About Me.

I was born and raised in Manaus, a 2+ million people city in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. It was during my undergrad studies in Manaus that I learned that rivers have a story to tell. Since then, I couldn't stop thinking about the evolution of the Earth's surface and what hidden stories I could uncover by studying landscapes. Inspired in the Earth’s amazing scenery, I am intrigued by the processes that interact to create, sustain, and modify landscapes through time.

Below you'll find more about my path in this pursuit of speaking the language of landscapes. Click the box below to download my full CV.

Download CV

Positions

2022 - Present

Queens College

City University of New York

Assistant Professor

School of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Doctoral Professor at the Earth and Environmental Science, CUNY Graduate Center

2018-2022

Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto

Assistant Professor (tenured in 2021)

Departmento de Geologia

Escola de Minas

2016-2018

Scripps Institution of Oceanography

University of California, San Diego

Postdoctoral Researcher

Scripps EARTH

Focus: Geomorphology and Cosmogenic Isotopes

Advisor: Dr. Jane K. Willenbring

Publications

* denotes student author

Title	Authors	Year	Journal
Capítulo 35: Modelos numéricos de evolução do relevo (LEMS) e sua importância para estudos de evolução da paisagem	Fernandes, NF; Peifer, D; Val, P	2022	In: Júnior, ABC; Gomes, MCV; Guimarães, RF; Gomes, RAT. Revisões da Literatura da Geomorfologia Brasileira
Ongoing landscape transience in the Eastern Amazon Craton consistent with lithologic control of base level	Fadul, C. M.; Oliveira, P.; Val, P	2022	Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
Subduction Zone Dynamics and the Topography of Cordilleran Orogens	Val, P, Willenbring, JK	2022	In: Shroder, J.J.F. (Ed.), Treatise on Geomorphology, vol. 2. Elsevier, Academic Press, pp. 68–86.
Across-strike asymmetry of the Andes orogen linked to the age and geometry of the Nazca plate.	Val, P., Willenbring, JK	2022	Geology
Chapter 1: Geology and geodiversity of the Amazon: Three billion years of history	Val, P.; Figueiredo, J; Melo, G; Flantua, SGA; Quesada CA; Fan, Y; Albert, JA; Guayasamin, JM; Hoorn, C	2021	Amazon Assessment Report
River reorganization affects populations of dwarf cichlid species (Apistogramma genus) in the lower Negro River, Brazil	Sá Leitão, CS; Souza, É; Santos, CH; Val, P.; Val, AL; Almeida-Val, VMF	2021	Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Topographic controls on divide migration, stream capture, and diversification in riverine life	Lyons, N; Val, P.; Albert, J; Willenbring, J; Gasparini, N	2020	Earth Surface Dynamics
Tectonic control of erosion rates in the southern Central Andes	Val, P.; Venerdini AL; Ouimet W; Alvarado P; Hoke GD	2018	Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Regional landscape response to thrust belt dynamics: The Iglesia basin, Argentina	Ruetenik, G; Moucha, R; Hoke, G; Val, P	2018	Basin Research
The changing course of the Amazon River in the Neogene: center stage for Neotropical diversification	Albert, J; Val, P.; Hoorn, C	2018	Neotropical Ichthyology
Development and characterization of microsatellite loci in Amazonian dwarf cichlids Apistogramma spp. (Peciformes: Cichlidae): uncovering geological influence on Amazonian fish population.	Sá-Leitão, CS; Santos, CH; Souza, EM; Val, P.; Vilarinho, G; Silva, MN; Val, AL; Almeida-Val, VMF	2017	Journal of Applied Ichthyology
A practical tool for examining paleo-erosion rates from sedimentary deposits using cosmogenic radionuclides: examples from hypothetical scenarios and data. Geochemistry,	Val, P.; Hoke, GD	2016	Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems

Funding (selected)

2024

National Science Foundation

Division of Earth Sciences, Geomorphology and Land-Use Dynamics

2023

Instituto Serrapilheira

CAREER: Tectonically dead but geomorphologically alive: Investigating the role of hard rocks as triggers of widespread, long-term landscape change in continent interiors

U$750,499

DELTA H 2023

R$55,500

2023

PSC-CUNY

DEAR Amazon:

Detecting Erosion Acceleration in Response to deforestation and fires in the Amazon rainforest

U$6,000

Education

2012-2016

Syracuse University

PhD in Earth and Environmental Sciences, Focus: Tectonic Geomorphology

100% Supported with a CAPES Fellowship

Advisor: Gregory D. Hoke

PhD committee: Paul Fitzgerald, Rob Moucha, Terry Jordan, William Ouimet

2009

Washington & Lee University

Exchange student in Environmental Sciences

Funded by the CAPES-FIPSE Program

Advisor: David Harbor

2006-2012

Universidade Federal do Amazonas

Bachelor of Science, Geology

Undergrad research experiences in Geomorphology, Neotectonics, Structural Geology

Advisor: Clauzionor L. Silva