Download Grace Chin – Umass Lowell, Computer Science Grace is a

Grace Chin – Umass Lowell, Computer Science
Grace is a Computer Science student with a passion for sustainability and climate justice. As a fellow
at the Alliance for Climate Education, she worked with other youth to advocate for the divestment of
the Massachusetts state pension fund from the fossil fuel industry. At Young People For, a progressive
leadership development program, her "Blueprint for Social Justice" focused on a bill that would
restructure the USDA's farm subsidization program. She has also led an Environmental Protection
Agency award-winning project that helped to educate homeowners about energy efficiency and to
reduce plastic waste in her community.
Maanya Condamoor - Yale School of Management, MBA, Yale School of Forestry and
Environmental Studies, Master of Environmental Management (MEM)
Maanya is a second year MBA and Master of Environmental Management candidate at the Yale
Schools of Management and Forestry & Environmental Studies. She is interested in helping businesses
mitigate their environmental impact and using technology to reduce human environmental impact, and
spent her summer as a Sustainability Intern at Facebook. Prior to Yale, Maanya worked in the corporate
sustainability space, helping Kaiser Permanente reduce its environmental footprint and as a strategy
and transformation consultant at IBM. She excited to bring together her passion for technology and
environmental issues through the BITL.
Mario Parker - Florida International University (undergrad, senior), Advertising & Digital Marketing
Passionate about increasing awareness for climate change and sustainability. Communications lead
for Virtual reality projects here in South Florida through the FIU Virtual lab. Excited to be a part of the
BITL team and to accomplish successful call to actions with an innovative platform!
Natasha Doherty - Wharton (Undergrad, Junior), UPenn, studying Management, Social Impact and
Responsibility, and Organizational Design
Natasha is a student at Penn, originally from London, UK. She sees business as a force for good and
wants to use it to make life on Earth more sustainable for humans. She loves products and services
that make life simpler, more eco-friendly, greener and more fulfilling for people living in urban areas.
She is always open to meeting new people and loves to work on multidisciplinary teams that tackle
difficult problems, like the BITL team!
Andrew Zucker - University of Miami, Ecosystem Science and Policy, Chemistry, Geology
Andrew is a senior at the University of Miami studying Ecosystem Science and Policy, chemistry, and
geology. In regards to BITL, Andrew will be working on the Data Sub Team and is beyond excited to
educate other on the imminent danger of climate change. Over the years Andrew has worked on
projects focusing on the production of biodiesel and has been involved in many climate change events.
Cindy G. Castro - Florida International University, B.S. 2018
Cindy is a communications student focusing on digital media studies. She started working with the
Mobile Virtual Reality Lab at FIU in 2016. That fall semester, she was the research lead and main
scriptwriter for a VR video on the importance of mangroves for South Florida’s ecosystem. Cindy hopes
that working with the BITL team will help make this world a better place, one VR experience at a time.
Kaylee Brent - MIT, BS in Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Science
Kaylee is in her final year at MIT studying Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science with a focus in
climate. She has been engaged with climate change issues both inside and outside the classroom
throughout her career at MIT, and is very excited to work on the BITL team and address these problems
in an innovative way.
Lisa Johns - University of Miami, PhD 2019
Lisa is pursuing her doctorate in Environmental Science and Policy at the University of Miami. search
combines environmental science, media studies, and Her interdisciplinary revisual anthropology to
examine the ways that NGOs use digital media to represent environmental problems and advocate for
social change. She received her Master’s degree at New York University in Applied Quantitative
Research, and is a firm believer in the awesome power of new technologies to transport audiences,
improve scientific literacy, and drive transformative change.
Sean Charles - College of William and Mary BA English and Environmental Science and Policy
(2008), Virginia Institute of Marine Science MS Marine Biology (2013), FIU PhD Biology
Sean is a PhD candidate in the Department of Biological Sciences at FIU, where he is focusing on the
impacts of climate change on coastal wetland function and vulnerability. Coastal wetlands provide
extremely valuable ecological services, but exist at the interface of land and sea and are thus
among.the most vulnerable ecosystems to climate change. As an English major turned scientist, Sean
thinks that the best way to explain complex issues (like sea-level rise) and create change, is through
combining powerful stories with quality data.
Alicia Noriega - MIT/ Urban Studies and Environmental Policy, MCP 2018
Alicia is in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) at MIT, where she is focusing on
sustainable city design and engaging stakeholders around water and energy solutions for resourcescarce areas. Her focus at DUSP is to harness dynamic spatial analysis and gaming simulation to
facilitate collaborative visualization of answers to complex problems, particularly those in the arid and
rapidly growing areas in the developing world. Prior to DUSP, Alicia worked for 5 years in international
development, mainly in the Middle East.
Trevor Thompson - Yale University, MEM/MBA Candidate
Trevor is pursuing a joint Master of Environmental Management (MEM)/MBA at Yale School of Forestry
& Environmental Studies and Yale School of Management. His main interests are climate change and
its impacts on health, environmental health, climate justice and adaptation, environmental justice,
environmental racism, and corporate and organizational sustainability in relation to the planetary
boundaries framework. Before coming to Yale, Trevor worked as a professional futurist at the Institute
for Alternative Futures, where he conducted scenario planning, forecasting, horizon scans, and strategy
advising for clients, mainly in the areas of public health, health care, emerging technologies, and
sustainability. He is excited to work with this group and impressed with the credentials of the team.
Aisha Jamali - George Mason University B.A. 2017
Aisha is a double major at George Mason University, focusing on environmental policy and global
affairs. As part of the Social Science team she is excited to be a part of the BITL mission and multi
campus collaborative to raise awareness of climate change through VR technology. Her interests
include sustainability.
Cindy G. Castro – See above in Data Team. She is a member of two teams
Jingning (Alicia) Hong - Boston University, M.S. Candidate
Alicia is a graduate student studying marketing communication research at Boston University (BU). She
is passionate about creating awareness, inspiration and social changes for different nations through
virtual reality. After graduation she hopes to work for a technology company redefining intelligence and
doing meaningful things for humans and the planet.
She hopes that her work with the BITL team will help provide fundamental knowledge to effectively
connect audience and the mediated message of the pressing issue.
Roxanne Rahnama - MIT, S.M. Candidate in the Technology and Policy Program (2018)
Roxanne is a first-year S.M. student in the Technology and Policy Program at MIT and fellow at the
MIT Tata Center for Technology and Design. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Economics and
Environmental Economics & Policy, with a minor in Global Poverty & Practice from the University of
California, Berkeley in Fall 2015. Prior to MIT, she worked as a research assistant on multiple projects
with Professor Edward Miguel at UC Berkeley and Professor Jonas Hjort at Columbia Business School,
as well as an activist and student organizer for the Raise Hope for Congo Campaign of the Enough
Project in Washington, DC. Roxanne is passionate about the intersections of behavioral and
development economics, participatory design, natural resource management, climate change and
conflict. Her current research at MIT Tata involves investigating financial, socio-economic, political,
cultural, behavioral, and regulatory roadblocks that impede rural electrification and energy access, with
a focus on India and east Africa.
Anna Hassan - George Mason University BA 2018
Anna is a student at GMU pursuing a degree in environmental and sustainability studies with a
concentration in equity and environmental justice. She aspires to be an environmental lawyer and
defend those that are most vulnerable to environmental injustices and climate change. Anna hopes that
through BITL’s VR she can provide feasible solutions to better serve those who are being affected by
climate change.
Ben Wilson - FIU, Ph.D. Candidate in Biology
Ben is a current Ph.D. Candidate at FIU finishing up his dissertation work looking at the effects of
saltwater intrusion into coastal ecosystems, specifically the Everglades. His passion is finding ways to
turn environmental research into material that can be effectively communicated to the appropriate
groups with the goal of enacting effective policy. He served as a science communication fellow with the
Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science and has participated in many outreach events in order to
better engage the community in the scientific process. He is looking forward to using his knowledge
about the environment and the way it functions to create effective policies and calls-to-action relative
to this project.
Johanna Falkenhagen - FIU/ Digital Studies and Mass Comm. 2017
Johanna is a student pursuing her Bachelors in Digital Media Studies and Mass Communications. She
has been working with Dr. Gutsche from FIU throughout various projects involving VR and research.
Being a part of the BITL team inspires her to keep on participating in these types of research projects
which help to shed light on topics that are usually ignored by others who can’t quite comprehend the
severity of certain problems in our planet. She is looking forward to gaining more and more experience
by cooperatively working with people from Universities from all around the world.
Alexandra Cleaver - Florida International University BA
Alexandra is a journalism student at FIU. After graduation she hopes to work for a non-profit. She hopes
that her work with the BITL team will help bring a greater awareness of climate change through the
immersive world of virtual reality.
Bridget Power - Harvard Divinity School, MDiv Candidate (2019)
Bridget is a documentary filmmaker interested in using digital storytelling for social and ecological
justice. She spent a year living in Southwestern Alaska where she witnessed the impact of climate
change on rural communities. Bridget feels fortunate to be part of this interdisciplinary team of
storytellers working to address climate change.
Catherine Mieses - Florida International University, B.S.
Catherine Mieses is a student at Florida International University majoring in journalism with a
concentration in international relations. This semester, she is the narratives lead at the Mobile Virtual
Reality Lab at FIU, which focuses on innovative storytelling. With the BITL team, she hopes we can
expand the conversation and develop probable solutions regarding climate change.
Lisbette Castillo - Florida International University, BA
Lisbette Castillo is a communications journalism student at Florida International University with a minor
in art history. She is currently a staff writer for FIU’s newspaper The Beacon and plans to go to grad
school to study child psychology. Her main interests are traveling, writing, art and music. She is
currently exploring and unraveling her interests in production and media and tuning into the virtual
reality world.
Sara Rafsky - MIT Comparative Media Studies M.S. 2018
Sara Rafsky is a freelance journalist, M.S. candidate in Comparative Media Studies at MIT and
Research Assistant at MIT’s Open Documentary Lab. She was previously Researcher on Central
America at Amnesty International in Mexico City, the Americas Program Researcher at the Committee
to Protect Journalists in New York, and has worked as a freelance journalist and with international
foundations, human rights organizations and think tanks throughout Latin America. She has written
widely about documentary film and served as a film screener for documentary film festivals. Sara is
excited to work with BITL to further her MIT research on how documentary practices and new
technologies can advance social justice issues.
Shelby Servais - Florida International University, Ph.D Candidate
Shelby is a biology Ph.D candidate at Florida International University. Shelby ’s research focuses on
how microbial community structure and function will change in the Everglades as sea levels rise. Shelby
is also a science communication fellow at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science and is
interested in how science is translated to the public.
Tatiana Delgado - Florida International University, BA
Tatiana Delgado is a student at Florida International University who is studying journalism and business
entrepreneurship. She loves Disney, traveling, animals and has recently become a vegetarian. Delgado
was born in Ft. Benning, Georgia but has lived in Miami since 2007. After graduating with a BA she
plans to move back to her home state and study architecture at Georgia Tech. The environment is
extremely important to her and is proud to be a part of such a movement that brings knowledge and
information to the public about the drastic effects of climate change.
Wan Chantavilasvong - MIT | Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning | International Development |
MCP 2018
Wan is in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) at MIT, where she is seeking ways
to develop economic, social, and environmental sustainability in rural areas in developing countries
around the world. Prior to DUSP, Wan has her background in architecture and design, the skills of
which used to help various social enterprises in Thailand improve their stories and reach a wider
audience. With her backgrounds and aspirations, Wan is interested to find ways to bridge art into the
dialogue of sustainable development.
Albert Elias - FIU Masters of Architecture 2016, FIU MAA 2017
Albert is a Research Assistant and Graduate of the school of Architecture at FIU. He is currently
designing and developing Augmented/ Virtual Reality solutions for immersive Data Visualizations. His
focus is in developing creative workflows that will encourage the communication of ideas, enhance our
understandings of complex networks, and better inform policy makers. He is passionate about natural
systems and is using his background in computational design to work with scientists to develop an
application for Everglades restoration, Sea Level Rise, and their effects on our Urban Environment.
Annabelle Santos - Florida International University, B.S. in Communications, Digital Media Studies,
2018
Annabelle is a digital media studies student at FIU, learning about the world of digital media from the
communications perspective. She hopes to integrate what she learns from digital media with her
growing background in graphic design, and aspires to be a user experience and user interface and
interaction designer (UX/UI). Most of her technical experience comes from participating in various MLH
Hack-a-thons across Florida since 2016 as a graphic designer for various short-term hacks. Her
involvement in the Mobile VR Lab at FIU is her first step in creating content in a new media, as she’s
always looking to add more tools to her creative toolset in creating a portfolio for herself.
Armando Rubi III - University of Miami, Ph.D. Candidate in Communication
Armando focuses on game studies, digital environments and the impact that they are making on
society. As an instructor, he has taught and guest lectured on a wide range of topics dealing with culture
and technology. By focusing on the direction technology is taking, Armando is researching and
pioneering in the fields of virtual and augmented reality, preparing for what the future holds. He is
currently conducting research on Pokemon GO and has is working on articles focusing on the impact
of social media and online relationships.
Charity Everett - Harvard Extension School, ALB Candidate 2019
Charity Everett has a background in musical VR Experience Creation. She previously was the head of
VR Evangelism and Artist relations at Simmetri, and was selected as an Oculus LaunchPad Fellow for
her work on creating musical Virtual Reality experiences. She has developed experiences for the
Microsoft HoloLens, the HTC Vive, the Samsung Gear VR, and the Oculus Rift. Additionally, she served
as a mentor at MIT Hacking Arts, a participant in the Reality Virtually Hackathon, and spoke on a panel
on the future of VR and AR development at WECode Harvard.
Erick Pinos - MIT, B.S. in Management, 2017
Erick Pinos is an MIT undergraduate studying management with computer science. His foray into virtual
reality began before he knew it was called that. He was working at the Media Lab on projection based
augmented reality for urban planners when it clicked for him that the future of mixed reality and
holograms he’s dreamed of as a child was right on the horizon. After that, he dove head first into the
industry, booking last minute tickets to conferences, borrowing 360 degree cameras to experiment with
VR films, and even buying a headset to develop new and interesting applications.
Leslie Ovalle - Florida International University BA 2017
Leslie is a journalism student at Florida International University. She is a freelance reporter for the
Miami Herald and is passionate about documentary storytelling. Through her contribution with BITL she
plans to illustrate the greater story of the Earth’s environment through South Florida’s story.
Russ Darrow - University of Miami, MFA (Motion Pictures) Candidate 2018
A 360-film class at UM sparked Russ’s passion for VR. He believes there are significant, wide-ranging
applications for 360-film and VR. He looks forward to contributing to BITL’s effort to facilitate widespread
environmental-consciousness with VR-technology.