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

Dominique Gonçalves is an ecologist born and raised in Beira, a city near Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique. Gonçalves is focused on elephant conservation in Gorongosa National Park which she joined in 2015 as a research fellow and now leads the Gorongosa’s Elephant Ecology Program. Working in elephant ecology, conservation with communities and colleagues Gonçalves hopes to build coexistence between communities and wildlife throughout the park’s buffer zone.

A passionate advocate for girls education to prevent early marriage and help them have a life full of opportunities, Gonçalves believes that her work with elephants is an artifact of girls education. Gonçalves uses elephants as an emblematic species to help inspire and improve the schooling experience of vulnerable girls in the education programs such as the Park’s Girls Clubs, working towards Sustainable Development Goals of gender equality and life on land in the communities around Gorongosa National Park. Gonçalves is the narrator of the film Our Gorongosa: a Park for the People which reflects a new model for conservation and community development in one of Africa’s iconic National Parks. Since 2018, Goncalves is a National Geographic Society Fellow and in 2019 was featured in the National Geographic Women of Impact film.

Hannah Tandy, a second year Ph.D. student in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences Department, joined CDLS this past year. Before coming to UCLA, she worked with San Diego Youth Science bringing hands-on science activities to elementary schools and she continues to work with K-12 students through events like Exploring Your Universe, and the CDLS K-12 Outreach program, now tutoring online. She strives to make the geoscience community inclusive and welcome to everyone and so joined in the Inclusive Sustainability group and is now on the Board of the Society of Women Geoscientists at UCLA. This summer she is working to foster increased sense of community for CDLS and various partner organizations through organizing a Summer Talk Series. Various members of these organizations will be presenting talks and workshops on a variety of research topics and professional development skills. These talks are open to everyone to join and if you are interested in topics from Financial Responsibility to Soil Contamination and Remediation please sign up to learn more.

Taylorann was born and raised in the south suburbs of Chicago, Illinois and attended Ball State University in Indiana where she earned a B.S. in biology. After completing her undergraduate studies, she attended Duke University Marine Lab for a semester of study as a marine conservation scholar. Smith moved to Los Angeles where she started a M.S. Program at California State University in Marine Biology and interned aboard the E/V Nautilus as an Ocean Scientist. In addition to her scientific passions, she is also passionate about the arts and spends a lot of time creating drawings, paintings, sculptures, and poems.

Dr. Anousheh Ansari is an Astronaut, a Hi-tech serial entrepreneur and a global Change Maker.

Dr. Ansari is currently the CEO of the XPRIZE Foundation, the world’s leader in designing and operating large incentive competitions to solve humanity’s grand challenges.  Since joining the organization, she has started several new initiatives focused on a greater incorporation and use of Data, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in the work of the foundation.  Two such initiatives are the Data Collaborative that sits at the heart of the XPRIZE Pandemic Alliance, formed in response to Covid-19 and the Gender Data Gap, centered in encouraging creation and use of Diverse data sets ethically assembled to be used to be used to eliminate Bias in AI driven algorithm used in the different aspects of society.  Her drive for inclusivity is also demonstrated in internal policies established to measure and improve diversity scores of the foundation as well as within the teams competing for the prizes.

Dr. Ansari first got involved with the Foundation when she, along with her family, sponsored the organization’s first competition, the Ansari XPRIZE, a $10 million competition that ignited a new era for commercial spaceflight.  Since then, she has served on XPRIZE’s Board of Directors and the XPRIZE Vision Circle.  She joined the Foundation as the CEO based on her belief in the potential of using advanced technologies for good and recognizing XPRIZE as a powerful medium to accelerate breakthroughs and investment in those technologies that can solve the most complex problems facing humanity.

Prior to being named CEO of XPRIZE, Dr. Ansari Co-founded and served as the CEO of Prodea Systems, a leading Internet of Things (IoT) technology firm.  Prodea created one of the world’s leading patented IoT platforms to service a variety of industries from consumer goods and industrial companies to service providers, healthcare companies, utilities and governments.  Prodea’s IoT Services platform delivered a suite of cross-industry applications that unlocked data-driven insights and provided meaningful value to its users.  As she launched the company in 2006, she also captured headlines around the world when she embarked upon an 11-day space expedition, accomplishing her childhood dream of flying to space.  She prepared for 1-year training for this journey of a lifetime.  As a result of her mission, she became the first female private space explorer, first astronaut of Iranian descent, first Muslim woman in space, and fourth private explorer to visit space.

Prior to Prodea Systems, Anousheh co-founded Telecom Technologies Inc., where she served as CEO and Chairwoman.  While under her leadership, the company earned recognition as one of Inc. magazine’s 500 fastest-growing companies and Deloitte & Touche’s Fast 500 technology companies.

Her early carrier involved various engineering and leadership positions at COMSAT Corporation and MCI communications.

Dr. Ansari serves on the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Future Council and has received numerous honors, including the WEF Young Global Leader, Ellis Island Medal of Honor, STEM Leadership Hall of Fame, the Working Woman’s National Entrepreneurial Excellence Award, George Mason University’s Entrepreneurial Excellence Award, George Washington University’s Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award, Anne Morrow Lindberg Award and the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Southwest Region, among others. She is a UNESCO Good Will Ambassador and serves on the board of Jabil (NYSE: JBL) and Peace First and is involved with several other not-for-profit organizations focused on STEM education, youth empowerment and social entrepreneurship.

She published her memoir, My Dream of Stars, to share her life story as inspiration for young women around the world.

Ansari holds a BS in electronics and computer engineering from George Mason University, an MS in electrical engineering from George Washington University; and honorary doctorates from George Mason University, Utah Valley University, and International Space University.

Dr Susan Graham is the CEO and co-founder of Dendra Systems, leading a team building the most powerful tools for ecosystem restoration today.

Dendra Systems restores the world’s native forests through a combination of data ecology, analytics and aerial seeding. Dendra enables site coordinators to better manage and maintain their land across a range of industries, whether it’s through identifying weeds, erosion, fauna populations and much more. Our high-resolution imagery offers a never-before-seen picture of a land holding, right down to a single blade of grass, and our easy-to-use analytics engine helps diagnose problems and create targeted action plans for best-in-class environmental management.  We work with forward-thinking partners who want to make confident decisions for their lands, and believe strongly in enabling the best conditions for ongoing stewardship of our natural world.

Dr Graham graduated from the University of Oxford with a PhD in Biomedical Engineering in 2015. For her work as an entrepreneur Dr Graham was named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for industry in Europe in 2017.

Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner is a poet of Marshallese ancestry, born in the Marshall Islands and raised in Hawaiʻi. She received international acclaim through her poetry performance at the opening of the United Nations Climate Summit in New York in 2014. The University of Arizona Press published her collection of poetry, Iep Jāltok: Poems from a Marshallese Daughter in 2017. She has created art installations and performances with the Smithsonian and the Queensland Art Gallery, amongst others. In 2019, she was selected as an Obama Asia Pacific Leader Fellow and MIT Director’s Media Lab Fellow. She received her Master’s in Pacific Island Studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and is currently a PhD Candidate at Australia National University. Kathy serves as Climate Envoy for the Republic of the Marshall Islands government and as Director for the Marshall Islands-based youth environmental nonprofit Jo-Jikum.