Ángel A. Garcia Jr. is a Boricua (Puerto Rican) geologist and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geology and Environmental Science at James Madison University since 2018. He earned a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from Arizona State University. His current research delves into ethnogeology, paleoclimate, LiDAR-SLAM cave cartography, Indigenous frameworks, and other aspects of cave and karst science. His work is based in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Shenandoah Valley, Brazil, and México.
Garcia has contributed significantly to the field of cave and karst science through numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, conference presentations, and funded research projects. In addition to his research, he is dedicated to undergraduate education, teaching a wide range of courses and actively advising undergraduate research and honors theses, as well as supporting PhD students. He served as a co-PI of the REU site Undergraduate Research Opportunities in Cave and Karst Science (U-ROCKS, NSF Award #2050819), was the former chair for the Diversity in the Geosciences committee for The Geological Society of America (GSA), and won the Early Career Scientist Award presented by GSA’s Karst Division in 2020.