Andrés Ruzo

Andrés Ruzo is a geoscientist, conservationist, author, science communicator, and educator, who became the first scientist who was granted permission to study the Boiling River of the Amazon in 2011.

In 2002, Ruzo was awarded the National Geographic Young Explorer Grantee. He is married, and his wife also works as his field partner.

A tri-citizen, Ruzo grew up between Peru, Nicaragua, and the United States, all countries where he now has active projects. He holds degrees in geology and finance from Southern Methodist University (Dallas, TX), where he is currently finishing a Ph.D. in geophysics.

Ruzo is also the founder and director of the Boiling River Project, a non-profit dedicated to understanding and protecting the sacred Boiling River of the Amazon (i.e., the Shanay-Timpishka Geothermal System) by bringing together modern science, conservation economics, and traditional Amazonian knowledge.

Ruzo has been a National Geographic Explorer since 2010, receiving multiple grants for his projects in Perú. He has been featured on various NatGeo outlets, including the magazine, channel, and digital media. He was the Partnership Ambassador for the LEGO-NatGeo Partnership (which was released in summer 2017), as well as the host for a show on NatGeo Latin America (the Spanish channel).

Ruzo has been a TED Main Stage Speaker and TED Book Author. He has received various awards and recognitions from industry associations and conservation groups, including the Geothermal Resources Council, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, and Greenpeace.