Presenters

Karli received her Bachelor's degree in Geology and Geophysics from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and is now a graduate student at the University of California, Irvine in the Department of Earth System Science. Her research focuses on detection of changes in groundwater storage and land subsidence in the Central Valley of California using satellite data. She believes education about human impacts on water resources through climate change and water management practices is not only crucial to the future sustainability of California's water supply, but also provides a unique opportunity to learn critical thinking skills about real world problems.

Sandra is a PhD student in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at the University of California, Irvine. She was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and received her Bachelor’s of Science in biology and environmental studies from Gonzaga University. Her interests in global change were stimulated by travel in both Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa. She studied exotic plant invasions and restoration ecology as an undergraduate and as a result was motivated to pursue graduate research in global change. Sandra’s current research focuses on how terrestrial land use change and land cover change affects soil microbial communities, biogeochemical cycles, and ecosystem services. Ultimately she hopes her research will guide informed public policy decisions regarding climate change adaptation. She enjoys sharing her passion for the environment with children and strives to make science accessible to the general public.