Grand Challenges Initiative
Our People
»Meet the GCI Team
Dr. Javier Espeleta
Co-Director of the Grand Challenges Initiative
jespeleta@chapman.eduDr. Espeleta is a clinical associate professor of biological sciences and began as
the co-director of the Grand Challenges Initiative in 2023. Espeleta has more than
20 years of experience leading international organizations at the interface of science,
conservation, and education. He has previously served as the director of the Associated
Colleges of the Midwest Costa Rican study abroad program, the executive director of
the Tropical Science Center, and the associate director of the University of Arizona’s
Biosphere II. He is passionate about training the next generation of leaders in science
and engineering; he has developed undergraduate and graduate curriculum on themes
including agroecology, crop management, and global health. Espeleta is broadly trained
as a plant physiological ecologist and holds a Ph.D. in plant biology from the University
of Georgia, a M.Sc. in horticultural science from University of Florida and an B.Sc.
in phytotechnology from the University of Costa Rica.
Dr. Tom Piechota
Co-Director of the Grand Challenges Initiative
piechota@chapman.eduDr. Piechota’s research interests center around the investigation of climate impacts
on regional water resources and society using high resolution climate data/information,
forecasting of water supply under changing climate conditions, drought and flood impacts
in urban stormwater in urban environments, use of remote sensing data and geographic
information systems for improved evaluation of hydrology and water systems.
Current Fellows
Every Grand Challenges Initiative team is mentored by a Postdoctoral Fellow. Our fellows are world-class early-career teacher-scholars. They come from diverse research backgrounds, ranging from cancer genetics to atmospheric chemistry.
What the Fellows all have in common is a desire to share their passion for science and engineering with students. GCI student teams are assigned a fellow at the beginning of each semester.
Dr. Aracely Acevedo
aracevedo@chapman.eduDr. Acevedo earned her Ph.D. in molecular, cellular, and integrative physiology from
UCLA. Her doctoral studies focused on investigating the mechanism of action by which
the pharmacological agent BT2 confers protection from heart failure and metabolic
disease in mice. Her findings resulted in a publication titled "The BCKDK inhibitor
BT2 is a chemical uncoupler that lowers mitochondrial ROS production and de novo lipogenesis"
(PMID: 38301896). The goal of her post-doctoral research project is to determine the
effects of arginine methylation of PGC-1alpha by PRMTs in the context of cold-induced
thermogenesis and diet-induced thermogenesis. Dr. Acevedo's mission is to contribute
to metabolism & nutrition education and research with the aim to improve the metabolic
health of human beings.
Dr. Sarah Arnette
arnette@chapman.eduDr. Arnette is a comparative biomechanist interested in the impact of changing environmental
conditions across time scales on fish mechanics and physiology. Her current work focuses
on how fishes of different shapes interact with their environment and using fish as
inspiration for soft-bodied robots for a variety of applications. She is also passionate
about engaging natural history collections in her works. Dr. Arnette holds a Ph.D.
in environmental life sciences from Arizona State University.
Dr. Ana Belén Avilez García
avilezgarcia@chapman.eduDr. Avilez García is a mathematician whose research focuses on point-free topology.
This area of mathematics is regarded as an algebraic (more specifically, lattice theoretical)
counterpart of classical topology. Locales and frames, the objects of study of point-free
topology, are a generalized version of topological spaces where one focuses on their
lattices of open sets, leaving aside the points. Her interests also include category
theory, algebra, general topology and logics. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics
from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the
University of Coimbra, Portugal. She recently completed a one-year postdoc at the
University of the Western Cape, South Africa.
Dr. E. Daniel Cárdenas-Vásquez
cardenasvasquez@chapman.eduDr. Cárdenas-Vásquez was born in Moyobamba, Perú. He holds a bachelor’s degree in
chemical engineering from Universidad Nacional Pedro Ruiz Gallo (UNPRG), in Lambayeque,
Perú, and a Ph.D. in chemical and biomolecular engineering from North Carolina State
University, where he conducted research about new functional materials using colloids
and hydrogels for biomedical applications as well as exploring novel nucleation prediction
methods using computational tools for drug discovery and other pharmaceuticals applications.
Additionally, he has a keen interest in the ethics of science, specifically at the
interface of organized religious entities and genetically modified foods (GMOs). On
the side, he drinks lots of (specialty) coffee while trying to model in-silico its
pour over extraction mechanism.
Dr. Sayani Ghosh
saghosh@chapman.eduDr. Ghosh is an interdisciplinary researcher whose work bridges the fields of mathematics
and theoretical physics. She earned her Ph.D. from Clemson University, where her doctoral
research focused on developing graph-theory-based tools and applying them to nuclear
astrophysical scenarios. Dr. Ghosh is particularly interested in exploring the relationship
between the classical world and the quantum regime, addressing some of the intriguing
open questions in modern physics. Beyond her research, Dr. Ghosh is dedicated to education.
She actively seeks and implements innovative teaching methods to enhance student engagement
and deepen their understanding.
Dr. Ariane Jong-Levinger
jonglevinger@chapman.eduDr. Jong-Levinger is an environmental engineer with a background in environmental
science (she earned her B.S. in environmental science and policy from Chapman University
in 2016). Ari studies how the interactions between wildfire, storms, and flood management
infrastructure influence post-fire floods and debris flows. The goal of her work
is to co-produce useful knowledge about the impact of climate change on flood risk
and water resources with stakeholders to support efforts to adapt to and mitigate
the effects of climate change in Southern California. She holds a Ph.D. in civil
and environmental engineering from the University of California, Irvine.
Dr. Rajeev Joshi
rajoshi@chapman.eduDr. Joshi obtained his Ph.D. in computer science and engineering from the University
of South Florida, Tampa, in 2023. During his doctoral studies, he developed optimization
techniques for machine learning inference and near-memory image processing in hardware
for highly constrained IoT edge nodes. He is currently pursuing a new research direction
in embedded systems, focusing on the design and development of a compact and affordable
refreshable Braille device for early education for individuals with blindness and
visual impairments. His research interests lie at the intersection of VLSI design,
computer architecture, machine learning, in-memory computing, and image processing,
with the goal of developing efficient and intelligent edge AI systems for smart embedded
systems and IoT applications.
Dr. Lorenzo Leiva Araya
lleiva@chapman.eduDr. Leiva Araya earned his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in biochemistry and his Ph.D. in
microbiology from the University of Chile, Santiago, Chile. During his Ph.D. project,
Lorenzo became interested in understanding the adaptation of bacterial translation
machinery during stress conditions. He joined Chapman University in 2021 to work as
a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Michael Ibba on the antibiotic stress response. Currently,
his research focuses on understanding the role of some molecules synthesized by side
reactions of the translation machinery, which play a role in bacterial communication
and gene regulation. The goal is to understand how bacteria use these molecules to
communicate with each other and coordinate the bacterial response that allows them
to tolerate antibiotic treatments.
Dr. Cassandra Maya
cmaya@chapman.eduDr. Maya is a food and nutrition scientist specializing in the nutrition, quality,
and consumer acceptance of alternative proteins, with a particular interest in edible
insects. Her doctoral research focused on replacing meat protein with insect- and
plant-based foods through a randomized control trial in family settings. The goal
of her research is to identify the factors that affect the successful integration
of alternative proteins into a healthy and sustainable human diet. Dr. Maya holds
a Ph.D. in nutrition from the University of Copenhagen.
Dr. Nicole Schwartz
nicschwartz@chapman.eduDr. Schwartz is an evolutionary physiologist who uses an interdisciplinary approach
to study the evolution of complex behavior (e.g., exercise). Her research examines
a broad range of topics, including biomechanics, energetics, and early-life effects.
More recently, she has started to investigate other behaviors (e.g., parental care),
and the role that hormones and the endocrine system may play in mediating integrated
responses to behavioral selection. The goal of her work is to examine behavior as
a collection of co-evolving sub-organismal traits, and the influence that genetic
background, environmental factors, and their interaction, may have on organismal behavior.
She holds a Ph.D. in evolution, ecology, and organismal biology from the University
of California, Riverside.
Dr. Gabriela Shirkey
shirkey@chapman.eduDr. Shirkey is geographer and landscape ecologist interested in the relationship between
land use, land cover, and ecosystem processes. Her work evaluates human-nature relationships
and their variation across spatiotemporal scales, applying socioecological system
approach. In her research, she asks how land management and land use vary spatially
and whether we can capture its intensity. Dr. Shirkey completed her undergraduate
degree at Michigan Technological University and her graduate degree from Michigan
State University. Her goal is to evaluate climate mitigation strategies and inform
stakeholders, policymakers, and her community on the complexity between society and
the biophysical environment.
Previous Fellows
Dr. Miranda Aiken
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Urban Soils and Biogeochemistry, California
State Polytechnic University, Pomona
GCI Fellow: 2022-2024
Dr. Carter Berry
Current Position: Environmental Impact Manager, International Foundation for Valuing
Impacts
GCI Fellow 2017-2020
Dr. Hector Camarillo Abad
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Occidental College
GCI Fellow 2022 - 2024
Dr. Robert de Bruijn
Current Position: Lecturer of Biology, Tufts University
GCI Fellow 2018-2020
Dr. Kamal Diki
Current Position: FWO Research Fellow, Ghent University
GCI Fellow 2022 - 2024
Dr. Cristhiano Duarte Silva
Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Leeds University
GCI Fellow 2018-2020
Dr. Desiree Forsythe
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Biology, Santa Clara University
GCI Fellow 2022 - 2024
Dr. Daniel Gardner
Current Position: Lecturer of Computing and Game Design, Robert Gordon University
GCI Fellow 2021 - 2024
Dr. José Raúl González Alonso
Current Position: Data Science Manager at Neustar, Inc.
GCI Fellow 2017-2019
Dr. Brenna Gormally
Current Position: Assistant Teaching Professor and Associate Director of Project Based
Learning, Seventh College, University of California, San Diego
GCI Fellow 2020 - 2021
Dr. Aaron Harrison
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Austin College
GCI Fellow 2018-2021
Dr. Brian Hoover
Current Position: Principle Investigator, Farallon Institute
GCI Fellow 2019-2022
Dr. Lucas Krusinski
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Animal Science and Biotechnology at California
State Polytechnic University, Pomona
GCI Fellow 2023 - 2024
Dr. Charlene McCord
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Marine Biology, California State University,
Dominguez Hills
GCI Fellow 2017-2019
Dr. Crystal Ng
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Biology, Marine Biology Program Lead, Los
Angeles Pierce College
GCI Fellow 2019-2020
Dr. Nana Pepra - Ameyaw
Current Position: Instructional Assistant Professor of Food Science, Chapman University
GCI Fellow: 2021 - 2024
Dr. Kenjiro Quides
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Teaching, Department of Microbiology and
Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis
GCI Fellow 2019-2022
Dr. Indrajit Sen
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Physics, Georgia Gwinnett College
GCI Fellow 2021 - 2024
Dr. Anne Sonnenschein
Current Position: Senior Bioinformatics Scientist, Tempus Labs
GCI Fellow 2017-2019
Dr. Mario Stipcic
Current Position: Preceptor of Mathematics, Harvard University
GCI Fellow 2021-2023
Dr. Zachary Thammavongsy
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Santiago Canyon College
GCI Fellow 2019-2022
Dr. Shana Welles
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Teaching, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal
Biology, University of California, Riverside
GCI Fellow 2017-2020
Dr. Bingjie Zhang
Current Position: Chemist, Behr Paint Company
GCI Fellow 2019-2022