Biodiversity Center Digitizers

University of Southern California

Fall 2024 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Caylin Mobley is a sophomore at the University of Southern California, where she is majoring in environmental studies with a pre-law concentration. She is passionate about protecting the environment through all methods, but especially in the courtroom. Though her future lies in policy, she is enamored with marine biodiversity, especially in Southern California. Caylin discovered her love for the environment at a young age, as she grew up in a beach town and hasn’t known a life that doesn’t involve the ocean. When she isn’t studying or working, you can find Caylin surfing, hiking, or reading outdoors.

University of Southern California

Fall 2024 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Juliana Granados is an undergraduate student pursuing her degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California. Sequentially, she plans on attaining her doctorate in biology and succeeding in field research to improve the natural world. Stemming from her Colombian roots, she is passionate in advocating for her Latino community and for the planet. From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to London, England, natural history museums have always ignited her love and desire to pursue biology, and now at the MBC, she began to do so.

University of Southern California

Fall 2024 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Luke Dorado is a sophomore at USC majoring in Film & Television Production at the School of Cinematic Arts. Growing up moving from state to state, he discovered a keen interest in storytelling and learning about all things new and different. These passions have led him to develop interests in filmmaking, photography, writing, and music, through which he strives to tell stories that expose audiences to new concepts and emotions. Now at the Marine Biodiversity Center, he is excited to be on the team and use his talents to contribute to the museum’s digitization project.

University of Southern California

Fall 2023 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Emma Perez, an undergraduate student at the University of Southern California, is pursuing a major in Public Relations and a minor in Cultural Anthropology. Her roots in Los Angeles cultivated a keen interest in anthropology, nurtured through frequent visits to the Natural History Museum. Emma has a background in data collection management and hopes to further develop her skills. She hopes to pursue an impactful career that would allow her to combine her knowledge of public relations and anthropology.

University of Southern California

Fall 2023 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Linden Olmstead is a freshman studying Chemical Engineering at USC with the hopes of going into sustainable energy research as a career. He enjoys hanging out with friends, listening to music, going out to eat, spending time in nature, and learning more about the world. He’s always been interested in the ocean and its creatures and is excited to be working with the Marine Biodiversity Center.

University of Southern California

Fall 2023 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Riki Lopez Barajas is an undergraduate student at the University of Southern California as a Computer Science Games major. Hailing from South Side Chicago, he eagerly attempts to expand his horizons every day in the exciting city of Los Angeles. Riki’s interest in marine life and passion for cataloging led his path towards the National History Museum, where he hopes to observe countless unique critters normally found in the depths of the seas and oceans that others may never see in person.

University of Southern California

Spring 2023 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Halle is currently a freshman at USC pursuing a B.A. in Philosophy and Cognitive Science. She hopes to further pursue these points of study in academia to further our understanding of identity, sense of self, and memory. Growing up on a farm in rural Connecticut and spending significant periods in Rincón, Puerto Rico, Halle has had an interest in environmental research and conversation from a young age. She is thrilled to be a part of the Marine Biodiversity Center team and work to digitize the fascinating collections the NHM holds.

University of Southern California

Spring 2023 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Torriana is a freshman at the University of Southern California studying Global Health with a side passion for marine studies. Besides studying all things health related, growing up in Northern California has enhanced her love for studying anything involving the sea and plans to expand her knowledge while working in as an assistant in digitizing marine invertebrates.

University of Southern California

Fall 2022 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Calder is a freshman at the University of Southern California in the Interactive Entertainment major! He has been working with data collection and entry for three years and is super excited to be a part of the DigIn project! He is very passionate and dedicated to his work and hopes that his work with this project will change the world for the better!

University of Southern California

Fall 2022 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Chloé-Eloïse Mallet is a freshman at the University of Southern California, studying a BFA in film production. She holds a strong curiosity about the natural world and the intersection between art and science. During her upbringing in South Africa she discovered a fondness and appreciation for the environment and hopes to explore that further in college.

University of Southern California

Fall 2022 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Elisa Xia is currently a third-year student at the University of Southern California. She is pursuing a degree in Communication and Product Design. She’s been to the Natural History Museum of LA a few times before and always enjoyed her visits. So, it’s an exciting opportunity to get involved with the DigIn project and actually work with other NHM staff. During her free time, she enjoys watching shows, cooking, going on walks and doing yoga.

University of Southern California

Fall 2022 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Emma is a student at the University of Southern California, majoring in Biological Sciences and Environmental Studies. She hopes to be a conservationist later on, focusing on the marine ecosystems and coral reef. She is also pursuing a minor in Geographic Information Systems and Sustainability Science, hoping to be able advocate and improve sustainability globally. Emma enjoys nature, being in the ocean, and walking.

University of Southern California

Fall 2022 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Hannah is an Environmental Studies major at USC. She has been fascinated with the natural world from a young age, and continues to foster her passion for the environment during her free time. She loves to volunteer at the aquarium and at animal adoption centers.

University of Southern California

Fall 2022 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Raaif is a freshman currently pursuing a B.S. in Applied and Computational Mathematics at the University of Southern California. He is passionate for environmental causes, and spends his time watching arthouse films, taking late-night walks, and learning more about LA.

University of Southern California

Fall 2022 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Stella is a current sophomore with an unrelenting passion for STEM research, specifically in mineralogy, ecology, paleontology, and biological sciences. As a member of USC’s Freshman Science Honors program last year, she performed research with THRASH lab depicting nutritional and salinity preferences of pelagic marine bacteria. In addition, she also studied circadian rhythms in female kelp gametophytes with USC’s Nuzhdin Lab. She is the president of USC’s Society for Earth Science Students, co-director of outreach for USC’s Global Medical Brigades, and a member of USC’s Biological Sciences club. In her free time, she marches in the Trojan Marching Band and watches Friends. After college, she hopes to dedicate her time to STEM data accessibility and research.

University of Southern California

Fall 2022 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Welela is a current freshman at the University of Southern California pursuing a B.S. in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. She hopes to further her education with graduate studies and aims to one day work in the medical field. Outside of academics and work, Blaire loves spending time with friends and family, swimming, listening to music, and exploring new places around the world.

University of Southern California

Spring 2022 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Ailani is a current student at USC pursuing a B.S. in Geological Sciences. She hopes to continue her education by pursuing a PhD in this field, and plans to one day become a paleontologist. Her goal is work as a paleontologist at the Natural History Museum. Outside of school, Ailani enjoys spending time with friends and family, and watching tv shows and movies.

University of Southern California

Spring 2022 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Saeed is a current freshman at the University of Southern California pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience. He hopes to further his education after undergrad by pursuing a medical degree and getting involved in the medical field. Outside of academics and work, Saeed enjoys spending time with friends and family, the outdoors, cooking, and playing basketball.

University of Southern California

Fall 2021 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Chloe is a freshman at USC pursuing a B.S. in Environmental Studies and a B.A. in Non-Governmental Organizations and Social Change. She hopes to go into the field of research to advocate for sustainability and environmental justice. She enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, and listening to music in her free time.

University of Southern California

Fall 2023 – Spring 2024: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Amara Marrero, a sophomore at USC majoring in environmental studies, enjoys spending time with her family and watching Mike and Molly. She expresses enthusiasm about her position at the Natural History Museum.

University of Southern California

Fall 2023 – Spring 2024: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Griffin MacRae is a senior at USC pursuing a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Astronautical Engineering. He plans on pursuing a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering to go into robotics with space/extraterrestrial applications. He’s from southwest Florida with a passion in both marine life and sustainability. He enjoys going to the beach, surfing, and is getting his scuba certification to start diving. He’s passionate about marina biology and is excited to start digitizing for the Marine Biodiversity Center.

University of Southern California

Spring 2023 – Spring 2024: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Kat is a first year grad student at Keck School of Medicine, pursuing a Masters in Public Health. She’s passionate about community health and human rights, and enjoys learning about ecology and animals. Kat recently joined the Marine Biodiversity Center to work with their great team and increase data accessibility for researchers across the world. She has a sweet cat named Roma Tomato, and can typically be found reading horror novels, doing a puzzle, or cooking tasty meals.

University of Southern California

Fall 2022 – Spring 2024: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Wila is a freshman at the University of Southern California with a major in ocean system science and a minor in computer science and robotics. She loves all this ocean and marine related, and enjoys activities such as scuba diving, and hanging out with friends on the beach in her spare time.

University of Southern California

Spring 2022 – Spring 2024: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Diana Cuevas-Diaz is a Washington state native, pursuing her B.S Degree in Computer Science and Business Administration. She just recently joined the Marine Biodiversity Center as a way to take part of a meaningful project and further develop personal and interpersonal skills through the collaboration with a large team.Outside of academics, she is passionate about music and the outdoors and loves to be in the company of family and friends.

University of Southern California

Spring 2022 – Spring 2024: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Michael is a freshman class member at USC majoring in Human Biology. As he also tackles a minor in Psychology he hopes to one day make it into medical school to ultimately become a Psychiatrist and help others. Aside from this, Michael enjoys movies, hanging with friends, and good food.

University of Southern California

Spring 2023 – Fall 2023: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

University of Southern California

Fall 2022 – Fall 2023: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Haley is a freshman at USC pursuing a B.A. in International Relations on a Pre-Law Track. She is currently involved in research within the IR department and hopes to study abroad during her undergraduate education. Excited to explore outside of the realm of social sciences, Haley is ecstatic to work for the Marine Biodiversity Center.

University of Southern California

Major: Anthropology

Fall 2021 – Fall 2023: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Raney is a sophomore at the University of Southern California studying biological anthropology. She hopes to continue her studies after college and continue with museum work later on in life. Following her graduation from USC, Raney began a full-time job en NHMLA’s Mobile Museum group.

University of Southern California

Major: Environmental Studies

Fall 2021 – Summer 2023: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Savannah is a sophomore at USC and hopes to use her education to help ensure a healthy planet and ecosystems for future generations. She has a passion for environmental justice and has loved learning about science from a very young age. She works as an intern for the Asbestos Disease Awareness organization to ban the use of carcinogenic asbestos in America and is now very pleased to also be working at the Marine Biodiversity Center. Savannah is still undecided about her exact career path, but her main goal is to make the world a better place through the preservation of the natural environment. In her free time, she enjoys painting, being outdoors, and singing.

University of Southern California

Spring 2023: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

University of Southern California

Spring 2023: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Brianna is a senior at USC pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science in Biochemistry. She aims to obtain a career in the dental industry with a specific focus in Orthodontics and Cosmetic Dentistry. Growing up in the Southern California area, Brianna has always been passionate about the marine environment around her and has recently joined the team at the Marine Biodiversity Center to further this interest. Alongside this, Brianna enjoys cinema and television, fiction novels, and can often be found caring for a wide variety of houseplants.

University of Southern California

Spring 2023: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Destinee is a first generation student in her senior year at USC pursuing a B.A. in Psychology and two minors in the School of Cinematic Arts. She is currently involved in psychology and neuroscience research but her primary interest is in behavioral ecology. This intrigue has led her to work as a teaching assistant for the USC Nautical Science program while pursuing her captain's license and scientific diving certification while working for the Marine Biodiversity Center.

University of Southern California

Spring 2023: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Maude Malone is a freshman undergrad student studying in Media Arts and Practices at USC with a possible minor in Engineering Innovation for Global Challenges. She is very passionate about creating art and plans to pursue a multimedia career in documentary film-making and journalism grounded in humanitarian efforts. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, creating art through different mediums, and picnics in the park.

University of Southern California

Fall 2022 – Spring 2023: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Colton is an undergraduate student pursuing a B.A. in biochemistry at the University of Southern California. In his early years he discovered his fondness for animals, and ever since, he has continued to nurture it. Colton’s curiosity to uncover more about the world of fauna has led him to his work at the Natural History Museum, where he presently works as a collections digitizer. In his time away from work and school, Colton loves spending his time solving jigsaws, wood carving, and wandering the world.

University of Southern California

Fall 2022: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Christina is a freshman at the University of Southern California studying Computer Science. She enjoys learning about biology.

University of Southern California

Fall 2022: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Kali Bissanti (They/Them) is currently pursuing a Geological Sciences degree at USC and one day would love to go to grad school for Paleontology. They are also involved in many theatre productions at USC, often as costume or scenic designer, or as technical director. Kali loves being outside and their heart belongs to the PNW. In their free time, they like to hike, paint, and read.

University of Southern California

Spring 2022 – Fall 2022: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Addison is a senior at the University of Southern California studying the intersection of neuroscience with computer science. Besides school, Addison spends his time outdoors hiking, playing soccer, and weightlifting.

Fall 2021 – Fall 2022: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Brandon has been a member of the Guest Relations team at the Natural History Museum since 2019, and he adores the opportunity to share the museum with family, friends, and the Los Angeles community.

He took up residence on planet Earth some decades ago, and has the experience agreeable enough to be an outspoken advocate for human rights, climate change awareness, and greener energy.

When he finds free time, Brandon enjoys getting lost in the woods, gaming with friends, catching snowflakes on his tongue, making lists of recreational activities, and scribbling varying qualities of prose.

California State University at Fullerton

Fall 2021 – Fall 2022: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

I have been a part of the Natural History Museum for almost two years as a part of the Guest Relations team. I am a recent graduate from California State University Fullerton, I recieved a bachelors in Criminal Justice and a month later became certified as a Domestic Violence Advocate. I’m very passionate about helping my community and I love to learn new things. I look forward to helping R&C in this project and learning more about it and the hard work that goes into this research.

Fall 2021 – Fall 2022: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

I have worked for the museum for about 2 years and have been with the R&C team since fall. I am working towards becoming a pilot and absolutely love talking about video games, comic books, and the Marvel Universe. I love most kinds of food, especially noodle dishes and I wouldn’t say no to a ramen invitation. I look forward to learning new things and new facts about the species that live on this Earth.

University of Southern California

Summer 2022: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Julio is a senior at the University of Southern California studying as a Pre-Vet, hoping to become a wildlife biologist or veterinarian. Outside college, Julio likes to spend his time on numerous activities, including exploring new places in Los Angeles, hiking, swimming, and listening to music.

University of Southern California

Spring 2022 – Summer 2022: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

University of Southern California

Spring 2022 – Summer 2022: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Justin is a current freshman at the University of Southern California majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics. He’s passionate about research, and hopes to pursue a graduate degree and work in medicine in the future. In his free time, Justin loves spending time with friends, hiking, watching movies, and exploring everything Los Angeles has to offer.

University of Southern California

Spring 2022 – Summer 2022: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Mackenzie is a junior studying Environmental Studies, she will be studying abroad in the Galapagos Islands this fall. She intends on joining the Peace Corps after graduation and eventually have a business in sustainable fashion. She has studied sea turtles in Costa Rica and has a passion for teaching children.

University of Southern California

Spring 2022: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

I’m a USC junior majoring in Environmental Studies. Some hobbies of mine include painting, being with friends, and gaming.

University of Southern California

Spring 2022: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Hanbin is a freshman at USC currently majoring in Environmental Studies. He enjoys doing anything outdoors whether it’s for hiking or fishing. In his free time, he likes to listen to music or go running.

University of Southern California

Spring 2022: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

I am a senior at USC graduating this spring. My academic passions include ethical theory, environmental sustainability, and the role the state plays in making both ends meet. Upon graduating, I will earn my Master’s in Public Administration at Columbia University, where I will start this fall. Outside of school, I love boxing, making photos, playing piano, and hiking.

University of Southern California

Spring 2022: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Kaila Espiritu is a current first-year at the University of Southern California studying Environmental Studies and History. She hopes to pursue a career in environmental law and policy with respect to marine conservation. In her free time she loves to read, swim, listen to music, and travel.

University of Southern California

Spring 2022: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Laura Quirke is a senior at USC studying Biological Sciences and she is from Queens, New York. She is interested in all things science and loves the outdoors and animals. In her free time she enjoys painting, reading, drinking coffee, and spending time with friends.

University of Southern California

Spring 2022: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Melissa is a senior at USC studying neuroscience. She currently conducts research in a molecular biology lab on campus studying bacteria and is very passionate about the environment and learning about the natural world. She hopes to pursue a graduate degree in either biology or neuroscience and will be taking a year off after graduating to continue research while she applies.

University of Southern California

Spring 2022: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Wendy is a Freshman at USC currently pursuing her chemistry degree in undergrad. She likes to watch dramas and listen to music. During her free time she likes visiting museums, making crafts, or creating new dishes.

Fall 2021: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

My name is Mike Guevara I’m a guest relations associate at the Natural History Museum. I have a Bachelors of the arts in Anthropology and have worked on many projects with the R&C department in my years at the museum.

University of California, Riverside

Major: Sociology/Lae and Society, and English

Fall 2021: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer

Nancy has worked at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County for almost 5 years in the Guest Relations department. She graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a degree in Sociology/Law and Society and a minor in English. She loves learning new things and loves animals.

Fall 2021: Marine Biodiversity Center digitizer