User:AlexDev404/sandbox/DRAFT David Garcia

David Anastacio Ignatius Garcia (born 9th of July, 1967) is a Belizean computer scientist and senior lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Information Technology at the University of Belize and former Information Systems & Technology Development Manager for the Belize Ministry of National Security.

Early life and education
David Garcia was born in Belize City, and raised in the urban community of Belmopan.

David Garcia earned a Bachelor of Science with a major in Computer Science, with a minor in Information Science in 1991 from the University of North Florida and a Master of Science in 1996 from Cranfield University with a major in the Design of Information Systems.

Career


Prior to joining the University of Belize in 2008, David worked in the public and private sectors nationally, regionally, and internationally, as a distinguished Information and Communication Technology Professional with expertise in a diverse range of technologies utilized within multiple industry settings. David completed his graduate studies at the Royal Military College of Science, Cranfield University, in the United Kingdom and his undergraduate studies at the University of North Florida in the United States. His research interests lie in the areas of Computer and Network Security, Information and Communication Technology, and Computer Science Education, ranging from theory and design, to implementation.

She has helped to study the effects of the Exxon and BP spills in terms of both immediate and long-term effects. Her work was included in the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Project Final Report, which assessed damage and potential for remediation, and was a basis for fining Exxon and BP after their respective oil spills of 1989 and 2010.

Ben-David has focused deeply on the river otter (Lontra canadensis), examining it in its role as a sentinel species and also using it as a model for predicting effects of pollutants on the rarer and more difficult to study sea otter (Enhydra lutris). She has carried out work with Alaskan otters for over 30 years. Her field studies of chemical bioaccumulation have gained international attention.

She began studying the impact of human activity and climate change on polar bears in 2001. She has worked for nearly 20 years with Steven Amstrup to study polar bear ecology in the Beaufort Sea and other areas. One of the behavioral patterns she has observed via satellite tracking is that polar bears show high fidelity to the local area of ocean in which they live. As sea ice is thinning, it drifts faster, requiring polar bears to walk farther each day on the ice to retain their position. This increases the energy requirements of the bears while decreasing their available time to hunt. Models project that polar bear populations may collapse by 2080.

In 2004, she began another long-term project, studying chipmunks that live in the Laramie Mountains. One of the findings of Ben-David and her students is that chipmunks are more likely to survive the shorter winters resulting from climate change. Ben-David also studies river otters of the Powder River Basin, and the effects of nearby oil drilling. Her work has revealed low populations of otters in the New Fork River, compared to areas nearby.

Ben-David has received a variety of awards for her work including the Barrett-Hamilton distinguished ecologist award from the University of Manitoba in 2012 and the Excellence in Wildlife Education award from The Wildlife Society in 2016. She was selected as a Wildlife Fellow of the Wildlife Society in 2017. ‍

University of Belize (2008-present)
David Garcia is presently serving as an Information Technology lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Information Technology at the University of Belize where he has been a faculty member since 2008. David has served and serves on a number of committees including the Faculty of Science and Technology Research Committee.

Faculty Sponsor for the ACM Student Chapter (2019-present)
David has also been the Faculty Sponsor for the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) Student Chapter at the University of Belize since the chapter received its charter in September 3, 2019.

Personal life
David Garcia has resided in Belmopan, Belize, since 2000, and is Belizean by birth.