Board of Directors
| Angel S. Fernandez-Bou, PhD (President) | José Luis Susa Rincon, PhD (Treasurer) |
| Anna Gurevitz, MA (Secretary) | Humberto Flores-Landeros, BE |
| J. Pablo Ortiz-Partida |
Angel S. Fernandez-Bou, PhD (President)
Co-Founder | Ph.D. Environmental Systems | M.Sc. Biosystems Engineering: Water Resources | B.Eng. Agricultural Engineering
My work orbits around Sustainability (people + nature must be sustainable). Our team develops innovative solutions to preserve the environment, improve economic robustness, promote quality of life in disadvantaged communities, and develop climate solutions. We have multiple publications at all levels (for policymakers, for scientists, for disadvantaged community stakeholders, often bilingual).
Part of my work is to translate science into action. Our team implements projects of to mitigate environmental injustice and to promote health and socioeconomic opportunities. We do bilingual scientific outreach, workshops for children and adults, and communication with policymakers and journalists.
José Luis Susa Rincon, PhD (Treasurer)
Co-Founder | Ph.D. Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Jose Luis Susa Rincón one day discovered robots and since then decided to spend his life building, programming, and creating more and more of these cool companions. Because college was not enough, he went to France to study more, and because that was still not enough, he went to UC Merced in the US to become a doctor in robotics. After all that study and work for many years, now he is ready to teach you all the tricks he knows about robots and together have the best time building and learning about technology in general.
Anna Gurevitz, MA (Secretary)
Co-Founder | Masters of Arts in Teaching, University of Southern California | M.A. World Cultures, University of California, Merced
Hailing from Arizona, I began my life in the Central Valley of California as a graduate student at the University of California, Merced where I received a M.A. in World Cultures in 2017. While there, I focused on a field called bioarchaeology – which just means that I studied the skeletal remains of individuals at archaeological sites. I loved what I did, but while studying, I got involved with conducting workshops for middle and high school students about my field, which made me switch career fields. I left the research world of academia and pursued a Masters of Arts in Teaching from the University of Southern California, which I received with a teaching credential in Science in 2020. I currently work for the Sacramento County Office of Education, and volunteer for SEEN, where I am working for equity in quality and critical education.
Humberto Flores-Landeros, B. Eng.
B.Eng. Environmental Engineering | Ph.D. student in Environmental Systems | University of California, Merced
J. Pablo Ortiz-Partida, PhD
Doctor in Hydrology and Water Resources | University of California, Davis
Pablo Ortiz is Senior Water and Climate Scientist for the Climate & Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. In his role, he takes the lead in identifying and developing analytic and research projects that further his team’s water-related priorities. Dr. Ortiz also works on developing strategies for vulnerable sectors and populations in California to cope and adapt to the current and projected impacts of climate change, particularly related to water impacts.
Former Members of the Board of Directors
Ana Simões, MA (2019 – 2022)
Co-Founder | PhD candidate in Quantitative Psychology, University of California, Merced. | M.A. Psychology, American International College
Originally from Brazil, Ana Simoes moved to Massachusetts in 2012 to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. In 2016, she continued her studies and obtained a Masters of Arts in General Psychology. Ana is currently a PhD candidate in Quantitative Psychology at the University of California Merced where she studies mathematical modeling and statistical analysis applied to the social sciences.
Elisabet Perez-Coronel, PhD (2019 – 2022)
Co-Founder | Doctor in Environmental Systems | University of California, Merced
Eli grew up in Mexico and has been passionate about caring for the environment since she was young. She majored in Environmental Engineering and during her studies she learned that little tiny organisms regulate what happens in our water, dirt and even in our bodies. After college she moved to the U.S to pursue a PhD in Environmental Science at UC Merced where she studied microbes that live in lakes and how they can influence climate change. She enjoys teaching Earth and Environmental Science, hiking, dancing, reading, and traveling.
Manuel Cornejo, PhD (2019 – 2022)
Co-Founder | Doctor in Quantitative and Systems Biology.
I grew up in Tijuana, Mexico, and moved to Merced to pursue my Ph.D. degree. Now I work in a Bioengineering company in San Diego. I am interested in diverse topics on biology and chemistry, especially those related to health, such as physiology and pharmacology. As an undergrad I helped graduate students to develop a more efficient medicine for hypertension, and worked with bacteria to develop a vaccine for cows. Nowadays, I work looking at the effect of different treatments on Japanese diabetic rats. I went to Japan during three summers to work with other students in my lab, and tried to pick up the basics of the language (it’s hard!). I like martial arts, and I have a black belt in Taekwondo.
Jorge A.M. Montiel-Molina, PhD (2019 – 2020)
Picture from UC Merced News
Co-Founder | Doctor in Environmental Systems