Ortiz Lab
Who We Are
Dr. Janel Ortiz
PI
Dr. Janel Ortiz (she/her) is an Associate Professor at Cal Poly Pomona (CPP) in the Center for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching and the Department of Biological Sciences. She is the Director of Science Educational Enhancement Services (SEES) and coordinator of the Prete Fellowship Program at CPP.
Dr. Ortiz completed a diversity postdoctoral fellowship at the University of San Diego in the Department of Biology. She earned her Ph.D. in Wildlife Science from Texas A&M University-Kingsville in May 2018. Prior to that, she completed her M.S. in Biology and a certificate in GIS from Cal State LA. She is a graduate of UC Davis with a B.S. in Animal Science. She is most interested in engaging students in nature through formal and informal learning environments. As a first-gen Latina she is passionate about increasing representation in STEM.
Paloma Lobos
Master's Student in Biology
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B.S. Biology,
UC Riverside
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Avian diversity in green schoolyards​
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I want to be a faculty member at a community college.
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Nathan Sinn
Master's Student in Biology
B.S. Biology, Science Education Minor,
UCLA
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Ecological impact and perception of campus coyotes
​My career goal is to teach at the community college level.
Clayton Patterson
Master's Student in Biology
B.S. Conservation Biology & Ecology,
Arizona State University,
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I am working on the Urban Wildlife Information Network project to understand how fire and smoke impact urban wildlife dynamics.
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My career goal is to become a wildlife biologist.
Lily McCarthy
Master's Student in Biology
B.A. Environmental Studies,
Brandeis University
I am working on the Urban Parrot Project to explore roost site characteristics that influence selection and to assess parrot habitat use during the day by tracking their movements.
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My goal is to be a GIS analyst working in wildlife conservation.
Nick Garcia
Undergraduate Researcher
Environmental Biology Major, Cal Poly Pomona
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I help with the Urban Wildlife Information Project. I go through photos captured by a motion-sensored camera and spot for species and their behaviors.
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My career goal is to be an environmental scientist.
Lucas Perez
Undergraduate Researcher
Transfer, Riverside City College
Biology Major, Cal Poly Pomona
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I support the UWIN camera trapping project in both field work and animal identification and assist the Urban Parrot Project.
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My goal is to become a science educator and communicator, and to teach people about the wonders of our world.
Belen Flores
Undergraduate Researcher
Environmental Biology Major, Cal Poly Pomona
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Research projects I have worked on include tick identifications, UWIN photo tagging, volunteering for thermal counts on the parrot project, and running camera traps through EcoAssist.
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My career goals are to obtain my bachelors degree in Environmental Biology and pursue my passions of environmentalism, community, and GIS.
Lisset Hernandez
Undergraduate Researcher
Animal Science/Zoology Major, Cal Poly Pomona
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I am a 2nd-year undergraduate student assisting in urban wildlife research of the San Gabriel Valley. I also photo tag and camera trap for Cal Poly Wild and the Urban Wildlife Information Network project.
My career goal is wildlife conservation and education. I hope to one day open a wildlife sanctuary that promotes One Health and community inclusivity.
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Ava Draper
Undergraduate Researcher
Transfer, Mt. SAC
Environmental Biology Major, Cal Poly Pomona
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I am helping out with the Urban Wildlife Information Project and actively learning field work skills!
My goal is to become an ecologist, study insect pollinators, and work towards earning a PhD one day!
Claire Gomez
Undergraduate Researcher
Fire Inspector I Certification, Chaffey College
Environmental Biology Major,
Cal Poly Pomona
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I contribute to the Urban Wildlife Information Network project, which examines how fire and smoke impact urban wildlife dynamics. My role includes assisting with photo tagging and data organization to support wildlife monitoring and analysis.
My career goal is to work within a fire department specializing in fire prevention and community risk reduction.
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FORMER
LAB MEMBERS
Sophia Meza, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate (Edison STEM-NET Fellowship)
Project: Using LiDAR to Characterize Wild Parrot Roosts in the Urban Landscape, 2026
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Joy Cavazos, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate
Project: Urban Parrot Project, 2026
Soroush Azizi, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate (CSU-SPaRA Research Scholar)
Project: Impact of Fire on Wildlife, 2026
Victoria Cubias, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate (Kellogg Honors College)
Project: Ticks of the Voorhis Preserve, 2025-2026
Amy Lee, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate (ENGAGE)
Project: Southern California Passive Tick Surveillance Network, 2024-2026
Sophie Chen, Cal Poly Pomona, Graduate (Master’s), USDA ARI Next-Gen Research Fellowship
Project: Mesocarnivore Coexistence in the San Gabriel Valley, 2024-2026
Destiny Rojas, Cal Poly Pomona, Graduate (Master’s), USDA ARI Next-Gen Research Fellowship
Project: Monitoring Wild Parrots in Anthropogenic Environments, 2023-2026
Noemi Villareal, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate
Project: CPP Wild & UWIN, 2022-2025
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Sydney Nguyen, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate
Project: CPP Wild & UWIN, 2022-2025
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Sophia Ramirez, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate
Project: Environmental Health in Recreational Spaces in the Eastern San Gabriel Valley, 2024-2025
Kas Vazquez, Cal Poly Pomona, Graduate (Master’s in Regenerative Studies)
Project: Landscape Connectivity for California Mule Deer in Los Angeles County, 2024-2025
Currently: Wildlife Biologist, AECOM
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Violet Martin, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate
Project: Tick-Plant Community Associations in the San Gabriel Valley, 2023-2024
Cristopher Pineda, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate
Project: Landscape Characteristics of Tree Squirrel Home Ranges, 2022-2025
Currently: DVM/MPH Student, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine- Tufts University
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Caleb Sandoval, Cal Poly Pomona, Graduate (Master's in Biology)
Project: One Health in Southern California: Potential Interactions between Wildlife, People, and Ticks in Eastern Los Angeles County, CA, 2022-2024
Currently: PhD Student, University of Iowa
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Gabriella Ferraro, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate
Project: Determining Suitable Habitat for Mule Deer within the Urban Matrix, 2022-2025
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Adrianna Elihu, Cal Poly Pomona, Graduate (Master's in Biology)
Project: Where the Wild(life) are: Wildlife, Access, and Greenspace in San Gabriel Valley, 2024
Currently: Stewardship Associate Biologist, Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
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Juan Diaz, Rio Hondo College, Undergraduate
Project: Tick Activity in the Eastern San Gabriel Valley, 2023
Zoe Nelson, Rio Hondo College, Undergraduate
Project: Accessibility of Recreational Green Spaces by Humans and Wildlife Presence: A Look into Luxury Effect, 2023
Jennifer Flores, Cal Poly Pomona, Graduate (Master’s in Biology)
Project: Cal Poly Wild: An Undergraduate Research Experience, 2021-2023
Lauren Hamlett, Cal Poly Pomona, Graduate (Master’s in Regenerative Studies)
Project: Public Perceptions of the Pasadena Humane Society Wildlife Helpline, 2022-2023
Currently: Wildlife Director, Pasadena Humane Society
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Isabella Garcia, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate
Project: Urban Parrot Distributions, Diet, and Community Engagement, 2022-2023
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Bryanna Ramos, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate
Project: Urban Wildlife of the San Gabriel Valley, Fall 2022
Karen Salazar, Cypress College, Undergraduate
Project: Presence of Pest Rodent Species in Urbanized Areas: Who is Impacted?, Summer 2022
Gabriela Gonzalez, Cypress College, Undergraduate
Project: Human and Wildlife Coexistence in the San Gabriel Valley, Summer 2022
Kassie Craft, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate
Project: Urban Wildlife of the San Gabriel Valley, Spring 2022-Fall 2022
Giselle Sandoval, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate
Project: Urban Wildlife of the San Gabriel Valley, Spring 2022-Fall 2022
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Jocelyn Urias, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate
Project: Urban Wildlife of the San Gabriel Valley, Spring 2022
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Judy Ly, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate
Project: Mapping Urban Parrot Distributions, Fall 2021-Fall 2022
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Isabel Castillo, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate
Project: Cal Poly Wild: An On-Campus Wildlife Learning Experience, 2021-2022
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Stephanie Zuniga, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate (SPIRES Scholar)
Project: Social Behavior of Waterfowl in an Urban Park, 2021-2022
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Celina Rong, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate
Project: Diet of Urban Parrots in Southern California, Spring 2021
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Anam Qayyum, Cal Poly Pomona, Undergraduate
Project: Landscape Characteristics of Urban Parrot Roost Sites in Southern California, Spring 2021
Currently: Master’s Student, University of California, Riverside
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Beatriz Martinez-Martin, University of San Diego, Undergraduate
Project: Avian Insectivores and Diet Availability in South Texas, 2019-2021
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Angelica Ocaña, University of San Diego, Undergraduate
Project: Sex Aggregations in White-tailed Deer on South Texas Rangelands, 2019-2020
Currently: Laboratory Technician, Pharmatech
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Maxwell Johnson, University of San Diego, Undergraduate
Project: Establishing a Monitoring Program for Population Estimates of Urban Parrots, 2019
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Maisy Feeley, University of San Diego, Undergraduate
Project: Establishing a Monitoring Program for Population Estimates of Urban Parrots, 2019
Charlie Daria, University of San Diego, Post-Baccalaureate
Project: Diet of Introduced Parrots in San Diego, CA, 2018-2019
Alexandra Sigg, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Undergraduate
Project: Impact of Human Disturbance on the Relative Abundance and Diversity of Native and Exotic Avian Species, 2016
Oscar Mariscal, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Undergraduate
Project: Impact of Human Disturbance on the Relative Abundance and Diversity of Native and Exotic Avian Species, 2016
Prospective Graduate Students: If you are interested in working with Dr. Ortiz, download and complete the following application. Completion of the application does not guarantee a spot in the lab. Once completed, email it to Dr. Ortiz at jortiz@cpp.edu along with a recent resume/CV.