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Juan A Rivero

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Name
  
Juan Rivero


Died
  
March 3, 2014

Juan A. Rivero Dr Juan A Rivero Quintero Founder of the only Zoo in Puerto Rico

Books
  
Los anfibios y reptiles de Puerto Rico: The amphibians and reptiles of Puerto Rico

Education
  
Awards
  
Guggenheim Fellowship for Natural Sciences, Latin America & Caribbean

Dr. Juan Arturo Rivero Quintero (March 5, 1923 – March 3, 2014) was a Puerto Rican biologist who founded the Dr. Juan A. Rivero Zoo at the University of Puerto Rico's Mayagüez Campus.

Contents

Video series hhmi role model and biology department dr juan a rivero quintero


Education

Dr. Rivero obtained a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez in 1945. In 1942 he joined the Beta-Activo Chapter of Phi Sigma Alpha Fraternity. In 1951 he obtained an M.S. from Harvard University, followed by a Ph.D. from that same institution in 1953.

Academic career

After obtaining his bachelor's degree, Dr. Rivero served as an Assistant Plant Physiologist, Instructor, Assistant Professor and Associate Professor before becoming a full Professor of Biology at UPR-Mayagüez in 1958. After founding the institution's zoo in 1954, he served as its first director, as well as founder and director of the UPR's Institute of Marine Biology. From 1959 to 1960 he served as director of the Biology Department and from 1962 to 1966, as Dean of Arts and Sciences, oversaw the work of over 200 faculty members and a two million dollar annual budget. Between 1966 and 1968, he served as a Research Associate at Harvard University and Visiting Scientist at the Venezuelan Institute of Scientific Investigation.

Other accomplishments

In addition to founding the Mayagüez Zoo, Puerto Rico's only zoological garden, it was named after him in 1998.

He discovered over a hundred animal species, particularly amphibians and reptiles.

He was the founder and first president of the Puerto Rico Zoological Society, as well as of the Association of Island Marine Laboratories.

In addition to writing over 200 papers and articles, he wrote numerous books, including:

Los coquíes de Puerto RicoEl Coquí Dorado de Puerto Rico y otras Ranas de Hábitos Reproductivos PeculiaresAnfibios y Reptiles de Puerto RicoAnfibios y Reptiles de Nuestro FolkloreLos Machos, las Hembras y los IntersexosBiología del SexoPrincipios de Evolución OrgánicaLos Helechos Cuernos de Alce o PlaticeriosSalientia de VenezuelaExpedición de la UPR a las Selvas del Alto Orinoco 1950El Dolor de la Espalda Baja

He wrote the Phi Sigma Alpha "Brindis" or toast.

Species named after Dr. Rivero

Several species have been named to honor Dr. Rivero's contributions to science, including:

Geomelania riveroi Clench (snail)Hemitrochus riveroi Turner (mollusk)Glomeridesmus riveroi Chamberlin (miriapod)Ballophilus riveroi Chamberlin (miriapod)Prostherapis riveroi Donoso-Barros (frog)Atractus riveroi Roze (snake)Hyla riveroi Cochran & Goin (frog)Processa riveroi Manning & Chace (crustacean)Leptodactylus riveroi Heyer (frog)Marshallela riveroi Ramos (frog)Eleutherodactylus juanariveroi Ríos-López & Thomas (frog)

References

Juan A. Rivero Wikipedia