{"id":2055,"date":"2024-03-11T20:37:14","date_gmt":"2024-03-11T20:37:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.ps.uci.edu\/climatejustice\/?page_id=2055"},"modified":"2026-05-28T23:57:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T23:57:10","slug":"current-post-baccalaureate-mentors","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.ps.uci.edu\/communitygeoscience\/current-post-baccalaureate-mentors\/","title":{"rendered":"Post-Baccalaureate Mentors"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Prospective Faculty Mentors<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"Amir<\/figure>

Amir Aghakouchak<\/b><\/h4>

Chancellor's Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Research interests: <\/b>\nUnderstanding, evaluating, and predicting climate extremes including compound and cascading hazards and their societal impacts.\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Steve<\/figure>

Steve Allison<\/b><\/h4>

Professor, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Earth System Science, Co-Principal Investigator
\n\nResearch interests: <\/b>\nModeling soil carbon storage\/sequestration and climate feedbacks; land conservation, restoration, and stewardship in the context of climate change, including the functional roles of microbes and plants; community-based research on climate action and governance needs in the Southern California region, primarily through WUICAN (Wildland-Urban Interface Climate Action Network) and associated partners<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Dominic<\/figure>

Dominic Bednar<\/b><\/h4>

Assistant Professor, Urban Planning and Public Policy
\nResearch interests:<\/b> Institutional barriers of energy poverty recognition and response in the United States; spatial, racial\/ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic patterns of residential energy affordability, consumption, and efficiency<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Manijeh<\/figure>

Manijeh Berenji<\/b><\/h4>

Assistant Clinical Professor, Environmental and Occupational Health
\nResearch interests:<\/b> Occupational and environmental health, climate translational research and risk communication<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Claudia<\/figure>

Claudia Czimczik<\/b><\/h4>

Professor, Earth System Science
\nResearch interests: <\/b>\nAgriculture (e.g., urban gardening, farming, and composting), wildland restoration, improving ecosystem function in urban\/managed environments; tracking of changes in fossil fuel-derived greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions; geochemical analyses<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Jason<\/figure>

Jason Douglas<\/b><\/h4>

Associate Professor, Health, Society and Behavior
\n\n Research interests: <\/b>Community-based participatory action research on air pollution, extreme heat, greenspace access, and broader environmental health disparities in underserved communities. His research uses a combination of innovative methodologies, including neighborhood-level observation, participatory mapping, photovoice, participatory geographic information systems, and satellite remote sensing.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Henri<\/figure>

Henri Drake<\/b><\/h4>

Professor, Earth System Science \n\nResearch interests: <\/b>Our group focuses on the role of ocean physics processes in the global climate system, using a variety of theoretical and state-of-the-art computational models. Research projects that may be of interest to CGI postbacs are:
\n- Attributing dynamical causes of extreme marine heat waves under global warming to evaluate and improve predictions
\n- Attributing dynamical causes of coastal sea level rise under global warming to evaluate and improve predictions
\n- Analyzing the extent to which climate model forecasts have historically been correct, accessible, and useful for stakeholders [not necessarily ocean -related]<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Benis<\/figure>

Benis Egoh<\/b><\/h4>

Professor, Earth System Science \n\nResearch interests: <\/b> Exploring the ecosystem service benefits for communities of different restoration scenarios across an understudied and ecologically important region of the Congo Basin; mapping the distribution of recreational services in California; researching sustainability in the oil palm sector in Africa.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Alex<\/figure>

Alex Guenther<\/b><\/h4>

Professor, Earth System Science
\nResearch interests:<\/b>\nHigh-resolution measurements and modeling activities to identify the sources, distributions, and impacts of urban air pollutants, with a focus on volatile organic compounds (VOCs)<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Doug<\/figure>

Doug Houston<\/b><\/h4>

Professor, Urban Planning and Public Policy
\nResearch interests:<\/b>\nConducting geographical and statistical analysis of a survey of households along the wildland urban interface regarding their perceptions of wildfire, flood, and mudslide risks; mapping climate hazards for vulnerable communities and examining climate action and environmental justice city plans in Southern California; Surveying students regarding climate anxiety; analysis of recently-funded Reconnecting Communities projects to address historic and ongoing impacts of freeway construction through disadvantaged communities.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Kathleen<\/figure>

KATHLEEN JOHNSON<\/b><\/h4>

Professor, Earth System Science, Principal Investigator
\n Research interests: <\/b>\nUse of geochemical variations preserved in cave-calcite deposits (speleothems) to reconstruct time-series of past environmental changes; methods include paleoclimatology analytical techniques (e.g. microsampling, analytical chemistry, mass spectrometry, laser ablation, etc.) along with laboratory experiments, rigorous data analysis, and geochemical modeling. \n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Michael<\/figure>

Michael Kleinman<\/b><\/h4>

Adjunct Professor, Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (COEH)\nSchool of Medicine
\n Research interests: <\/b>\nAir pollution health effects and climate related changes; Community exposures to particles and gases from local and regional sources; Changes in heart and lung physiology related to changes in temperature, PM exposure, and diet.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Mukul<\/figure>

Mukul Kumar<\/b><\/h4>

Assistant Professor, Urban Planning and Public Policy
\nResearch interests:<\/b> \nDecarbonization, political ecology of energy transitions, development, land politics, and environmental justice<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Adam<\/figure>

Adam Martiny<\/b><\/h4>

Professor, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Earth System Science
\n Research interests: <\/b>\nResponses of plankton growth and marine ecosystems to contaminants and climate change<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Richard<\/figure>

Richard Matthew<\/b><\/h4>

Assistant Professor, Urban Planning and Public Policy
\nResearch interests:<\/b> \nDecarbonization, political ecology of energy transitions, development, land politics, and environmental justice<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Kailen<\/figure>

Kailen Mooney<\/b><\/h4>

Professor, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
\nResearch interests:<\/b> Plant and insect ecology and response to drought and climate change, habitat management through work with UCI Nature.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Tiara<\/figure>

Tiara Naputi<\/b><\/h4>

Assistant Professor, Global and International Studies
\n\n\nResearch interests:<\/b>\nEnvironmental humanities, community-based participatory research, Native American & Indigenous Studies, and climate change\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Leonard<\/figure>

Leonard Ohenhen<\/b><\/h4>

Assistant Professor, Earth System Sciences
\n\n\nResearch interests:<\/b>\nLand subsidence and sea level rise in coastal communities, flood hazard monitoring, climate adaptation, and environmental geodesy\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Christopher<\/figure>

Christopher Olivares <\/b><\/h4>

Assistant Professor,\nCivil and Environmental Engineering
\n Research interests: <\/b>\nEnvironmental biotechnology, remediation, metabolomics, pollutant fate in natural and engineered systems, microbial toxicity, environmental organic chemistry\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"James<\/figure>

James Randerson<\/b><\/h4>

Ralph J. and Carol M. Cicerone Professor, Earth System Science
\n Research interests: <\/b>\nWildfires, the global carbon cycle, biogeochemistry, climate-carbon feedbacks, climate change impacts in western North America, machine learning, artificial intelligence, land cover change, deforestation, drought, Amazon forests, satellite remote sensing<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Eric<\/figure>

Eric Saltzman<\/b><\/h4>

Professor, Earth System Science
\nResearch interests: <\/b>\n\nAnalysis of ancient polar ice cores to understand past changes in atmospheric composition and human impact on the planet. Hydrogen records give clues for the climate impact of the future hydrogen economy while acetylene records help reconstruct the history of global fire <\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Nicola<\/figure>

Nicola Ulibarri<\/b><\/h4>

Professor, Urban Planning and Public Policy
\nResearch interests: <\/b>\n\nWater resource management, coastal resilience, and infrastructure siting; adaptive and equitable environmental governance<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Brett<\/figure>

Brett Walker<\/b><\/h4>

Associate Professor, Earth Systems Science
\nResearch interests: <\/b>\n\nMarine Organic Biogeochemistry, Dissolved and Particulate Organic Matter. Our group uses isotopic and molecular level analyses to understand the marine carbon cycle and human impacts on our oceans. \n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Jun<\/figure>

Jun Wu<\/b><\/h4>

Professor, Environmental & Occupational Health
\n Research interests: <\/b>\nPopulation-based research of environmental exposure assessment, environmental epidemiology, and environmental health disparity. Collaboration with local and regional community partners on environmental justice issues related to air pollution, soil contamination, and climate change<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The UCI Community Geoscience Initiative acknowledges our presence on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Acjachemen and Tongva Peoples, who still hold strong cultural, spiritual, and physical ties to this region.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Contact Us<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Department of Earth System Science
Croul Hall
Irvine, CA 92697-3100<\/p>\n

garciar1@uci.edu

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