Mariah transferred from San Bernardino Valley College to UC Riverside where she earned her B.S. in Chemistry. She is now a Physical Chemistry Ph.D. student in the Schwartz group where she studies the properties of solvated electrons by ultrafast laser spectroscopic methods. Outside of the laboratory, Mariah enjoys family time, ballet classes, vegan food, and playing with her dachshunds!

Dr. Kimi Waite is an award-winning Asian American scholar-activist, author, innovation leader, and National Geographic Explorer with expertise in climate change and environmental justice education. A former elementary school teacher in South Los Angeles and a STEM curriculum specialist in Compton, California, she has received both national and state recognition for her leadership in environmental education, social studies and climate change education. She is a Fellow with the UCLA Center for Developing Leadership in Science; the 2021 California Council for the Social Studies Outstanding Elementary Social Studies Teacher of the Year; a 2021 Public Voices Fellow on the Climate Crisis with the OpEd Project and the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication; and a 2019 Environmental Education 30 Under 30, awarded by the North American Association for Environmental Education. Since 2019, she has been a steering committee member for California’s statewide climate change initiative, the Environmental and Climate Change Literacy Projects. She is a co-author of the book, “What Teachers Want to Know About Teaching Climate Change: An Educator’s Guide to Nurturing Hope and Resilience (Grades K-12),” and the author of the book, “Teaching Environmental Justice in the Elementary Classroom: Entry Points for Equity Across the K-5 Curriculum.”

Arely López (she/her) is a third-year year undergraduate earning a double major in Geography/Environmental Studies and Political Science with a minor in Entrepreneurship under the Regents Scholarship. She has previously served as a Carbon Neutrality Initiative ambassador and Fellow and is currently involved in UCLA’s Latin Business Student Association as a board member and K-12 Outreach for The Center for Diverse Leadership in Science.
 
Arely strives to unpack in the intersections between the environment, law, and the economy and aspires to pursue a career that works towards building a green, equitable economy that is inclusive to underrepresented communities. After participating in the Sustainable LA Grand Challenge Undergraduate Research Scholars Program, she hopes to further explore research interests in the implementation of renewable energy and corporate or government actions to promote sustainability. Her other interests lie in cooking, exploring new places, and collecting vinyls. 

Dr. Ileana Callejas is a NASA Postdoctoral Fellow at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the Water & Ecosystems group and an Assistant Professor at Biola University. She earned her PhD in Environmental Engineering from UCLA, where she also obtained her MS in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering and her BS in Environmental Science with a minor in environmental engineering. Before joining JPL, she taught biology courses at Biola University and Mount Saint Mary’s University. She uses satellite remote sensing for coastal water quality monitoring, particularly in Belize. In this capacity, she has collaborated with institutions such as the Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute, and the Belize Wildlife Conservation Society. Her research also focuses on studying the fate and transport of antibiotic resistance in rivers and beaches. She is a first-generation Latina, born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She was motivated to apply for this fellowship to collaborate with other scientists and practitioners for the well-being of the environment and people.

Paige Hoel is a second year Ph.D. student in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at UCLA focused on nutrient dynamics in coastal regions. Paige fell in love with the ocean at an early age, and found her calling after watching a documentary about the oceanographer Robert Ballard. Her Ph.D. work centers around understanding interactions of the nutrients and physics of the water within the Southern California Bight. Paige uses biogeochemical models to understand how anthropogenic influences such as runoff or waste water outflows influence the primary productivity and phytoplankton of the region.

In 2018, Paige received a B.S. in Physical Geography and a B.S. in Earth Science from UC Santa Barbara. She is currently an early career fellow with the CDLS and the co-president of the graduate student body organization of the Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Department (XEP). She is passionate about using GIS as an educational tool as well as a means to illuminate environmental injustice.

Ashley Jiwon Shin (or 신지원) is a graduate student working with Professor Justin Caram at University of California, Los Angeles. Ashley is on the physical chemistry track in the UCLA Ph.D. program with a focus on spectroscopy.

Physical chemistry is a challenging field that studies molecular behaviors and models them using a mixture of quantum mechanical and classical laws. Ashley is fascinated by research in physical chemistry because it unifies my interests in chemistry, engineering, and computer science. To tackle this field, researchers of multiple disciplines collaborate, attempting to observe the tiniest of interactions in nature. She is attracted to the lifestyle of a scientist, who serves as a member of the global academic community that works together for scientific development. Thus, Ashley aspires to complete her graduate studies in physical chemistry and become an influential academic scientist.

Elijah Catalan is a Ph.D. student at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the Institute of Environment and Sustainability. He conducts interdisciplinary research utilizing genomic-based biodiversity monitoring and biogeochemistry to examine the impacts of climate and anthropogenic stressors as well as restoration and conservation efforts in coastal systems. Elijah also seeks to decolonize scientific research and advance environmental justice through his work in the CDLS at UCLA. He is a class of 2020 alumnus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. where he was a double major in biology and environmental studies. After finishing his graduate studies, Elijah plans to enter a research-based career where he can help protect and empower those communities disproportionately impacted by environmental conditions and underrepresented in the field of environmental stewardship.

De’Marcus Robinson is a UCLA graduate student in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, working with Professor Tina Treude. Formerly, he attended Florida A&M University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), where he majored in Environmental Science with a concentration in Toxicology and Human Health.  While there, he researched chemicals that could be used to make a fiber that absorb oil, a solution for cleaning up oil spills in the ocean. Doing literature reviews of past oil absorption research projects allowed him to hypothesize new approaches to use nanofibers to absorb crude oil through a process called electrospinning, a technique that transformed chemical solutions into a nanofiber fabric mesh. The mesh nanofibers were shown to be effective at oil absorption while being environmentally friendly and Robinson presented this research at NOAA conference winning third place in a poster competition.  

As a current PhD student, Robinson’s research now examines biogeochemical cycles in Oxygen Minimum Zones of the ocean and seafloor, mainly in the Santa Barbara Basin. Oxygen minimum zones are caused by bacteria that consume organic matter, depleting dissolved oxygen, with detrimental impacts on many forms of marine life. By studying marine microbes in oxygen minimum zones, he hopes to better understand how these microbes in the sediment, impacts the chemical environment and microbial communities in the sediment and water column, and how they are influencing ocean health.  

Robinson is interested in Science Communication where he founded BehindTheSTEAHM, a conversation that seeks to bridge the gap between experts and the community, while advocating for Social and Environmental Justice. In CDLS, he is a member of the Environmental Justice Working Group and Climate Currents. Outside of university, he is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., and likes to travel, go scuba diving, and play drums.  

Amongst his aspirations, he would like to have an opportunity to work for NOAA, doing research and professional outreach and would ultimately like to become a professor at a HBCU and inspire Black students to enter marine science.

Ronald (Ronnie) Thompson III graduated from UCLA in the Fall of 2021 as an Environmental Science Major and Conservation Biology Minor. After graduating, he moved to Boston to work for The Best Bees Company. He currently works as a beekeeper and data analyst for the company, primarily working on the HoneyDNA initiative. His involvement in CDLS has prepared him to work in diverse environments such as The Best Bees Company, which is a certified LGBT Business Enterprise that prides itself on providing a safe environment for people of all backgrounds.

“I have been a part of CDLS since my sophomore year and I have had the honor of taking part in both research and outreach projects. I am most proud of being able to present clumped isotope research at the UCLA Undergraduate Research Day, as well as leading the Diversi-Tea/Courageous Coffee program. In this program, we created a safe space for students and faculty to come and discuss issues pertaining to underrepresented, people of color in STEM. I am thrilled to be a part of such an amazing diverse group of people looking to change the world around us through collaborative research and community outreach.”

As a student growing up in Nairobi, Kenya, Rose M. Mutiso dreamed of following her curiosity. Drawn to Materials Science and Engineering – which underpins ubiquitous features of modern life like plastics and electronics – she received a PhD in the field, linking nanotechnology and polymer physics to create new materials for renewable energy and electronic applications. As a postdoctoral fellow in the US Senate, Rose co-authored legislation signed into law by President Barack Obama covering conservation, energy, and innovation policy.

Grateful for an education supported by financial aid and taxpayer-funded research, Rose is committed to paying this gift forward. She cofounded the Mawazo (“Ideas”) Institute, a nonprofit research institute based in Nairobi that helps African women complete their PhD studies and prepares them to become thought leaders and influence public discourse. She is also the Research Director of the Energy for Growth Hub, working with global experts to find solutions for energy deficits in developing countries.

Rose earned her BA and BE in Engineering Sciences with a concentration in Materials Science from Dartmouth College, and her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania