Bio

Roberto A. Herrera, PhD, RPA is a registered professional archaeologist with experience in the United States and Central America. His research focuses on late Formative precontact cultures in southern Costa Rica, especially the Upper General Valley and Osa Peninsula, while also situating these cases within broader comparative studies across southeastern Central America. His work examines ritual space, commemorative behavior, power relations, and their intersections with ecological dynamics, with recent projects exploring indigenous resilience to environmental and social risks and the development of entrenched inequalities. In the United States, Dr. Herrera has directed cultural resource management projects in both precontact and historical contexts across the Southwest and eastern seaboard for agencies such as NYCDOT, NPS, NYDEC, and EPA, integrating federal (NHPA, NEPA) and local (SEQR, CEQR) compliance frameworks. His practice emphasizes descendant/diasporic populations and community engagement: in Costa Rica, he collaborates with Community Development Associations to transform at-risk archaeological sites into heritage resources that sustain local economies, while in Brooklyn he works with CUNY colleagues and local non-profits to involve students in heritage, environmental, and sustainability projects. He also trains students in remote sensing and GIS for cu