Alumni
Luis Martinez
BS
2016
Upon completion of my bachelors in ESS, I went on to earn my masters in Hydrogeology from Illinois State University. Currently, I work as a scientist for an environmental consulting firm in Long Beach, CA working on a diverse set of projects, helping protect Earth one data point at a time. The teachings and classes provided by the ESS program coupled with my research experience with Scot Parker in the Goulden Lab provided me the critical and technical skills essential to succeed in graduate school and in my professional career.
Madeleine Garibaldi
BS
2016
Upon graduating from UCI, I moved to Canada to pursue a Master's degree at the University of Lethbridge in Physical Geography modeling microscale ground surface and permafrost temperature variability in the Canadian High Arctic. Currently, I am working on my PhD at the University of Lethbridge in Earth, Space and Physical Science focusing on modeling permafrost and understanding the impact air temperature inversions will have on future air and permafrost temperatures in the high latitude, continental mountains of Yukon. My degree and ESS classes at UCI gave me a great foundational knowledge which helps me understand aspects of my specific area of research and relate my observations to global earth processes. Additionally, my time working in the Johnson lab gave me my first research experience, helping to develop my research and data management skills, as well as giving me the opportunity to discover my passion for scientific research.
Sydney Zarate
BS
2016
I just graduated with a master’s in Biomedical Informatics from the University of Chicago with a focus in health delivery science. I am currently working at the University of Southern California as a Project Specialist in the Tobacco Center of Regulatory overseeing projects conducting research on the use and health effects of specific e-cigarette products across populations. For my undergraduate research at UCI, I had the amazing opportunity to work with Dr. Katherine Mackey which sparked my interest to study environmental effects on health.
Javier Flores
BS, BA
2015
I’m a Specification Consultant for ASSA ABLOY. I use a building information cloud software to author technical specifications to generate demand for manufacturing commercial door hardware beginning in the Architectural and Engineering Design of Whole Buildings. ESS prepared me most importantly with work ethic, essential science, engineering, mathematics, writing, research skills, computer software, and communication skills. Lastly, ESS prepared me to be curious, be open to learning, keep learning, and bring value to the community.
Julia Shates
BS, BA
2015
I am a PhD student in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and have also earned my MS here. I use observations of snowfall from ground-based in-situ and remote sensing instruments to gain an understanding how snowfall is influenced by the local environment and meteorology. I have also participated in Arctic Field Schools including one in Utqiaġvik, Alaska, where I had the opportunity to take measurements of sea ice and snow. As an undergraduate student, I did research with Dr. Gudrun Magnusdottir exploring the Arctic atmosphere and atmospheric variability in the Southern Hemisphere mid-latitudes. Before starting my graduate program, I taught 5th-8th graders as an outdoor science instructor in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California.
Marta Massoodia
BS
2015
Upon completion of my degree at UCI, I’ve been working as a Sr. Account Executive at an an enterprise software company. My role consists of managing, leading and being the linchpin for IT opportunities in the designated territory. We offer a vast array of solutions that meet our client’s objectives. It has been an enriching experience considering my role encompasses technology and business.
Megan Crawford
BS
2015
Since graduating from UCI, I’ve been working as a technical project manager within the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Team at ADEC Innovations. My role as a technical project manager consists of managing and leading various types of sustainability projects, including corporate governance and strategy development, GHG accounting, CSR and other ESG indices reporting, environmental KPIs and goal setting, and other ESG initiatives for clients across various regions and industries. During my time at ADEC, the amount of business and service offerings in this field has grown exponentially and evolved as our clients adapt to the latest ESG trends and best practice. ESG and sustainability is a quickly evolving field with opportunities for scientists and engineers that want to make a difference in the world.
Ashley Kang
BS
2014
I am a Chemistry/Earth Science teacher at Loara High School. This is my 7th year teaching since graduating from UC Irvine. I incorporate climate change as a unit in the curriculum and my students know the importance of rehabilitating the Earth.
Balmore Ruano
BS
2013
ESS taught me a lot more than ocean chemistry or atmospheric composition. The program taught me very valuable skills for problem solving. In my last year I discovered that I am very passionate about instrumentation. I currently work for Shimadzu Scientific Instruments. I use electrical, computer, physics and many more skills at my job every day. ESS gave me the knowledge to search through all these skills and pick the right ones to solve any problem. I use many of these skills in my personal projects too. ESS taught me how to think critically and apply knowledge with common sense. I'm very thankful for that experience!
Kriti Rajput
BS, BA
2011
After completing my undergraduate degrees at UCI, I went on to pursue a JD/MBA from Santa Clara University and completed my dual degree in 2016. My ESS degree helped me develop the skills required to provide valuable legal support to the more technical teams I interact with such as engineering, product management, and IT. It also opened the door for me to pursue a specialization in intellectual property law and as well as the option to take the patent bar. I have worked in a variety of legal teams across the Bay Area during and after law school (as an intern and subsequently as in-house counsel) at various technology companies including Zuora, Oracle, CipherCloud, MLSListings, LendingClub, Branch Metrics, and AppDynamics (part of Cisco). My role is mostly technology transactions centric and I specialize in commercial, product, and privacy counseling. I use the skills I gained from my ESS data analytics courses all the time in my job.
Richie LeClair
BS
2009
Since graduating from UCI, I worked in marine toxicology for a bit and eventually found my way into the field of environmental compliance. Currently I work as an Environmental Compliance Coordinator with Cox Communications Inc. My degree and classes in Earth and Environmental Science prepared me quite a bit for my future career. I valued my time working as an undergrad in the Martiny lab.
Stephanie Ho
BS
2009
My time at UCI in the ESS department will probably be one of my fondest memories in academia. I am now a K-5 Science teacher and have tutored and mentored high school and college students. During my time in ESS, I had incredible teachers and mentors. Dr. Adam Martiny and Dr. Jay Famiglietti charged me with tasks in undergraduate research that I didn't ever think I was ready for. Besides imparting practical skills in ocean microbiology and hydrology, respectively, they challenged and nurtured my love of science, which inspires me to impart this on my students of all ages as well. ESS prepared me very well for my work.
Michael Brown
BS
2006
I am the Global Technology Lead for Predictive Analytics and head Sales and Technology for the Environmental Data Management and Analysis practice at Jacobs, a global consulting and engineering firm. In my role, I meld the worlds of innovative technologies, data science, data engineering, and environmental science to develop solutions for our clients' toughest environmental and business challenges such as characterizing climate hazard exposure for a global portfolio of assets, real-time environmental sensor integration and analytics, or spatial analysis to predict and model contamination to support rapid remediation. I could not have been better prepared by UCI and ESS for my career as I learned critical thinking and technical skills in geospatial science, environmental data, and systems integration which provided me a foundation that gave me both a technical advantage and bigger picture awareness that I continue to leverage into my career.
Yina Liu
BS
2006
During my time in ESS, I worked with Dr. Francois Primeau and, later, Dr. Susan Trumbore. While I worked in Sue’s lab, most of my laboratory work was in Dr. Ellen Druffel’s lab. As such, I enjoyed the mentorship of many ESS professors and graduate students. Thanks to ESS’ excellent training, I later obtained my Ph.D. from the Department of Oceanography at Texas A&M University, and subsequently, postdoctoral appointments at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Currently, I am an Assistant Professor of Oceanography and a Team Lead for Analytical Chemistry Research and Development at the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group at Texas A&M University.