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Student Participants

USDA-NIFA-HSI Student Interns 2019:

Interns
	Ryan Wong is a second year Mechanical engineering Student and will be a part of the USDA-NIFA-HSI Ag-Tech Summer Internship program at UC Merced. Being a part of this program provides him an opportunity to become familiar with current agricultural production, and advanced technologies that will prepare him for the new agricultural industry. Academically, Wong is interested in robotics, drones and sustainability, and has been working in his robotics club to build robots with his fellow club members. Wong plans on using his skillset to improve the Agriculture Industry as well as the local Merced community.
	Kimberly Parra is a second year Mechanical Engineering major from Stockton, California. She recently worked as an intern at the Castle Air Museum and is currently a member of the Professional Engineering Fraternity Theta Tau. Kimberly aims to use this experience to learn more about agriculture and learn how to apply engineering solutions to the problems in the field.
	My name is Jesus Coria and am a second year Mechanical Engineer major. I am an active member in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) UC Merced Chapter and was recently elected as the AIAA Astronautics Director for the 2019 – 2020 academic year. As the Astronautics Director, and project manager for a new AIAA project, I am working on bringing and organizing a high-powered rocket competition project to our chapter. I am intrigued to take opportunities where I can apply the knowledge I am gaining from my courses and my own self-taught capabilities.
	Jaime Rivera is a second year Computer Science and Engineering student, and is an intern for the Summer 2019 USDA-NIFA-HSI Educational Program. Being part of this internship provides him an opportunity to help learn about AgTech and how it influences the world today. Academically, Rivera is interested in software and computer development, artificial intelligence, and is striving to get a bachelor’s degree at UC Merced. Rivera hopes to become a leading expert in the field of Computer Science and AI. Rivera also plans on using theses skill to improve the world by creating algorithms in AI that would help the the world’s agriculture industry.
	My name is Roberto Cordero. I’m a second year Computer Science Engineer from the Central Valley. I’m an active member in Ingenieros Unidos (SHPE) and was recently involved in the Mars Rover project. Im excited to learn about the use of technology in Agriculture and make a contribution in this field of study. In my free time I enjoy reading about advancements in various sectors of technology, playing/watching sports, and photography.

USDA-NIFA-HSI Student Interns 2018:

Interns
	Brendan Daddino is a third year Bioengineering major that is interested in agricultural technology. Brendan is one of the founding members and current president of UC Merced’s student branch of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers(ASABE). He hopes to enter the agricultural industry with new ideas to better todays farming methods.
	Julia Gionet-Conzales is a third year Mechanical Engineering major from Lake Forrest, California. Some of the things she has been involved in on campus are the UC Merced Cross Country team, AIAA, and co founder of ASABE. Her interests and future goals are to work in environmental sustainability.
	Nicolas Limon is a second year Mechanical Engineering major that is interested in autonomous robots and their applications in the agricultural field. Limon is currently vice president of UC Merced’s chapter of the American Society for Agricultural and Biological Engineers and the project manager for their robotics project. He hopes to learn more about the economics of agriculture and apply engineering solutions to the problems in the field.
	Christian Martin is a third-year Computer Science and Engineering student from the Central Valley. Besides spending days trying to debug a single error on his code, he spends his time getting lost in the woods (hiking) and indulging in the sweet taste of fermented grape juice. He hopes to learn more about innovative technological trends in the agriculture sector and his neighboring community.
	Arturo Ramirez Reyes is a 2nd-year Computer Science and Engineering student. He recently worked as an intern for the Merced Vernal Pools and Grassland Reserve on the Drone Detection of Invasive Species project using drones, Agisoft PhotoScan, and ArcGIS Pro. He hopes to use this fellowship to learn the applications of technology in agriculture. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking and spending time with loved ones.

USDA-NIFA-HSI Student Interns 2017:

Interns
	Jeffrey Ali is a third-year mechanical engineering student from the bay area. Through this fellowship, Jeffrey hopes to learn more about the technology and economics of precision agriculture, so that he can apply that knowledge and make a contribution in this field. In his spare time Jeffrey enjoys swimming and jogging.
	Horacio Ledesma is a third-year Mechanical Engineering student from the Central Valley. He sees this fellowship as a great opportunity to learn more about the future technology of agriculture, and he hopes that in the future he will be able to give back to the Central Valley using the knowledge obtained. Horacio enjoys passing time with his family and playing the guitar.
	Luis Jimenez Lopez is a first-generation mechanical engineering student from the Central Valley. He hopes to use this fellowship to learn how various technologies can be used to increase efficiency and productivity in farming. Luis enjoys playing sports and painting.
	Victoria Manh is a recent graduate with a bachelors in material science and engineering. She has previously worked on a project focusing on disease detection on grapes using aerial drones and holds a remote pilots certificate. She hopes this internship will expand her knowledge of drone applications in agriculture. In her spare time, Victoria works on mini projects. Her current project is adding modifications to her 3D printer.
	Eva Salas is a 3rd year stdents and her major is Computer Science and Engineering. She is from the Central Valley and grew up around agriculture. She hopes to use this experience to gain a deeper understanding of how technology is integrated into agriculture. In her free time she enjoys dancing and hanging out with friends.