About / Biography 

Fostering Lifelong Learning through   Transdisciplinary Education

Education is a transformative process that goes beyond transmitting knowledge—it cultivates critical thinking, creativity, and lifelong learning. My teaching journey began in 2007 at Pando’s Amazon University in Bolivia, where I currently serve as an Associate  Researcher, and has since expanded through collaborations with institutions such as the University of Florida. Working with learners across diverse settings has shaped a flexible, inclusive teaching approach grounded in participation, reflection, and practice.

Influenced by Paulo Freire’s principles of popular education, I emphasize participatory learning and competency-based training that connect theory to real-world application. I believe education should empower students to engage critically with their environment, bridging knowledge and action to promote social and environmental justice.

Drawing on David Kolb’s experiential learning theory, I design interactive learning experiences that encourage reflection, problem-solving, and collaboration. Students are invited to construct their own understanding through hands-on activities, field-based learning, and interdisciplinary dialogue.

Central to my pedagogy is transdisciplinary action research, which integrates teaching, research, and community engagement. Over the past fifteen years, this approach has guided students to work across disciplines and knowledge systems to address complex environmental and social challenges creatively and collaboratively.

My teaching experience spans mixed methods research, environmental management, legislation, economics, education, and water governance. Through both in-person and online modalities, I aim to create inclusive learning environments where theory meets practice and students feel inspired to pursue transformative change.

Ultimately, I view education as an act of empowerment—one that nurtures critical thinkers and future leaders capable of advancing sustainability, equity, and resilience in their communities and beyond.

Marliz Arteaga Gómez-García

Embracing Transdisciplinary Research for Sustainable Development: A Journey of Collaboration and Innovation

My research bridges science, society, and practice to address complex socio-environmental challenges in the Amazon Basin and beyond. Trained as an environmental engineer and shaped by almost 20 years of research and collaboration, I am committed to participatory, transdisciplinary approaches that integrate diverse knowledge systems and empower communities to co-create sustainable solutions.

Transdisciplinary research, as I practice it, goes beyond disciplinary boundaries, fostering mutual learning between researchers, communities, and institutions. It seeks not only to understand problems but to transform realities—connecting theory with practice and promoting equity, resilience, and environmental justice.

My work has evolved through key milestones:

1. Climate Change Education in the Amazon: Co-developed a participatory curriculum tailored to regional needs, emphasizing locally grounded learning.

2. Governance of Hydroelectric Dams: Explored how power dynamics and governance structures affect livelihoods in Bolivian and Brazilian Amazon communities.

3. Transdisciplinary Participatory Research Exchange Program: Coordinated collaborative research and training initiatives linking students, scientists, and community leaders to build shared knowledge and innovation capacities.

Currently, I am expanding this program in the Bolivian Amazon to strengthen local research capacities, foster intercultural exchange, and evaluate its long-term impacts on communities and participants.  My future agenda focuses on integrating Indigenous knowledge, enhancing inclusivity in collaborative research, and comparing participatory methodologies across Amazonian regions.

Through collaboration, creativity, and commitment to sustainability, I aim to contribute to a more equitable and resilient future, where research serves as a bridge between science and society.

Marliz Arteaga Gómez-García