Monica Antonio
Undergraduate researcher
I am a sophomore student at UC Berkeley studying Genetics and Plant Biology. I am eager to become more involved in research and will possibly pursue the pre-medical track. My interests include learning as much as I can about plants, sustainability, and exploring possible career paths. My hope in joining the Macrosystems Ecology Laboratory is to develop my laboratory skills and learn more about how research is accomplished. In my free time, I like to learn new hobbies like crocheting and knitting.
Alysha Batada
Undergraduate researcher
Hello! I’m a second-year student at UC Berkeley studying Molecular Environmental Biology and Data Science, and I am very excited to be a part of the Blonder Lab! I’m interested in understanding how to apply data science techniques to study climate change’s effects on marine ecosystems and food systems. In my free time I love drawing, hiking, and making clay figurines.
Lexi Caruthers
Undergraduate researcher
I am a junior entering my final year at UC Berkeley, double majoring Sustainable Environmental Design and Conservation and Resource Studies and am beyond excited to join the Blonder lab! I spend most of my spare time in nature backpacking, climbing trees, hiking, and farming. I have a deep appreciation for the natural world and would love to develop a stronger understanding in order to preserve it. I am particularly fascinated by the effect of human presence on the natural environment and am hopeful that research like this will help us to form creative solutions for the future.
Jessica Chan
Undergraduate researcher
I am a third year studying Environmental Science with a minor in Environmental Economics and Policy at UC Berkeley. My interests include conservation ecology and research management. In my free time I enjoy traveling, swimming, listening to music, and thrifting.
Daniel Chen
Undergraduate researcher
I am an undergrad at UC Berkeley studying statistics and computer science. I am interested in understanding the applications of statistical and computational methods in environmental research and conservation efforts. I enjoy running, skiing, and concerts.
Beatrice Cundiff
Undergraduate researcher
I’m a second year undergraduate student at UC Berkeley studying Environmental Science and Genetics & Plant Biology. I’m interested in the intersection between plants and climate change. In my free time I enjoy reading, hiking, and growing way too many houseplants.
Lisa Garcia
Undergraduate researcher
I am the summer REU student from the University of New Mexico (UNM). I am doing an independent project which will focus on the response of species with contrasting vein patterns to different herbivory simulations. It aims to show how embolisms spread throughout leaf veins when a hole is punched through the midrib and off the midrib. I am excited to learn new methods, how to develop/execute a project, and to work in the field. I am honored to work side by side and learn from a very intelligent team of people.
Some background about me: I earned a bachelor’s in business administration from UNM and pursued a career in marketing. I returned to school to pursue a degree in biology because I’ve always been passionate about nature and am interested in the effects of climate change. I joined Dr. Felisa Smith’s paleoecology lab at UNM to understand how organisms reacted to past climate changes, to make better predictions of how organisms may respond to future climate changes.
Outside of school and work I am a motorcycle enthusiast. I also love to run and hike.
Haley Grimmer
Undergraduate researcher
Carlos Jackson
Undergraduate researcher
My name is Carlos Jackson, I’m a rising junior from Houston, TX, and am an Environmental Science Major with a concentration in natural resources management. I attend at Tuskegee University. My love for plants and agriculture comes from my upbringing of working on my grandparent’s farm during the summer. Having said that, when I was informed about the experiment that Ben and Roxy were conducting with the Quaking Aspen Tree, I had no choice but to follow my passion. During my free time, I enjoy fishing and photography.
Diana Kalantar
Undergraduate researcher
Hi! I am an undergraduate at UC Berkeley pursuing Molecular Environmental Biology. One of my strongest passions is organismal biology- whether it is observing plants at the botanical gardens, teaching wildlife biology classes to K-8 students, or educating guests about ocean life and conservation back home at the Aquarium of the Pacific. I’m also interested in how niche adaptations of plants and animals can contribute to the future of public health and medicine. In my free time, I love to paint, run through scenic trails, and play jazz on the alto saxophone. I’m excited to be working with Dr. Ilaine Matos, studying how leaf anatomy and hydraulic function change in response to climate change.
Seenu Madhavan
Undergraduate researcher
I am an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley studying Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. I am interested in computer vision, biomimicry, and the applications of biological mechanisms to engineering disciplines.
Samantha McDonough
Undergraduate researcher
I am recent undergraduate transfer student to UC Berkeley, studying microbial biology. I hope to gain the knowledge and experience to understand how microbial biology connects to environmental resilience. In my free time I play tennis, sew and rock out to country music.
Maria Regina De Los Angeles Ortiz
Undergraduate researcher
I am a third year undergraduate student at UC Berkeley studying Ecosystem Management and Forestry with a focus on soil and plant interactions. I am really interested in how plants in arid environments adapt to and work with the limited natural resources present with a particular focus on chaparral ecosystems. I am also interested in studying benthic marine invertebrates. Outside of the lab, I love to read, thrift, watch movies, listen to music, and go to concerts.
Roshni Sahu
Undergraduate researcher
Hi, I’m Roshni! I am an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, majoring in Environmental Science and intending to declare Molecular Environmental Biology with a concentration in Global Change Biology as well. I am also pursuing a minor in Geospatial Information Science and Technology since I believe that scientific visualization is one of the best ways to not only analyze data but also convey scientific ideas to the general public. In environmental science, one of the many topics I am currently interested in is climate science specifically how different climates and their changes interact with the numerous and diverse ecosystems around the world. I also am interested in looking at changes in the distributions of various species, leading me to conduct research on bird distributions in Berkeley and Orinda in fall of 2021 where I specifically looked to see if there was a difference in bird species distributions based on varying levels of urbanization. I am excited to learn more about research and science while being part of the Macrosystems Ecology Lab! Outside of academia, I like to travel, draw, play video games, and bike.
Jose Tomas Sales
Undergraduate researcher
Rish Sanghavi
Undergraduate researcher
I am an incoming senior at UC Berkeley majoring in Microbial Biology and am excited to be a part of the Blonder Lab! I love learning about the different pathogens present in the environment and how the ongoing evolutionary arms race shapes various ecosystems around the world. In my free time I like to practice for powerlifting competitions and play the piano.
Satvik Sharma
Undergraduate researcher
I am a sophomore from New Jersey majoring in Computer Science. I love playing basketball, traveling, and practicing Kung Fu. I am very interested in pursuing research in the future.
Meg S.
Undergraduate researcher
Hello everyone, my name is Meg, and I am thrilled to be a part of this lab. I am a current undergraduate student majoring in conservation resources studies with a concentration in wildlife biology and minoring in geographic information systems. I’m particularly interested in how deep learning and geographic information systems can aid in wildlife conservation and animal behavior research. Plant biology, horticulture, and sustainable gardening are also areas of interest for me. My goal is to one day have a garden where I can grow 70% of the food I eat. Making friends, going to live shows, camping, yoga, outdoor gardening, and reading a lot, are all things I enjoy doing in my spare time. Excited to work with you all. 🙂
Jason To
Undergraduate researcher
Bradley Vu
Undergraduate researcher
Joyce Wang
Undergraduate researcher
Hi! I’m a third-year undergraduate studying Molecular Environmental Biology and Data Science. My academic interests include restoration and aquatic ecology, evolutionary ecology, biogeography, marine biology, and learning more about data analysis in general. I am a strong proponent for environmental justice and am also interested in urban planning, relating to how urban agriculture and other urban ecological restoration methods can catalyze the revitalization of disused lands or redlined communities. I enjoy making jewelry, cooking new recipes, and roller skating in my free time.
Lan Wei
Undergraduate researcher
I’m an undergrad majoring in Genetics and Plant Biology, joining the Quaking Aspen Forest Mortality project in my 4th year at UC Berkeley. I’m primarily interested in the “macro” questions of plant evolution: how did developmental processes leading to diverse morphologies evolve, and what does evolutionary rate variation across plant lineages imply, as well as how the uses of phylogenetic methods can impact our understanding of these questions. I also enjoy drawing, gaming, taking photos of nature, and learning botanical stuff. Some of my favorite plants are Crassulaceae, ANA-grade, Himalayan Ericaceae, and anything that naturally grows above 4000m.
Britney Wu
Undergraduate researcher
I am a second-year student at UC Berkeley studying Environmental Sciences on a biological track. I’m very involved in the Cal environmental community, and my interests lay in research, climate change, sustainability, and environmental justice. In joining the Macrosystems Ecology Laboratory, I hope to learn more about the intricate world we live in. In my free time, you can probably find me browsing in one of Berkeley’s many bookstores.
Megan Wu
Undergraduate researcher
Hello! I’m a third-year international student from Taiwan studying Molecular Environmental Biology and Ecosystem Management and Forestry. I have a wide array of research interests from agroecology to wildlife behavioral ecology, forest ecology, and marine biology. While diverse, my passions are ultimately humancentric and I aspire to advance environmental justice and equity through my work. In my spare time, I enjoy bouldering, baking, watching anime, and swimming!
Hillary Xu
REU student
I am a third-year undergraduate at the University of Texas at Austin, double majoring in Biology and Environmental Science with a minor in Anthropology. I am interested in native plant ecology and conservation, especially endemic species and pollinator ecology. I also manage the UT Microfarm, which provides sustainably grown produce to the on-campus food pantry. I sneak in lots of native plants to the farm because agriculture wouldn’t be possible without a healthy surrounding ecology!