Andrés Ruzo

Andrés Ruzo is a National Geographic Explorer, TED MainStage Speaker, TEDBook Author, and host of the award-winning National Geographic Latin America show Misterios del Inframundo (Mysteries of the Underworld). He is a geothermal scientist, conservationist, science communicator, and educator, and his work has been featured on the NatGeo Channel, Magazine, and social media. Furthermore, he has served as an ambassador for various NatGeo project partnerships and initiatives, including work with LEGO, Coors Light, and BMW, as well as keynoted over 300 NatGeo events.

Andres’ work has taken him across 5 continents, but he is best known for his work at the Boiling River of the Amazon (Peru), where in 2011 he became the first geoscientist granted the shamanic blessing to study this sacred site. Since then, he has worked tirelessly to research, advocate, and raise awareness for this area and geothermal sites across the globe. He founded and currently directs the Boiling River Project, a nonprofit organization that brings together science, art, traditional knowledge, and interdisciplinary education, joining together over 50 collaborators from more than 20 countries.

Andrés considers himself a “guerilla educator” and brings educational components to all of his projects. He works with primary through higher education groups on a weekly basis, through talks, workshops, and short courses, as well as actively contributing to National Geographic Learning educational materials.

Growing up between Peru, Nicaragua, and the U.S. left him with a bit of a national-identity crisis, but this background helped him see that many of the world’s problems are not confined by borders, and that energy and resources lie at the root of many of these global issues. This realization inspired him to become a geothermal scientist—obtaining degrees in Geology and Finance at Southern Methodist University, where he is currently finishing his PhD in Geothermal Studies. He believes that environmental responsibility and economic prosperity can go hand in hand, and uses his work to unite both aims in the fields of energy, resources, ecotourism, education, and sustainable business development.