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Michael Lara Project Manager Michael Lara is a first year at UC Merced and is majoring in Computer Science and Engineering. He is currently the project manager for the engineering and service learning team, VPGR (Vernal Pools and Grasslands Reserve). He chose this lab because even though his major is Computer Science and Engineering he has already found the Natural Sciences interesting and when picking a major was deciding between the two. Michael decided to be the project manager for the VPGR team because when he attended high school he was the stage manager of his school’s theater productions. |
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Aurora Vargas Contreras Assistant Project Manager Aurora Vargas Contreras is a first-year Materials Science and Engineering major and will soon minor in Cognitive Science. Vargas is the assistant project manager of the Engineering Service Learning Team Naturalist App. She chose it because it will strengthen her acquired skills from working abroad with other community-based service project programs and is also open to grow more as a leader. She has a strong passion for helping people and hopes to have an engineering and medical career. Vargas enjoys dancing to Latin music, playing her violin, and all sports involving speed (she is competitive). |
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William Hieke Team Lead William Hieke is a fifth year undergraduate Environmental Engineer. Hieke is team leader of the content team for the Naturalist App project. He chose to work on the Naturalist App because of his knowledge/concerns regarding UC Merced’s environmental sustainability. Hieke’s love of the outdoors drives him to pursue small internships and opportunities to travel to natural reserves for research: Ecological research within the El Dorado National Reserve regarding drought resistant trees. Hieke has a passion for music and spends all his free time listening to and creating it. Hieke has played drums for 14 years and has collaborated with different groups. |
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Nallely Beltran Procurement and Finance Officer Nallely Beltran is a first-year bioengineering student. Beltran is the procurement and finance officer of the Naturalist App team. She plans on using her mathematical skills she learned in high school, and the skills she acquired during the summer at UC Irvine to begin her journey. Her purpose in this journey is to do plenty of hands-on activities to gain more skills and apply them in real-life experiences. She will attend medical school after graduating from UC Merced to become a radiation oncologist. Beltran likes to dance on her free time and spend time with her family and friends. |
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Nikko Solon Intellectual Property Officer Nikko Solon is a second-year Computer Science and Engineering Major. By joining the Naturalist App team, Solon looks forward to gaining experience from developing a mobile application and bringing awareness to vernal pools. Solon is the Intellectual Property Officer for the Naturalist App team. He is passionate about working with computers. He loves designing and works as a Graphic Designer for the Recreation & Athletics Department at UC Merced. On his spare time, Nikko likes doing anything that keeps his body and mind moving which includes, exercising, skating, playing the bass guitar, problem-solving, playing baseball, and daily unicycle rides around town. |
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Joshua Jolly Sub Team Lead Joshua Jolly is a fourth-year Economics student. Jolly is a Sub-Team Manager in the development of the ENGSL Naturalist App. He chose it because of his background in programmatic application development, his interest in Naturalism, and his interest in working with an academically diverse team. Jolly has successfully completed a 3-month Summer Internship in Yosemite National Park and several courses on the UC Merced Natural Reserve. Jolly also has an interest in programming that he has developed through two projects mapping Everest and Yosemite Valley to a model through Google Earth’s API. He is very excited to apply his experience to the Naturalist App. |
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Jesus Beatriz Jesus Beatriz is a first-year student at UC Merced majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Beatriz is from a small city in Southern California called Garden Grove. Beatriz’s passion for Mathematics and Science is one of the few reasons why he wants to join the engineering field. Beatriz decided to join the Naturalist App team because he saw it as the perfect opportunity to learn about the development of a project as well as to learn about the different species that live in the Grasslands. Some of Beatriz’s hobbies include hanging out with his family and playing soccer. |
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Lisa Salmeron Sub Team Leader Lisa Salmeron is a fifth year Bioengineering Major and Applied Mathematics Minor. Salmeron is the Content Team Leader of the Engineering Service Learning Naturalist App team. She chose this team for an opportunity to learn more about her environment and contribute to environmental awareness while making this information accessible through a simple technical interface. Salmeron plans to use her recent experience as the President of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science to bring these goals to fruition. Academically, Salmeron is interested in tissue engineering and has been working in Dr. Kara McCloskey’s research lab. |
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Eric Gambetta-Guglielmana Team Lead |
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Alexis Alibo Communications Officer |
