligocene/Miocene Boundary in Southwest Puerto Rico); developer of a collaborative agreement with Jim Galluzzo (Mineral Management Services); student supervision (field techniques; laboratory techniques; sample collection and handling; preparation of fossil specimens for SEM pictures and thin sections.
• NOAA-Coral Reef Environmental Systems-Sediment Budget Component, Parguera-Puerto Rico
  July 2003-May 2005
  Research Assistant- Data collection using erosion plots and hydrometric equipment and sample processing.
• Environmental, Geophysical, and Geological Consultants Inc., Dorado-Puerto Rico
  March 2003-May 2005
  Geologist and Consultant- Environmental permits, geotechnical work and assessment, and geological reconnaissance maps.
• Universidad del Este, Department of Science, Health and Technology, Carolina-Puerto Rico
  Jan. 2002-May 2005
  Lecturer- Intoductory Geology and Physical Science. Field trip and laboratory coordinator.
• Universidad del Este, Department of Science Education, Carolina-Puerto Rico
  Jan.-Dec. 2003
  Curriculum Development- Co-developer of a specialization in Earth Science Teaching for a Bachelor's degree in Elementary and Intermediate Education (BE) (approved by the Academic Senate and institutionalized in January 2004).
• Become a Rock Detective (Vol. 1 & 2)-Geoscience Education- 593 Gardiner Road, Dresden, Maine
  Jan. 2001-Dec. 2002
  Editorial Translator- Translation from English to Spanish.
• USGS-EDMAP Mapping Project
  Jan. 2000-Dec. 2001
  Geologist- Geological mapping of the Sabana Grande Quadrangle (USGS Open File Report pending for revision and approval. Submitted Dec. 2001).
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg-MS
  June-Aug. 2000
  Internship- Sediment and Beach Profile Characterization: A Behavioral Study: Nearshore Placement Research Project at Duck-North Carolina.
  June-Aug. 1998
  Internship- Coastal Geomorphologic Study of Willapa Harbor, WA: Willapa Bay Channel Study.

Grants:

• Puerto Rico-Sea Grant College Program Research Grant ($98,000) (2008-2010) (PI/Writer). Project Title- Benthic Foraminifera as bio-indicators of heavy metal pollution: Torrecilla Lagoon (San Juan Bay Estuary), PR.
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• NOAA-NERRS Graduate Research Grant ($60,000) (2007-2009) (PI/Writer). Project Title- Pollutants and foraminiferal assemblages in Jobos Bay: An environmental micropaleontology approach.
• NASA-Mathematical, Science and Technology Awards for Teacher and Curriculum Enhancement Program (MASTAP) Grant ($600,000) (2002-2005) (Developer/Co-writer). Project Title- Model for Earth Science Ed.

Honors and Awards:

• USA Student Representative at the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE) in Lisbon-Portugal, November, 2009
• USF/Tampa Bay Parrot Head Endowed Fellowship, 2009-2010
• American Geological Institute Minority Fellowship, 2009-2010
• USF/Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club Endowed Fellowship, 2008-2009
• American Geological Institute Minority Fellowship, 2008-2009
• USF- Research Assistantship, 2008-2009
• American Geological Institute Minority Fellowship, 2007-2008
• USF Successful Latino Student Award, 2007 (Awarded to top 1% of 1200 eligible students)
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• USF-Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) Travel Award, 2007
• USF-IGERT Student Award (In recognition for being awarded a NOAA-NERR Grant), 2007
• SLOAN Foundation Fellowship, 2007-2010
• Latin-American Caribbean Scholarship, 2005-2010
• American Geological Institute Minority Fellowship, 2006-2007
• USF/Progress Energy-GK-12 Fellowship, 2006-2007
• The National Scholars Honor Society, 2006
• Latin-American Caribbean Scholar, 2005-2010
• USF-Research Assistantship, 2005-2006
• USF-Introductory Geology Teaching Assistantship, 2005-2006
• Universidad del Este- Presidential Award, 2005-2009
• USGS-EDMAP Scholarship, 2000-2001

Publications:

• Schweitzer, C. E., Velez, J., Martinez, M., Collmar, A., Feldmann, R. M., and Santos, H., 2008. New Cretaceous and Cenozoic Brachyura (Crustacea: Thalassinidea, Brachyura) from Puerto Rico: United States Territory. Bulletin of the Mizunami Fossil Museum, vol. 34, p. 1-15. PDF
• Pisera, A., Martínez, M., and Santos, H., 2006. Late Cretaceous Siliceous sponges from El Rayo Formation, Puerto Rico. Journal of Paleontology, vol. 80-3, p. 594-600. PDF
• Martinez-Colon, M., and Hallock, P. Preliminary survey on foraminiferal responses to pollutants in Torrecillas Lagoon-Puerto Rico. (Accepted to the Caribbean Journal of Science)
• Martinez-Colon, M., Hallock, P., and Green-Ruiz, C. Potentially toxic elements and strategies for use of shallow-water benthic foraminifers as bio-indicators: a review. (Accepted to the Journal of Foraminiferal Research)

Selected Presentations (Oral):

• Martínez-Colón, M.*, Hallock, P., and Green-Ruiz, C. 2008. Benthic foraminiferal assemblages as bio-indicators of potentially toxic elements in Puerto Rico. Geological Society of America Joint Annual Meeting in Houston, TX-USA.
• Martínez-Colón, M.*, Hallock, P., and Green-Ruiz, C. 2008. Shallow water benthic foraminifers as bio-indicators of pollution by potentially toxic elements. 18th Caribbean Geological Conference in Santo Domingo-Dominican Republic.
• Martínez-Colón, M.* and Butler, J. 2007. Foraminifera and climate hands-on activity. Florida Marine Science Educators Association meeting in Naples-Florida.
• Martínez-Colón, M.* 2005. Pollutants and foraminiferal assemblages in Laguna Torrecilla: an environmental micropaleontological approach proposal. International Workshop on Medical Geology in Puerto Rico.
• Martínez-Colón, M.*, Mercado, S., Garcia, A., and Mitchel, S. 2004. Upper Cretaceous charophytes from Puerto Rico and Jamaica. 4th International Symposium on Fossil and Extant Charophytes in Robertson, New South Wales-Australia.
• Martínez-Colón, M.*, Urbina-Fuentes, C., González, W., Galluzzo, J., and Ramírez, W. 2004. Paleoecological distribution (benthic Foraminifera) along the Oligocene/Miocene boundary in southwest Puerto Rico. Global or local implications? 3rd International Scientific Winter Congress (ECI-2004i) in Lima-Peru.
• Martínez-Colón, M.* and Urbina-Fuentes, C.* 2004. Paleoecologic study of the Ponce Limestone (Miocene) in the Southwest Igneous Province of Puerto Rico: A preliminary report. 18th National Conference on Undergraduate Research-NCUR 2004 in Indiana University in Indianapolis.
• Martínez-Colón, M.* 2003. The geologic and tectonic history of the eastern section of the Sabana Grande Quadrangle. 3rd Model Institution for Excellence (MIE) Symposia in Universidad Metropolitana in Puerto Rico.

Selected Presentations (Poster):

• Martínez-Colón, M.* 2009. Mangroves- Excellent Site for Teacher Workshops in Puerto Rico: NOAA-NERRS Graduate Research Fellowship and Puerto Rico Sea Grant Outreach Components. Geological Society of America Joint Annual Meeting in Portland, OR-USA.
• Martínez-Colón, M.*, Bortnak, D., Williams, R., and Hallock, P. 2009. Morphometric Analysis of the Shells of Ammonia spp. from a Polluted Estuary, Torrecilla Lagoon, Puerto Rico. Geological Society of America Joint Annual Meeting in Portland, OR-USA.
• Martínez-Colón, M.* and Hallock, P. 2006. Foraminifera assemblages in Laguna Torrecilla (San Juan Bay Estuary System in Puerto Rico): an environmental micropaleontology approach. EOS Transaction American Geophysical Union, 87(52) Fall Meeting (SF-California), Abstract OS21B-1589.
• Martínez-Colón, M.*, Greely, T., Lodge, A. and Buck, K. 2006. GK-12 OCEANS teaching fellowship: an unbelievable experience. EOS Transaction American Geophysical Union, 87(52) Fall Meeting (SF-California), Abstract ED53A-0848.
• Ramírez, W.*, Johnson, C., Martínez, M., Torres, M., and Ortíz, V. 2006. Strontium isotope stratigraphy from Kuphus incrasatus, Cenozoic limestones Puerto Rico. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting in Philadelphia-USA. Abstract with Program, vol. 39(7), p. 90.
• Martínez-Colón, M.*, Abreu, R., and Ramírez, W. 2005. Holocene Ostracod/Foraminiferal assemblages on reef/deltaic environments on Lake Enriquillo-Dominican Republic: Preliminary survey. 17th Caribbean Geological Conference in Puerto Rico.
• Martínez-Colón, M.*, Mercado, S., Mitchel, S., Garcia, A., and Mussacio, E. 2005. Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) microfauna of the Thomas River and Guinea Corn Formations in Jamaica (Central Inlier). 17th Caribbean Geological Conference in Puerto Rico.
• Huertas-Solá, Martinez, M.* 2003. Model for Earth Science Education (MESEd). NASA-Mathematical, Science and Technology Awards for Teacher and Curriculum Enhancement Program (MASTAP) Symposia in Maryland.
• Martínez-Colón, M.* and Llerandi-Román, P.* 2002. Geologic and tectonic history of the Sabana Grande quadrangle. 16th Caribbean Geological Conference in Barbados.