Biodiversity Center Students

2022
	Victoria Westover — Senior Digitization Coordinator University of Southern California Major: Political Science and Environmental Studies Spring 2022 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center staff Fall 2021 – Spring 2022: Marine Biodiversity Center student Fall 2018 – Spring 2020: Marine Biodiversity Center student Victoria is a freshman who hopes to tie her love of politics to her love of the marine life by enacting effective change in environmental policies. Victoria’s passion to protect marine organisms began at a young age during one of her deep sea fishing excursions in the Sea of Cortez. She enjoys running and going to the beach. Victoria worked alongside Hubbs-Seaworld Research Institute and the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife raising and releasing White Sea Bass and Rainbow Trout.
2021
	Blaire Goldberg University of Southern California Major: Biological Sciences and Dance Fall 2021: Marine Biodiversity Center student Blaire is a current senior at the University of Southern California pursuing a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a minor in Dance. 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, musical theater, taking spin classes, and exploring all the Los Angeles area has to offer.
2020
	Hannah Morton University of Southern California Major: Environmental Studies Spring 2020: Marine Biodiversity Center student Hannah is a junior at the University of Southern California pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies, with an emphasis in marine ecology. She is currently working towards her AAUS Scientific Diver certification, and also enjoys recreational diving in her free time. When she isn’t in class or working, Hannah enjoys spending time outside as a student guide for USC’s outdoor club, as well as horseback riding, sailing, and running.
	Amber Pitts University of Southern California Major: Psychology and Linguistics Fall 2019 – Spring 2020: Marine Biodiversity Center student Amber is a junior at USC majoring in psychology and linguistics. She plans on becoming a licensed therapist and speech pathologist. In her free time she loves to write and dance with her competitive dance team at USC.
	Valerie Araki University of Southern California Major: Biochemistry Fall 2019 – Spring 2020: Marine Biodiversity Center student Valerie Araki is a Freshman at the University of Southern California. She majors in Biochemistry and is considering a minor in Neuroscience. She has not yet decided what career path she will pursue, but is on the Pre-health track for graduate school. She loves the beach, cats, the MCU, and visual arts. she hopes that one day the world will acknowledge the threat of Climate Change and stop ignoring the issue.
2019
	Ania Webb University of Southern California Major: Environmental Science and Health Summer 2019 – Fall 2019: Marine Biodiversity Center student Spring 2019: Marine Biodiversity Center intern Ania is junior at the University of Southern California who transferred from UC Santa Cruz at the start of her junior year. She is majoring in Environmental Science and Health and plans to pursue scientific illustration after attending graduate school. In her free time she loves to ski, hike, draw, listen to music, and get boba with friends.
	Makenzie Hajek University of Southern California Major: Art History Spring 2019 – Fall 2019: Marine Biodiversity Center student Fall 2018: Marine Biodiversity Center research student Fall 2017 – Spring 2018: Marine Biodiversity Center student Makenzie is a sophomore getting a degree in Art History while also completing a pre-med track. She wants to pursue a career as a wildlife veterinarian focusing on large exotic animals (elephants, rhinos, giraffes, lions, etc.). In her free time, she loves horseback riding, traveling for the sake of interacting with the native wildlife, hiking with her dogs, swimming piers, reading literally everything and attempting to eat at every possible restaurant in L.A.
	Jessica Carrillo University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Biomedical Engineering Fall 2018 – Fall 2019: Marine Biodiversity Center student Spring 2018: Marine Biodiversity Center research student Spring 2017 – Fall 2017: Marine Biodiversity Center student Fall 2016: Marine Biodiversity Center volunteer Jessica is a sophomore at USC planning to major in Biomedical Engineering. She is a Latino Alumni Association Scholar, writer and social media chair for the online magazine Society.19, and works with USC Viterbi’s pre-college engineering program. She enjoys cooking and baking, spending time with friends and family, weight training, and making people laugh .
	Elizabeth Kim University of Southern California Major: Environmental Science and Health Spring 2019: Marine Biodiversity Center student Fall 2018: Marine Biodiversity Center research student Spring 2018: Marine Biodiversity Center research student Fall 2017: Marine Biodiversity Center intern Elizabeth is a junior at the University of Southern California. She is majoring in Environmental Science and Health, with an emphasis in pre-health. She plans to pursue a career as an orthopedic doctor. In her free time she enjoys spending time outdoors, and loves to surf.
2018
	Angelina Lim University of Southern California Major: Biochemistry Fall 2018: Marine Biodiversity Center student Angelina is a freshman majoring in biochemistry at USC. She enjoys running in the trails around Los Angeles, especially those in her hometown of Simi Valley, a small town just an hour away from LA. She also likes to visit museums with friends and families, especially the Hammer Museum and Getty Villa. Her greatest wish is to find the best ice cream and boba locations in Los Angeles.
	William Pankey University of Southern California Major: Anthropology Fall 2018: Marine Biodiversity Center student Currently a sophomore seeking to graduate with a masters degree. I love traveling and seeing what the world has to offer. Some of my favorite things to do are to hangout with friends and play Super Smash Bros. I hope to work for National Geographic one day.
	Jayesh Sharma University of Southern California Major: Neuroscience Fall 2018: Marine Biodiversity Center student Spring 2018: Marine Biodiversity Center research student Fall 2017: Marine Biodiversity Center student Jayesh Sharma is a freshman majoring in Neuroscience at USC. He has a passion for research, in fields varying from Marine Biology to Stem Cell Regeneration. In his free time, he likes to game, read, and watch anime.
	Sujin Jeong University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Psychology and Human Biology double-major Fall 2016 – Spring 2018: Marine Biodiversity Center student Sujin is Psychology and Human Biology double-major who thoroughly enjoys standing inside the great redwoods near her home in Northern California. You can often find her attempting to build an excellent rapport with the dogs of strangers or organizing her Google calendar to a tee. Her favorite film to relentlessly sob to is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Her favorite film to expel an amused puff of air from her nose in lieu of an audible laugh is White Chicks. Her favorite person is whoever took the time to actually read this.
	Gracie Mowery University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Planning, Policy, and Design; Minor: Architecture Fall 2015 – Spring 2018: Marine Biodiversity Center student Gracie is originally from rural Ohio, where her family has lived for multiple generations. Like her mother and grandfather, she can often be found making art (and yes, quickly scribbled doodles on paper scraps of cuddly monsters and fairy shrimp are indeed art). She plans on incorporating what she learns about the natural environment in the lab with what she learns about the built environment in her urban planning classes.
	Kiana Gomez University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Philosophy, Politics and Law Fall 2014 – Spring 2018: Marine Biodiversity Center student Fall 2014 – Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Kiana is a freshman majoring in Philosophy, Politics and Law and planning to minor in English. She hopes to visit every museum in the world (the cool ones at least) and loves reading, eating, and watching every episode of 30 Rock on Netflix over and over again. Her roommate can recite lines even though she’s never watched an episode herself.
2017
	Alexandra Karaim University of Southern California Major: Writing for Screen and TV Fall 2017: Marine Biodiversity Center student Alexandra is a freshman at USC's School of Cinematic Arts. Although she loves the arts, she also has always been interested in science and history and wants to tie these things into what she writes in the future. She plays both the guitar and the tenor saxophone. Originally from Arizona, she is really enjoying the weather in California, and she loves making frequent trips to the beach.
	Annika Hoy University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Applied Mathematics with minors in Psychology and Spanish Fall 2014 – Spring 2017: Marine Biodiversity Center student Fall 2014 – Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Annika Hoy is originally from Northern California and in her free time she likes to ride horses and motorcycles. She’d like to thank her mom, who will probably post a link to this on Facebook (if she can figure out how to post a link).
2015
	Sivakami Ananthasingam University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Neuroscience Fall 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center volunteer Spring 2015: BioSCAN volunteer Hello everyone! My name is Sivi. I'm a junior studying Neuroscience/Pre-Med at USC. I hope to one day become a physician of emergency medicine. I have a passion for volleyball, global health, and reading. I have always had a fear of insects and feel that working on BioSCAN projects will help me conquer my fear and learn about a branch of science that I wouldn’t have normally been able to study in-depth.
	Mark Paraschuk University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Computer Science and Business Administration Fall 2014 – Fall 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center research student Fall 2014 – Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Born Estonian, raised Russian, Mark Paraschuk brings the free-willing, European spirit to the lab. He is currently majoring in Computer Science/Business Administration at USC. He was drawn to the BioSCAN project by his love for the natural world and the prospect of participating in groundbreaking research regarding urban biodiversity. His interests vary far and wide, but a steady constant in his life is his love for tea and reading.
	Phoebe Lew University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Computer Science Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student Phoebe is a sophomore hailing from a sleepy suburb in eastern Washington. She thinks the lab has the nicest people she’s worked with so far, and more importantly, the best coffee. When she’s not coding or working, she can be found in the physical education building at martial arts practices, or reading post modernist fiction.
	Ruth Park University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Sociology Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student Ruth is a junior majoring in Sociology at the University of Southern California. After switching majors over seven times, she decided to settle with Sociology because she wants to focus on social change. In her free time, she likes to hike, play with her two poodles and bunny, read books by Jane Goodall and dance in the kitchen while baking. If she were stranded on an island and could only choose one food to eat and one insect species to live with, she would choose to eat only baguettes and live with bees (so she could eat its honey and use its venom for medicinal purposes). She would also try to smuggle in some Reese’s Pieces even though she knows she not allowed to.
	Samantha Cadwell University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Biological Sciences Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student Sam Cadwell is a super!senior at USC working on a BS in biological sciences, emphasis education. As a professional artist & aspiring scientist, the life goal is to educate the next generation in biological conservation. A native Southern Californian, Sam still manages a taste for exotic weather; she has lived in Alaska & New Zealand, has traveled to eleven countries over three continents abroad and twelve states at home. She enjoys trail running, yoga, camping, art, & gardening. Friends & family describe her as “a dirty hippie.”
	Sungwon Byun University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Chemical Engineering Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student I’m currently a junior at USC studying chemical engineering. I am interested in discovering ways to decrease harm to the environment from industrial processes. When I’m not thinking about school, I most enjoy spending time in the sun with Bear, my pitbull puppy.
	Tam (Henry) Nguyen University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Computer Science Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student
	Dana Handy University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Environmental Studies Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center research student Fall 2014 – Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Fall 2014 – Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student In my experience at USC I have been able to study abroad in New Zealand, become a scientific SCUBA diver and do research in Guam and Palau. Outside of school my hobbies include rock climbing, snowboarding, hiking and camping. I am originally from San Diego and hope to return after I graduate in order to accomplish my Masters at Scripps Institute of Oceanography. I am very passionate about ocean conservation and hope to pursue a career in marine biodiversity and conservation or in environmental education.
	Jed (Niko) Gonzalez University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and minor in Natural Sciences Fall 2014 – Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Fall 2014 – Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student I graduated Thousand Oaks High School in 2011. Transferred in to USC from Moorpark College in 2013. Expected graduation from USC is 2016 with a BS in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and a minor in Natural Sciences. I want to pursue medicine somewhere down the line but I am also thinking about taking a few years off to do some humanitarian work first. My brother and I are the first generation born in the USA and we currently live in Thousand Oaks, California.
	Jessica Jung University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Economics with minor in Dance Fall 2014 – Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Fall 2014 – Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student Jessica is a junior majoring in economics and considering a minor in dance. She has been dancing since the age of six and have taken classes in ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, and Chinese Folklorical. She also has a yorkshire terrier that she spoils way too much and is her baby. Not only that but she is also a major foodie and is always looking for new things to try.
	Kevin Shamash University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Global Health and Biological Sciences Fall 2014 – Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Fall 2014 – Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student My name is Kevin Shamash and I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I am a Senior at USC majoring in Global Health and Biological Sciences and plan on going to Medical School next year. I enjoy skiing, relaxing on the beach, hiking, playing the saxophone and classical literature. I heard about the BioScan project from a professor working on the project and jumped at the opportunity to learn about the biodiversity of the city I grew up in.
	Kimberly Morales University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Environmental Studies and Earth Sciences Fall 2014 – Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Fall 2014 – Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student My name is Kimberly Morales. I am Puerto Rican and Pacific Islander. I was raised in Florida, never more than 15 minutes away from the beach. I am currently a freshman at the University of Southern California with a double major in Environmental Studies and Earth Sciences and looking into a minor in cultural anthropology. In my spare time, I like photography, hiking, surfing, or simply going to the beach. I am excited to be a member of the BioSCAN project and am looking forward to the what’s in store!
	Rachel Song University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Fine Arts with minor in Psychology Fall 2014 – Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Fall 2014 – Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student Rachel is a senior with a fine arts major and psychology minor. Born in Los Angeles, she moved around a total of fourteen times and lived in places such as Seoul and San Diego. Her current obsessions include: honey roasted peanut butter, outdoor movie screenings, and home-made smoothies. She is a barista with great adoration for coffee and pastries. She hopes to travel around the world some day.
	Sean Roth University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Film Production Fall 2014 – Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Fall 2014 – Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student Sean is a senior who will be majoring in Film Production. Since he could walk he would wander around his backyard catching insects and studying them. His passion for living things led to aspirations of becoming an entomologist but when he discovered photography he couldn’t get cameras out of his hand. Making films is the culmination of all of his interests: telling stories, making beautiful images, and interacting with the world around us.
	Ernesto Figueroa University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Biomedical Engineering Summer 2014 – Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Summer 2014 – Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student Ernesto is a senior majoring in Biomedical Engineering. He enjoys the unique mix of human biology with the numbers and math associated with engineering. During his spare time, Ernesto enjoys sitting on the couch watching movies and staying current with his favorite sports teams. He is usually not too fond of bugs, so Ernesto keeps his knowledge of insects in the workplace and prefers to believe they do not inhabit his yard or home.
	Juhi Vora University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Occupational Therapy with minor in Religion Summer 2014 – Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Summer 2014 – Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student Juhi is a (incoming?) sophomore majoring in occupational therapy and minoring in religion at the University of Southern California. She never imagined she would be working with insects as she has a rocky relationship with cockroaches, but after starting work at the Natural History Museum and learning more about the diversity within the insect world, she has become fascinated by them. She enjoys learning new things about all fields and in her free time she likes to craft, explore Netflix, and surf the web.
	Tammy Lee University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Environmental Studies Summer 2014 – Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Summer 2014 – Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student Tammy is a senior majoring in Environmental Studies. Although she has always had an irrational fear of insects before, she is glad to be a part of a project where she can study these organisms and grow to love their unique charms. In her free time, she likes to learn about Korean culture and think about her next meal.
	Yangzi (Jessie) Guo University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Biochemistry with minor in Video Game Animation Summer 2014 – Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Summer 2014 – Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student Jess is a rising sophomore majoring in biochemistry with a minor in video game animations. Currently, she does not know what she wants to do in the future yet but a veterinarian is on the top of her reasonable jobs list. Pop star and food critic are on her unreasonable but fun jobs list. Always wanted a pet that’s not a tomagatchi. Besides staring at interesting invertebrates, she enjoys kbbq, boba, all types of music, and video games.
	Christine Tran University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Psychology, minor in Public Health Fall 2013 – Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student Fall 2013 – Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Christine is a junior majoring in Psychology and minoring in Public Health. She is pursing a future in the medical/health field. She likes visiting museums; this is how she developed an interest in working in one. She enjoys music and playing piano. Her favorite parts of the day (besides working at the MBC, of course) are eating and sleeping.
	Nicole Wongk University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Chemical Engineering Fall 2013 – Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student Fall 2013 – Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Nicole is a junior majoring in chemical engineering. She hopes to use her degree to design and produce haircare products. Her interest in the Biodiversity Center was sparked when she saw a poster on campus offering the opportunity to work with real specimens that could end up on display at the museum! On the weekends she enjoys playing her violin at church and roller skating at Venice Beach or anywhere there’s a smooth surface and music. She loves to travel, especially outside of the United States.
	Sharon Oh University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Animation and Digital Art Fall 2013 – Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student Fall 2013 – Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Sharon is a freshman majoring in Animation and Digital Art in the USC School of Cinematic Arts. In her spare time she likes to sleep, swim, sew, draw, and play video games. If she were an animal she would be a monstrous fusion between a Shiba Inu, a Barn Owl, and a rabbit. If you own a Shiba Inu, you should let her pet it. So far her favorite insect is the Cuckoo Wasp because it looks like it’s covered in fabulous glitter.
	Julia Garcia University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Health and Humanity Summer 2013 – Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Summer 2013 – Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student 2014: BioSCAN research student Julia is a sophomore majoring in Health and Humanity. She hopes to one day become a psychiatrist so she can finally get paid to hang out with crazy people. For now, she enjoys entertaining herself by watching shows like Dexter and guesstimating the number of fairy shrimp in a lot!
	Jean Pongsai University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Fine Arts Spring 2013 – Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Fall 2011 – Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student Jean is a freshman majoring in Fine Arts. She plans to pursue fashion design in the future. Her special talent is squirrel calling, and yes, they do run over to her. Whenever she is bored, she likes to watch scary movies. Her favorite food is curry, so please buy her some.
	Chase Puentes University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Environmental Studies Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student Chase is a senior studying Environmental Studies and Communication at the University of Southern California. Originally from sunny San Diego, Chase is passionate about conservation both on land and in marine environments having spent much of her life in the outdoors hiking, camping, rock climbing, swimming, and otherwise adventuring. She loves movies and travel, and intends to work abroad after graduating in December 2015 before applying to graduate school. Chase’s dream career is to work as a research explorer for National Geographic, her favorite flavor of ice cream is pistachio, and she considers Sherlock to be the best TV show on air.
	Daniel Keroles University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Biological Sciences Spring 2015: BioSCAN student Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center student Daniel Keroles is a senior studying Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California. He is currently in the process of applying to pharmacy school and hoping to begin in the fall of 2015. His past lab work includes Drosophila lifespan in Genetics and is now a member of the BioSCAN team in the Natural History Museum. Aside from working in labs, Daniel likes to spend his time exploring Los Angeles restaurants and playing guitar.
2014
	Katie Han University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Biology Fall 2014: Marine Biodiversity Center student Fall 2014: BioSCAN student Katie is a freshman majoring in biology. Since she was a kid, Katie has loved doing science experiments, and she hopes to pursue a career in the medical field. In her spare time, she plays golf, goes hiking, and composes her own music on the piano. Katie also loves coffee and food.
	Anayenzi (Ana) Acosta University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Biomedical Engineering Summer 2014: BioSCAN student Summer 2014: Marine Biodiversity Center student Anayenzi is a sophmore interested in pursuing Biomedical Engineering. Her personal philosophy is that “a smile is the universal language of kindness”. She enjoys watching black and white films, jamming out to 80s music, trying new foods, and exploring different parts of LA. Her favorite part about working at the museum is the opportunity to take a “sneak peak” at the beautifully designed, but often hidden, world around us!
	Jose Diego University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Astronomy with minor in Natural Science Summer 2014: BioSCAN student Summer 2014: Marine Biodiversity Center student Jose is majoring in Astronomy and minoring in Natural Science. He has always been interested in science but has never had the opportunity to work with insects. He enjoys learning new things in fields he has not studied in depth. In his free time he enjoys playing soccer and video games. In the future he aspires to earn a Masters in Geophysics and a PhD. in Astrophysics.
	Christina Li University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Biological Sciences Spring 2013 – Summer 2014: BioSCAN student Fall 2012 – Summer 2014: Marine Biodiversity Center student Fall 2013 – Spring 2014: BioSCAN research student Fall 2013 – Spring 2014: Marine Biodiversity Center research student Christina is a Biological Sciences major. She likes to watch dramas & movies in general in her spare time. Occasionally, she also likes to play the piano. She loves to be around animals, especially furry ones. She is volunteering at the Natural History Museum because it is a fun place to gain more experience in a field she had not previously considered.
	Maria Peltekova University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (B.A. 2014) Major: English Spring 2013 – Summer 2014: BioSCAN student Fall 2011 – Summer 2014: Marine Biodiversity Center student Maria is an English major who is happy to have an excuse for wandering over to the Museum everyday. If she were a fruit, she would be a strawberry; if she were an animal, she would be a cat; if she were a day, she would be Monday; and if she were a specimen in a marine bio lab, she would be an Uca mjoebergi, though she wouldn't mind being a Eubranchipus holmanii.
	Tim Gonzalez University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Spring 2014: BioSCAN student Spring 2014: Marine Biodiversity Center student
	Brenda Ho University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Sociology Fall 2013 – Spring 2014: Marine Biodiversity Center student Fall 2013 – Spring 2014: BioSCAN student Brenda is a senior majoring in sociology. She plans to attend law school after graduation. One day she dreams of pursuing her love of cooking, baking, and all things food. She applied to the Biodiversity Center because of her interest in nature. She really looks forward to learning more about the evolution of insects and how the environment effects them.
	John Lee University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Economics and Mathematics Fall 2013 – Spring 2014: Marine Biodiversity Center student Fall 2013 – Spring 2014: BioSCAN student John is a senior studying Economics/Mathematics. Although he is a numbers person, he enjoys working on hands-on projects and activities rather than spending time on at desk in front of the computer. He is glad about working at the museum because he gets to see and learn about interesting things, especially dinosaurs. Since childhood, he liked reading about the universe and wishes that there was an outer space exhibit at the museum.
	Brian Shaw University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Biomedical Engineering Summer 2013 – Spring 2014: BioSCAN intern Summer 2013 – Spring 2014: Marine Biodiversity Center intern Spring 2013 – Spring 2014: BioSCAN student Spring 2013 – Spring 2014: Marine Biodiversity Center student Summer 2012: Marine Biodiversity Center volunteer Brian Shaw is a sophomore studying Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California. Ever since he could remember, he has had an affinity for all sciences including biology. In his spare time, he likes to listen to music — classical, rock, and electronica — on top of hanging out with friends. Other hobbies include reading comics, playing the piano, and surfing the web.
	Kristi Gadalla University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (B.Sc. 2014) Major: Biomedical Engineering Spring 2013 – Spring 2014: BioSCAN student Spring 2013 – Spring 2014: Marine Biodiversity Center student Kristi is a junior studying biomedical engineering. Since childhood she has loved fishing and catching small crabs with her bare hands. To date she considers eating an entire Freebirds super monster burrito in one sitting to be her greatest accomplishment. While eating obscene amounts of food is currently her most treasured talent, running obscene distances is a close second.
	Kelsey Bailey University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Political Science, minor in Photography Summer 2014 – Spring 2015: BioSCAN intern Summer 2014 – Spring 2015: Marine Biodiversity Center intern Spring 2013 – Spring 2014: BioSCAN student Fall 2012 – Spring 2014: Marine Biodiversity Center student Kelsey is majoring in Political Science and minoring in Photography. She used to fear worms, but after her first day curating Polychaetes (marine worms), she is slowly getting used to them (after all they are no longer alive). She is fond of antiquated forms of photography, voluminous clouds, eclectic music, coffee, butterflies and being sassy.
	Silke Ann Mariz Mariano University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Fall 2013 – Spring 2014: Marine Biodiversity Center student Fall 2013 – Spring 2014: BioSCAN student Summer 2012: Marine Biodiversity Center intern Spring 2011 – Spring 2012: Marine Biodiversity Center student Silke Ann is a sophomore majoring in Biophysics and hopefully minoring in Astronomy. She loves stargazing (not happening in LA), travelling, reading, anime and pandas(!). Whenever she has time, she watches Asian romantic comedy dramas and plays badminton or tennis. She is nocturnal. She has been in close proximity with the ocean all her life, having lived in the Philippines up to the age of 13 and Hawaii until she was 18.
2013
	Jennifer Shen University of California, Berkeley and University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (M.S. 2014) Major: Environmental Engineering Fall 2012 – Fall 2013: Marine Biodiversity Center student Spring 2013 – Fall 2013: BioSCAN student Spring 2014: BioSCAN intern Spring 2014: Marine Biodiversity Center intern Jennifer is a first-year Masters student studying Environmental Engineering. As an undergrad at the University of California Berkeley, she studied Environmental Science and Economics. She enjoys exploring zoos and museums, especially ones with dinosaurs because they are very interesting and exciting.
	Janie Chen University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Fall 2013 – Summer 2014: BioSCAN research student Fall 2013 – Summer 2014: Marine Biodiversity Center research student Summer 2013: BioSCAN student Summer 2013: Marine Biodiversity Center student Janie is a freshman majoring in Health Promotion Disease Prevention. In her free time, she enjoys reading. Though it’s too hard for her to pick an absolute favorite, her favorite book of the moment is A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. Her dream is to become a coral reef gardener in Australia. Blind Pilot, Passion Pit, and TOKiMONSTA are tied for first place in her iTunes most played. If she could choose a superpower, she would choose to have the ability to speak every language in the world.
	Tristan Jordan University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Spring 2013: BioSCAN student Spring 2013: Marine Biodiversity Center student Tristan is a freshman majoring in Biochemistry and plans to minor in Economics. Since he was young, he has been passionate about the study of nature and life. One of his goals is to pursue biological research that contributes to medicine. In his spare time, he enjoys playing piano and drawing manga.
2012
	Giovani Zelada University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Human Biology Fall 2012: BioSCAN student Fall 2012: Marine Biodiversity Center student Giovani is a Sophomore majoring in Human Biology and considering a minor in Theatre. He is passionate about helping his community, motivating him to become a physician. His favorite part about working at the MBC is receiving exposure to the variety of marine animals in the ocean.
	Kristal Ha University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Spring 2012: Marine Biodiversity Center student I am currently a freshman majoring in Biochemistry and am planing to minor in Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Volunteerism. I hope to become a dentist and one day start an organization that works to provide dental care to those in less developed areas. My favorite part about this job is that it helps me overcome my irrational fear of all kinds of animals.
	Rollin Baker University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Fall 2011 – Spring 2012: Marine Biodiversity Center student Rollin is a freshman majoring in Electrical Engineering and with minors in math and physics. He is from East Lansing, Michigan and is really looking forward to winter so he can laugh at all his friends stuck in snow back home. He also wants to give a shout out to his dad, who will probably show this to anyone and everyone he possibly can.
2011
	Jenny Callahan University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Fall 2011: Marine Biodiversity Center student Jenny is a freshman majoring in Engineering. She is from Boston (and loves the Boston sports teams!) and does not miss the cold weather. She enjoys playing tennis and having fun. She is very excited to be working at the Museum.
	Phyllis Sun — Assistant Collections Manager University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (B.F.A. 2011) Major: Fine Arts Fall 2008 – 2011: Marine Biodiversity Center student 2011 – 2014: Marine Biodiversity Center staff 2013 – 2014: BioSCAN staff Phyllis earned a Bachelors in Fine Arts from the University of Southern California's Roski School of Fine Arts, emphasizing photography, drawing, and design. While at USC, she worked for the Marine Biodiversity Center, photographing specimens and assisting with the start up of a photographic database for the Malacology and Invertebrate Paleontology collections. Phyllis joined the Marine Biodiversity Center as staff in 2011, where she helps curate and database specimens. Phyllis hopes to continue her interest in curation and conservation.
	Adam Wall — Collections Manager University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 2011 – present: Marine Biodiversity Center staff 2013 – Summer 2015: BioSCAN staff 2008 – 2011: Marine Biodiversity Center student 2008 – 2011: NSF Decapoda student Meet Adam Wall, Collections Manager of Crustacea, ADSP (Associate Director of Special Projects) of NHMLA’s Diversity Initiative for the Southern California Ocean (DISCO) Project, and Board Member of the NHMLA’s Community Science (AKA Citizen Science) Working Group. In my role as Crustacea Collections Manager I am responsible for overseeing the curation, digitization, and loans of specimens for research or exhibit, and visitor access related to the world’s fourth largest collection of Crustacea specimens. My research interest within the crustaceans is as broad as the NHMLA collections itself, which has specimens from both across the world and across all major crustacean taxa. My research focus is in population genetics, phylogenetic, systematics and taxonomy of Isopoda (AKA pill bugs, roly polies, or slaters), Anostraca (AKA Fairy Shrimps or Sea-Monkeys), and deep sea hydrothermal vent Decapoda (shrimps and crabs). I have conducted extensive research throughout the eastern Pacific Ocean as well as in Central America and Australia. In my role as Associate Director of Special Projects (ADSP) for NHMLA’s Diversity Initiative for the Southern California Ocean (DISCO) Project, I am responsible for developing the novel pipeline capable of processing the some 25,000 specimens needed to develop a DNA barcode database for marine invertebrates of California — ranging from Point Conception to the Mexican border. This includes specimen collection, identification, photo and museum vouchering, DNA extraction, DNA barcode sequence generation, and depositing sequence data into international sequence databases such as NCBI and BOLD. I am also responsible for enabling the integration of the DNA barcoding efforts of our DISCO project into the actively developing fields of metabarcoding and environmental DNA (eDNA) for both species diversity studies as well as rare (endangered) and invasive species detection through strong collaboration with leading institutions in these emerging fields of molecular biology. All of these are novel tools we are developing with the hope to aim directly at some of the most important problems facing society today, including, but not limited to, climate change, shifts and changes in global biodiversity, and increased extinction rates in the Anthropocene. As NHMLA Community Science Working Group Board Member, I am involved with developing NHMLA’s initiative to include all residents of Los Angeles in Community Science projects as part of our mission to be a museum for and of LA, personally co-leading two Community Science projects. One project is for the remote transcription of museum specimen data, and the second is the NHMLA based DISCO Project which partners with community scientists to monitor invasive species in southern California marinas.
	Maegan Hilliard University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Neuroscience and Health Promotions and Disease Prevention Spring 2011: Marine Biodiversity Center student Maegan is a sophomore majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention originally and originally from Virginia. She plans to pursue a career in researching neurological diseases. In her spare time, Maegan likes to play volleyball, hike, travel, and bake cupcakes.
	Nicole Chang University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Fall 2011 – Spring 2012: Marine Biodiversity Center volunteer Fall 2010 – Spring 2011: Marine Biodiversity Center student Nicole is a freshman majoring in Biological Sciences. She loves international travel, shopping, cupcakes, chocolate, and dogs. She is very excited to work at the Natural History Museum.
2010
	Molly Schaeffer University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: International Relations and minor in Natural Sciences Fall 2010: Marine Biodiversity Center student Molly is a sophomore majoring in International Relations and minoring in Natural Sciences (pre-med). Molly hopes to one day be an epidemiologist with the World Health Organization and help third-world governments eradicate disease. Molly has always loved the ocean and so she is excited about curating marine invertebrates. She knows she and the critters will become fast friends. In her spare time, Molly enjoys listening to music and reading.
	Maricela Zurita California State University, Bakersfield, CA Major: Family Studies and minor in Sociology Summer 2010: Marine Biodiversity Center student Maricela is a sophomore at Cal State Bakersfield majoring in Family Studies and minoring in Sociology. She hopes to one day work helping those in need. She is looking forward to the summer season and camping at Mono Lake. She is always up for a challenge and loves doing new things, which is one of the reasons she is working at the MBC.
	Miles Beal-Ampah University of Houston, Texas Summer 2010: Marine Biodiversity Center student Miles is a graduate of St. John Bosco High School and currently a sophomore at the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. He is studying Psychology, with hopes of becoming a criminal lawyer. Miles is also a High Jumper for the University of Houston Track and Field team, with a career best of 6ft. 10in. In his spare time he enjoys playing basketball, reading, watching movies, and hanging out with friends.
	Tyvaey Lott Palisades Charter High School, Pacific Palisades, CA Summer 2010: Marine Biodiversity Center student Tyvaey, or Ty, is a Senior at Palisades Charter High School. He enjoys playing football and practicing marshal arts. Ty loves science but has not yet decided his future career plans. After graduating from high school he intends to go to college.
2009
	Jeanette Carpenter University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Biochemistry Spring 2009: Marine Biodiversity Center student Jeanette is a freshman Biochemistry major. When she's not in class or at work, she is reading books by Jane Austen, watching “House,” eating oreo cream pie, or, if she's lucky, sleeping. She is excited to be working with all of the little critters in the lab and preserving them with untold amounts of alcohol.
	Ashley Avery University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Biological Sciences Fall 2008 – Spring 2009: Marine Biodiversity Center student Fall 2008 – Spring 2009: NSF Decapoda student Ashley is a second year Biological Sciences major, which has spurred her interest in the Natural History Museum. Ashley is overly fascinated with anything that has to do with science. She plans to gain experience related to biological research and wants to pursue a career in bio-medical research after graduating from USC.
	Cynthia Godfrey University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Health and Humanity and minor in International Relations Fall 2008 – Spring 2009: Marine Biodiversity Center student Cynthia is a Pre-Med undergraduate majoring in Health and Humanity and minoring in International Relations. She loves anything related to the ocean, including water sports such as jet skiing. She can outrace anyone! Working with the MBPC represents an amazing opportunity for her to explore biology “outside the book,” and she hopes that it will open the door to opportunities such as research and fieldwork across the world. After practicing as a Hematologist and Oncologist, Cynthia will retire to a tiny cottage on the shores of Fiji watching the sunset and singing her favorite tunes by The Strokes.
	Kristan Culbert University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Peace and Conflict Studies Fall 2008 – Spring 2009: Marine Biodiversity Center student Kristan is a sophomore pursuing a minor in Peace and Conflict Studies as well as searching for a major course of study she will fall hopelessly in love with. She hopes to go on to either grad school or medical school and eventually work for a NGO. She enjoys speaking French to anyone who will listen, loves chemistry, reading, going for long hikes in the wilderness and on occasion pretending she is Julia Child. Kristan hopes to get really cozy with the specimens she is organizing and to explore the “dungeon” under the NHM.
2008
	Saw Hun University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Biology Fall 2008: Marine Biodiversity Center student Saw is a freshman majoring in Biology with pre-med emphasis and doubling in Political Science. She is debating whether or not to add a minor in Fine Arts. Saw is interested in anything scientific, and is excited to work in a place that is committed to scientific pursuits. When she’s not handling dead animals or has her face stuck in a book, she likes to draw, listen to music and figure out how to expand her artistic side.
	Christina Chen University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention 2007 – 2008: NSF Decapoda student 2007 – 2008: Marine Biodiversity Center student Originally from the Midwest — Troy, Michigan — Christina has immensely enjoyed the changes in weather, environment, and lifestyle that have come with studying at USC. She is a freshman majoring in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and is leaning towards pre-med or occupation therapy, for now. Natural history museums have always given her the chills because of the excitement of connecting with the past and seeing the myriads of organisms out there, so working with Crustacea has been an extremely beneficial experience. On her free time, she enjoys spending time with church members, playing guitar and piano, and eating yummy food.
	Celia Carter University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Communication and Cinema Production Spring 2006 – 2008: NSF Decapoda student 2004 – Spring 2006: NSF Isopods student Fall 2004 – 2008: Marine Biodiversity Center student Celia is a sophomore at the University of Southern California and is currently majoring in Communication. She would like to double major in Cinema Production and later direct music videos or mix movie soundtracks. Working at the museum has definitely given Celia insight to all of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. Researchers don’t just go out into the field, pick up dead animals and put them on display. There is so much more that is done that no one even knows about, but she’s slowly learning. She'd like to give a shout out to the echinoderms chillin’ on the shelves of the collection room.
	Isaac Ahn University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Fall 2007 – Spring 2008: NSF Decapoda student Fall 2007 – Spring 2008: Marine Biodiversity Center student A Los Angeles native, Isaac is a sophomore majoring in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Studies with a pre-pharmacy emphasis. He has been a frequent visitor to the museum and truly appreciates working behind the scenes. When he is not working on the Tree of Life project or studying, Isaac loves to play the violin and watch trashy reality shows.
	Anita Rai University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Biology Fall 2006 – Spring 2008: NSF Decapoda student Fall 2006 – Spring 2008: Marine Biodiversity Center student Originally from Santa Barbara, CA, Anita is a junior majoring in biology and Spanish with a pre-med emphasis. While thinking about pursuing a career in medicine, Anita is also a swimmer and water polo player. She loves the beach, surfing, reading, listening to music and, of course, Trojan Football (fight on!). Originally a sophomore transfer from UC Berkeley, Anita is loving life at USC and is having a great time learning about research and science while working at the museum.
2007
	Janna Brancolini University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Health and Humanity and Print Journalism Spring 2007: NSF Decapoda student Spring 2007: Marine Biodiversity Center student I am a sophomore double majoring in Health and Humanity and Print Journalism at the University of Southern California. I hope to eventually become a science reporter, and I am especially interested in international health. I was born and raised in Bloomington, Indiana, and I was very excited to trade winter for the ocean when I came to L.A. for college. I am involved with Troy Camp, Habitat for Humanity, and the Daily Trojan student newspaper at USC. “Troy Camp” is an organization that works with kids in the USC neighborhood during the school year and takes them camping in the mountains in May. Little known fact: I love roofing houses, and I will be training to become a Crew Leader with the LA Habitat for Humanity chapter this summer. I've also become a beast with the PhotoShop lasso tool thanks to Dr. Martin's Hawaii crab pictures. My hobbies include martial arts, reading, writing, going to the beach, playing the violin, and photography.
2006
	David Luangpreseuth University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Biological Sciences and minor in Public Policy and Development Fall 2006: NSF Decapoda student Fall 2006: Marine Biodiversity Center student David is a Sophomore majoring in Biological Sciences and minoring in Public, Policy, and Development. In his spare time, he enjoys playing tennis, surfing, swimming, and relaxing on the beach. He has mastered preparing SEM images for publication and is scanning rare books for the Decapod Tree of Life Project. However, after graduating from USC, David plans on attending medical school so that he can become a surgeon. Also, he might be terrified of plastic hands in the Crustacea lab.
	Elizabeth Liu Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA Major: Biology Summer 2006: NSF Decapoda student Summer 2006: Marine Biodiversity Center student Elizabeth is a junior majoring in Biology. She enjoys playing tennis, cooking, watching funny movies and going to the beach. Having the opportunity to work in the museum has definitely opened her eyes to the different possibilities out there for those interested in Biology. This experience has definitely intensified her love for biology and made her appreciate all the work that scientists must do. She intends to continue volunteer work in the Crustacea lab and publish her work on dendrobranchiate gills.
	Jennifer Zieba University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Biology Biology and Cinema Television Summer 2006: NSF Decapoda student Fall 2005 – Spring 2006: NSF Isopods student Fall 2005 – Summer 2006: Marine Biodiversity Center student Jen is a Sophomore majoring in biology and minoring in cinema television. She enjoys SCUBA diving, rock climbing, sailing, camping, reading, and various amounts of nerdy things (i.e., Star Trek and Steve McQueen). Working at the museum has let Jen do some real hands-on work with the specimens she has been studying for so long in school. Jen’s favorite specimen is the little alien baby living in the Crustacea collection room.
	Christian Perrodin University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Biology and minor in Biotechnology Science Fall 2005 – Spring 2006: NSF Isopods student Fall 2005 – Spring 2006: Marine Biodiversity Center student Besides being a die-hard Trojan fan, Christian is a Junior, currently a biology major with a minor in biotech science. Christian is also a pre-med student with hopes of entering a medical school by the Fall of 2008. He enjoys surfing in the summer, snowboarding in the winter, and being in the outdoors whenever at all possible. On the weekends Christian enjoys riding BMX and spending time with his family, but only after tons of homework and studying is completed. Being a part of the museum staff has opened an entirely new realm of interests. “Finally I get to apply the knowledge learned in previous biology classes.” Upon first being introduced to the museum he was absolutely floored by the incredible collection of marine organisms. Christian plans to become a pediatrician and have his own practice.
	Jessica Wedemeyer University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Theatre and Broadcast Journalism Fall 2005 – Spring 2006: Marine Biodiversity Center student Jessica is a Freshman studying theater and broadcast journalism. Ever since she was a child, Jessica has loved museums. She's very excited to be working behind the scenes now, making her small mark on information that'll be around for decades to come. Besides playing with animals that have been dead, some for 30 years or more, Jessica enjoys music, movies and searching for new hand creams to moisturize her alcohol dried out hands.
	Jocelyn Vivar University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Fall 2005 – Spring 2006: NSF Isopods student Fall 2005 – Spring 2006: Marine Biodiversity Center student Jocelyn is a Sophomore majoring in health promotions and disease prevention with an emphasis in substance abuse. Jocelyn is a well rounded pre-med student with an interest in working in Marine Biology. She is a very involved and dedicated student who is currently in six clubs and in a leadership position for the Trojan Chemistry Club. In those rare occasions when she has free time, she enjoys spending time with family, friends, her cat Kiwi and volunteering with Padres Contra el Cancer (Parents Against Cancer).
	Jennifer McCard University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Environmental Sciences Spring 2006: NSF Decapoda student Fall 2003 – Spring 2005: NSF Isopods student Fall 2003 – Spring 2006: Marine Biodiversity Center student Jennifer first visited the Natural History Museum on a fieldtrip for her freshman biology class. A few weeks later, she began working in the Research and Collections Department with Regina Wetzer and her isopods. She is currently helping in the molecular lab extracting, amplifying, and sequencing isopod DNA. Jennifer is planning to major in Environmental Studies, and she is glad to be gaining experience in the current scientific arena.
2005
	Jonathan Brown University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Major: Biology Fall 2004 – Spring 2005: NSF Isopods student Fall 2004 – Spring 2005: Marine Biodiversity Center student Jon has always enjoyed learning about biology and is excited to finally get some real experience in this field. Born and raised in Ohio, Jon somehow finds his way to the beach every weekend. He is often overheard muttering about how Californians don’t realize how lucky they are. He is currently a freshman at the University of Southern California, majoring in Biology. Jon is also learning to surf and is taking salsa-dancing classes at USC in an effort to 'woo' the ladies. He wants to someday become a research scientist in the field of genetics.