Fall 2025 Interns
Aaliyah Saintil
Research Interests: Environmental Science, Sustainable Technology, Mechanical Engineering
Background: Aaliyah is a third year double majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Natural & Applied Sciences at Florida International University.
They are currently an intern with the Tropical Rivers Lab studying occurences of noise, light, and nutrient pollution along the Miami Little River with Lauren Emer as their mentor. Their goal is to create a map noting areas of co-occuring pollutants in hopes that it may be helpful to future researchers.
Aaliyah seeks to blend their Mechanical Engineering background with their passion for environmental sustainability to aid in the development of green technology.
Isabelle Artiste
Isabelle Artiste is a current senior at FIU majoring in Biological Sciences. She is very passionate about accessible healthcare, environmental conservation, and animal welfare. In her free time she likes to visit new places or observe art pieces at the museums nearby. She is honored to be a part of this team and excited to help contribute to our current research.
Alyssa Nunez de Villavivencio
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Jack Ramirez
Jack Ramirez is currently pursuing a B.S. in Environmental Studies along with a minor in Marine Biology and a certificate in Agroecology. His professional experience has currently been plant centered including terrestrial and aquatic. Jack's research interests expand to ecological relationships. He is currently researching the population and movement at Deering Estate, hoping to further the conservation of them.
Brookelynn Gotschall
Brookelynn Gotschall is a third-year marine biology student on a pre-veterinary track. Her goal is to be a wildlife veterinarian who specializes in marine mammals. This semester, she is interning at Zoo Miami in the Bat Lab. For her project, she will be placing passive acoustic monitors across Miami to increase the knowledge on the location and abundance of bat populations, such as the endangered Florida Bonneted bat.
Milani Cook
Milani Cook is studying Sustainability and the Environment at FIU. Her current research interests lie within agroecology and ecological restoration. At the Kampong, her research is centered around native bromeliads. Bromeliads face constant destruction due to invasive pests, and having a long life span before reaching reproductive maturity. Milani is currently working on a research project that analyzes the reproductive success of various Tillandsia fasciculata and Tillandsia utriculata specimens collected from the Kampong. In this project, she collects data measurements on plant size and photosynthetic properties, as well as seed quantities and masses.
Katelyn Smith
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Davia Anthony
Davia Anthony is a senior majoring in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Natural Resource Science and a minor in Biology at Florida International University. As an intern in the Tropical Rivers Lab, she focuses on expanding her knowledge on freshwater and marine ecosystems by contributing to research on changes in lake dynamics in the Amazonian River floodplains using GIS and supporting datasets , as well as assisting PhD students with research and data analysis. Her academic and professional interests center on environmental health, particularly mitigating pollution and addressing climate change. Outside of academics, Davia enjoys traveling and exploring new places, which deepens her appreciation for diverse environments and ecosystems.
Paloma Bustamante
Paloma Bustamante is pursuing a degree in sustainability and the environment, and will graduate next Spring. She loves spending time with her family, and also loves taking her dogs for walks and exploring natural areas.
Valeria Marquez
Valeria Marquez is a second-year student pursuing a marine biology degree with a chemistry minor. She will be interning with Biscayne National Park’s Resource Management division, conducting creel surveys at local county marinas. With this, she will be helping collect data from recreational fishermen, conducting both verbal interviews and physical measuring of the specimen when permitted. She will also be assisting with data entry and using this data to interpret the frequency of fishermen following regulations and the effects of the population and size species over time.
Lindsay Villavicencio
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Christian Campo
Christian Campo is currently pursuing dual B.A. degrees at FIU in Sustainability & the Environment and Political Science, with a minor in Agroecology. Christian's academic and professional experience has centered on sustainable agriculture, ecology, and horticulture in South Florida.
Christian has worked with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden on projects involving orchids, tropical fruit trees, and ecological education, as well as with local farms on sustainable practices like cover cropping, composting, and agroecological outreach. He is especially passionate about agronomy, ecological restoration, and finding ways to connect science with communities.
