Roots for Resilience Cohorts

Optical Sciences

Sanja obtained bachelor’s degrees in Engineering, Physics and English Literature from Fordham University in New York City. She then received her MS in Optical Sciences from the University of Arizona, her thesis topic being the development of a vacuum-ultraviolet Raman spectrometer for the detection of COVID-19 and other pathogens. Now she is pursuing her Ph.D. in Optical Sciences to research aerosol-cloud-meteorology interactions and how optics plays a crucial role in these processes.

School of Information (iSchool)

Laura Dozal is a 5th year PhD student at the University of Arizona's iSchool. Her research focuses on working with social movement images to understand how different narratives affect and represent social environments.  Her methods include network analysis, visual interpretation, and computer vision.

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Fall 2023: Working with Foundational Open Science Skills (FOSS) for Dissertation Data and Reproducibility, How to plan a dissertation using data management and FAIR principles to store reproducible data

Geography and Development

I am a PhD candidate in the Past Landscapes Lab at the University of Arizona in the School of Geography and Development and the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research. My research focuses on high-latitude climate variability, extreme events, and the climatic effects associated with large volcanic eruptions. I use a wide range of data and tools (tree rings, historical observations, climate model simulations, and proxy systems modeling to name a few) and specialize in high-resolution, and multivariate analyses from quantitative wood anatomy. 

Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences

I am Mohammad Farmani, a Ph.D. student in Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences department at the University of Arizona. I received my BS in Civil Engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology and MS in Water Resources Management from Tarbiat Modares University. My academic journey has been characterized by a strong passion for comprehending the complexity of the natural world, with a specific focus on land-atmosphere interactions, urban flooding, and the application of machine learning and deep learning methods.

Chemical and Environmental Engineering

Varinia Felix is an Environmental Engineering PhD student in the Chemical and Environmental Engineering department at the University of Arizona. She earned a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from the University of Texas in El Paso. Currently, she works under the guidance of Dr. Hickenbottom at the Water & Energy Sustainable Technology (WEST) Center. Her primary research interests revolve around interdisciplinary projects aimed at securing potable water for water-scarce regions.

School of Information (iSchool)

Ankit Pal is currently pursuing a master's degree in data science at the University of Arizona and concurrently working as a research assistant at the Data Science Institute and the Eller College of Management. Ankit is an experienced Data Engineer with over 8 years of expertise spanning India, Japan, and the United States, specializing in Big Data. Ankit did his summer 2023 internship at Tesla, where he contributed his skills and knowledge. 

Transportation Engineering and Statistics & Data Science

Pramesh is a PhD student with a major in Transportation Engineering and a minor in Statistics & Data Science. He currently serves as the President of the UA Institute of Transportation Engineers Student Chapter and the Manager of the Smart Transportation Lab. His research focuses on developing data-driven approaches to solve problems in traffic operations and safety niches, using tools from statistics, machine learning, and operations research. 

Environmental Science

Tomasz Wlodarczyk is a PhD student pursuing a degree in Environmental Science at the University of Arizona. His research focuses on identifying and studying native plant species that accumulate and tolerate heavy metals. In his PhD program, Tomasz collaborates with researchers from The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) at the intersection of phytoremediation and green chemistry. He is also a member of the Center for Environmentally Sustainable Mining at the University of Arizona (CESM).  

Economics

Yun-Ting Yeh is a third-year doctoral student in Economics from Taiwan. Her research interests lie in the fields of industrial organization, the environment, and energy economics. In her current work she studies how water pollution affects the entry/exit decisions of beverage manufacturers. After completing her Ph.D. degree, she hopes to pursue a career as an economics researcher. 

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Fall 2023: Practical Tools For Research in Economic Lessons from R4R Program

Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture

I'm a young design enthusiast who hails from Bangladesh, a vibrant country in Southeast Asia. With a Bachelor's degree in architecture, I embarked on a joyful journey to enhance my skills through a Master's in Architecture here at UA. My passion lies in the fusion of technology and creative architecture to craft something extraordinary. Currently, I'm charting unexplored territory with my research, delving into the integration of post-human intelligence into architectural design. For me, it's all about embracing the future!