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Naturalist App Biographies for Fall 2015

	Karlyn Rahmgren, Project Manager Karlyn Rahmgren is a senior graduating this semester with her degree in Computer Science and Engineering. She joined this team because she thinks it is a great representation of a lot of what UC Merced strives to do, connect the dots between 21st century technology and nature. After graduation, she hopes to find employment bridging the gap between people and the technology they use. Outside of class, Karlyn enjoys playing her multitude of instruments and singing with her band Sweet Pea and the Beanpoles. Occasionally you can see her perform in a musical at Playhouse Merced.
	Anthony Melendez, Assistant Project Manager Anthony Melendez is a first year Computer Science and Engineering student.He chose to be a part of the Naturalist App group because he loves teaching and guiding people. He feels that through this App he can teach and guide any person looking for help. He was part of a team of eight who competed in the ASPEN Challenge and won first place, their team name was known as "LifeCycle". They were in the process of making an App to provide guidance to people looking to live a healthier life. He played a big role in the creation of the main structure of the App and all that remain is for the app to be programmed.
	Morgan Nguyen, Procurement and Finance Officer Morgan Nguyen is a 5th year Environmental Engineer Undergrad student at UC Merced. For Engineer 97 (Service Learning), he is the Procurement and Finance Officer. As an Environmental Engineer, he’s looking to impact the world with his skill and knowledge. Although engineering is what he went to school for, Morgan real interest is in business. Therefore, he wanted to be the Procurement and Finance Officer to test his understanding with managing budgets.
	Annaliza Torres, Communications Officer Annaliza Torres is a second year pursuing a double major in Computer Science and Engineering and Cognitive Sciences. Annaliza is the communications officer of the Engineering Service Learning team, Naturalist App, and treasurer of the Society of Women Engineers. As a communications officer, Annaliza manages internal and external communications for the team. Academically, Annaliza is interested in artificial intelligence and human factors engineering and has been working as a research assistant in various research labs here in UC Merced.
	Dominic Nguyen, Intellectual Property Officer Dominic Nguyen is a third year Mechanical Engineering student. Dominic is the intellectual property officer of the Engineering Service Learning team Naturalist App. He chose this team so that he has the chance to learn more about the coding side of engineering and be able to gain experience working in a team on a project. As an extracurricular activity, Dominic is the secretary of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) that has been working on a project called Open ROV, which is an underwater robot. He also enjoys spending time with his friends on his free time.
	Felix Diego Solano Flores, Webmaster Felix Diego Solano Flores is a first year Mechanical Engineering student at UC Merced. He’s going to be the webmaster of the Engineering Service Learning team for the Naturalist App. He chose the Naturalist App team because he has an interest in knowing how apps are design and he also likes things that relate to nature. In fact, His last name “Flores” translates to “Flowers” in English, which relates to him a lot because his parents used to work in a flower plantation when he was a kid.
	Tarunraj Amuthan, Team Leader Tarunraj Amuthan is a third year Computer Science and Engineering student. Tarunraj is a team leader for the Engineering Service Learning team the Naturalist App. He chose it because he loves animals and computers, and this project provided a way to combine the two. Academically, Tarunraj is involved in various fields, ranging from programming to microbial fuel cells. His proposal for piloting a fuel cell placed second in UC Merced’s first annual Sustainability Proposal Contest. He enjoys videogames, the outdoors, listening to lots of ska, and making terrible jokes.
	Alannah Alvarez, Team Member Alannah Alvarez is a fifth year Mechanical Engineering student at the University of California, Merced. Alannah is a team member for the Engineering Service Learning team Naturalist App. She choose the team because biology and computer science are subjects outside her comfort zone. She wishes to grew more versatile and in the process maybe discover a new interest. Currently, Alannah is a founding and an active member of the new chapter Society of Women in Engineers. Outside of her engineering life, Alannah loves to play her trumpet and perform with the Bobcat Band.
	Lilia Medina, Team Member Lilia Medina is a first year Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) student. The Engineering Service Learning team she joined is the Naturalist App. As a CSE major, it intrigued her to be part of the team since it would involve her coding or inputting information to an application. Also, nature is wonderful and with the app the team will create; she knows it will help other people enjoy it as much as her. Lilia does not have experience in her field of study, but hopes to gain knowledge through Engineering Service Learning. She enjoys LA, the beach and the sunset.
	Adolfo Ng, Team Member Adolfo Ng is a freshman currently enrolled in the major of Computer Science and Engineering at UC Merced. He is a team member in the Engineering Service Learning team Naturalist App. He chose it because he has a passion for animals and would love to learn about the process of making software. He was born in Mexicali, Mexico and enjoys playing guitar during his free time.
	Jessi Patricio-Vera, Team Member Jessi Patricio-Vera is a first year Computer Science and Engineering student. Jessi is a team member of the Engineering Service Learning team The Naturalist App. He choose The Naturalist App because he saw it as a good opportunity to gain more experience in the coding field while learning about the environment around him. He is also very interested in computers, he builds desktops as a hobby and is very interested in computer mechanics. Outside of the classroom, Jessi likes to make people laugh, smile, and just have a good time.
	Derek Theisen, Team Member Derek Theisen is a fifth year Mechanical Engineer. Academically, this is Derek’s last semester at UC Merced and he would like to gain some insight towards as many engineering disciplines as he can in order to be better prepared for the job market once he graduates. Derek is well-rounded in his interests, particularly those involving music and video games, and he gets along well with people of various different backgrounds.
	Roberto Vazquez, Team member Roberto Vazquez is a 1st year mechanical engineer. He comes from a small city called Fontana located in the inland empire about an hour out of the Los Angeles area. The reason why he chose the team is because he was intrigued by the idea of creating an app to assist people in identifying various creatures located in the Yosemite Park. He would much rather be doing outdoor activities on any chosen day rather than being indoors. Activities such as sports or simply just admiring the beauty of the nature that exists outside.
	Andrew Velasquez, Team Member Andrew Velasquez is a first year mechanical engineering major and is a proud member of the naturalist app. Andrew chose to become part of the naturalist app team because he cares about the well-being of the community and believes that by helping the progression of the app, the community will be able to enjoy the wonders of their environment once again. Andrew was a MESA competitor for his high school in Los Angeles and tennis city champion. He loves to meet new people and likes to talk about the music he likes. His openness with others makes him very outgoing.