TN Tech Biology Alum Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza Makes Literary Debut with “The Spirit of the Rainforest”
Tennessee Tech alumna (B.S. Biology, B.S. Chemistry 2015) Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza
is no stranger to the Amazon rainforest. She grew up with the Peruvian Amazon as her
back yard and learned its lessons from her grandmother, a native healer in natural
medicine and Rosa’s greatest inspiration. Feeing pulled back to the heart of the Amazon
upon completion of her classical science education in the US, the chemical biologist
returned to Peru and continued to explore the region, utilizing a unique blend of
scientific inquiry and cultural insight to guide her. In 2021, she founded Amazon
Research Internacional, a Peru-based non-profit dedicated to restoring and preserving
the rainforest’s fragile biodiversity while empowering native communities.
Named one of Forbes 50 Most Powerful Women in Peru in 2025, Dr. Espinoza’s passion and talent for combining modern science with indigenous knowledge is evident. Dr. Espinoza’s achievements and adventures have provided an impressive foundation for her latest success: the publication of her debut literary title Spirit of the Rainforest: How Indigenous Wisdom and Scientific Curiosity Reconnects Us to the Natural World.
In The Spirit of the Rainforest, Dr. Espinoza provides firsthand accounts of her journeys in the Amazon Rainforest: treacherous encounters with a boiling river, conservation work with stingless bees, and the invaluable teachings of the indigenous communities that she visits. The book was just released to US audiences at the end of July and is available at Barnes and Noble, Target, and through online retailers.
Amazon Research Internacional »
Dr. Espinoza’s website »
Tennessee Tech news release about Dr. Espinoza (March 2024, Jonathan Frank) »