Rachel D. Torres
Arcata, CA
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Management
(September 2017 – December 2023)
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of
California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) - Santa Barbara, CA
Adviser: Dr. Naomi Tague
Thesis: Urban tree drought resilience and outdoor water conservation
in a Mediterranean climate: insights from an ecohydrologic
model
Certificate of College and University Teaching
Bachelor of Science in Physics, Summa Cum
Laude (August 2013 - December 2016)
North Park University – Chicago, IL
Advisers: Dr. Linda McDonald and Dr. Stephen Ray
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Postdoctoral researcher, current
position
California State Polytechnic University Humboldt, Arcata CA
(Jan. 2024)
Developing culturally-relevant environmental data science curriculum
with multi-institutional network. Funded by Alfred P. Sloan
Foundation.
Ph.D. Dissertation
Urban tree drought resilience and outdoor water conservation in a
Mediterranean climate: insights from an ecohydrologic model
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB, Santa
Barbara CA (2017 - 2023)
- developed novel method of vegetation parameterization in
ecohydrologic model (RHESSys) using high resolution vegetation indices
and lidar-derived LAI data
- developed module within surface routing code for sub-grid water
sharing
- ran model simulations of variation in outdoor water use during
drought, findings show that conserving water by 25% would have minimal
effects on tree carbon cycling and ecosystem services
Graduate Student Researcher, Tague Lab
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB, Santa
Barbara CA (2018-2021)
- SERI-Fire Environmental
model visualization development, simulating coupled wildfire and
ecohydrologic model
- Jackson Forest thinning project, simulating carbon fluxes from
redwood forest with climate change effects
- Urban stream nitrate project, summarizing green infrastructure and
ecohydrologic modeling literature, simulating urban nitrogen
cycling
Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship, Transportation
Systems
Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont IL (June – Sept. 2016)
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla CA
(June-Aug. 2015)
PUBLICATIONS
Torres, R., Miller, D.L., Alonzo, M., Tague, C.L.,
McFadden, J.P., Stevenson, S. “Evaluating urban tree resilience to
drought and extreme heat in Santa Barbara, CA”. In preparation to submit
for publication.
Torres, R., Tague, C. L., & McFadden, J. P.
(2024). Exploring potential trade-offs in outdoor water use reductions
and urban tree ecosystem services during an extreme drought in Southern
California. Frontiers in Climate, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2024.1280615
Suanda, S. H., Kumar, N., Miller, A. J., Di Lorenzo, E., Haas, K.,
Cai, D., Edwards, C. A., Washburn, L., Fewings, M. R., Torres,
R., & Feddersen, F. (2016). Wind relaxation and a coastal
buoyant plume north of Pt. Conception, CA: Observations, simulations,
and scalings. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 121(10),
7455–7475. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JC011919
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Graduate Teaching Assistant, EEMB131 Principles of
Evolution
Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, UCSB (Summer Session A 2023)
NSF-AGEP Fellow, ESRM 303 Data Visualization and
Climate Communication
Environmental Science and Resources Management, CSU Channel Islands
(Fall 2022)
Graduate Lead Teaching Assistant, ENV S2
Introduction to Environmental Science
Environmental Studies Department, UCSB (Summer Session B and Winter
Quarter, 2020-2022)
Instructor, INT 93LS Our Dynamic Earth
Summer Research Academies, UCSB (Summer Session A, 2020)
Graduate Teaching Assistant, ESM203 Earth Systems
Science
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB (Fall
Quarter, 2018-2021)
Graduate Teaching Assistant, ESM232 Environmental
Modeling
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB (Spring
Quarter, 2020-2022)
Graduate Teaching Assistant, STATS5LS Statistics for
the Life Sciences
Statistics Department, UCSB (Winter Quarter, 2020)
Graduate Teaching Assistant, PHYS6BL Introductory
Physics
Physics Department, UCSB (Spring Quarter 2019)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Systems Engineer, Zonehaven Genasys Inc., San Diego
CA (June - Sept. 2022)
- Researched methods and data sources for flood modeling to create
flood risk maps
- Developed static storm surge flood model using QGIS and Python
- Compiled spatial data and created docker image for the storm surge
flood model
Research Aide, Transportation Systems Argonne
National Laboratory, Lemont IL (Sept. 2016 –Dec. 2017)
- Updated and analyzed monthly electric vehicles sales and trends
- Developed website for user choice tool, worked on both layout and
functionality
- Created multiple databases on electric vehicles and county-level
demographics, collecting data from various government sources
MENTORSHIP, COMMITTEES, & VOLUNTEERING
Bren Environmental Leaders Mentor, Bren School of Environmental Sci.
and Mgmt., UCSB (Summer 2023)
Grad Scholars Program Mentor, Graduate Division, UCSB (Fall 2021-
Spring 2022)
PhD Programming Committee, Bren School of Environmental Sci. and
Mgmt., UCSB (Fall 2021- Spring 2022)
Ph.D. Group Project Mentor, Bren School of Environmental Sci. &
Mgmt., UCSB (Spring 2019 – 2021)
Outreach Coordinator, Womxn in Science and Engineering (WiSE), UCSB
(2020)
Undergraduate Mentorship Organizer, Womxn in Science and Engineering,
UCSB (2019)
Seminar Committee, Bren School of Environmental Sci. & Mgmt.,
UCSB (Fall 2019 – Spring 2020)
FELLOWSHIPS/SCHOLARSHIPS & AWARDS
2023 Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, Teaching
Assistant Award
2022 UC Santa Barbara, Graduate Student Association, Excellence in
Teaching Award
2022 NSF-AGEP, California HSI Alliance
Fellow
2018 UC Santa Barbara, Crossroads Fellow, Visualizing
Environmental Models
2018 UC Santa Barbara Associated Students, Coastal Fund Scholarship
2018 Earth Research Institute, Groundwater Resources Association of
California, Central
Coast
2017 Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, Michael J.
Connell Memorial Fellowship
2014 North Park University, Physics Honors Scholarship
2013 North Park University, Trustee Honors
2013 North Park University, Nyvall Scholarship
CERIFICATIONS
2024 Data Carpentries Instructor
2024 Certificate of College and University Teaching, UCSB
CONFERENCES/TRAINING WORKSHOPS ATTENDED
2024 ESIIL Data Short Course
2024 AIHEC Annual Student Conference
2022 Frontiers in Hydrology Meeting - San Juan, Puerto Rico
- eLightning presentation: Estimating Trade-offs in Outdoor Water
Conservation and Vegetation Ecosystem Services in a Semi-arid Urban
Environment
- Student Travel Grant Award Recipient
2021 American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting 2021 – New Orleans,
LA
- Poster presented: Evaluating urban tree resilience to drought
and extreme heat in Santa Barbara, CA
2019 American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting 2019 – San Francisco,
CA
- Poster presented: Estimating urban tree recovery after drought
using an eco-hydrologic model parameterized by remote sensing
data
2019 CUAHSI Master Class: Advanced Techniques in Watershed Science –
Oracle, AZ
2018 American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting 2018 – Washington
D.C.
- Poster presented: Modeling the effects of connected impervious
surfaces on urban green spaces and groundwater recharge in a semi-arid
environment
2018 Ridge to Reef Summer Institute – University of California,
Irvine
2018 Honda Women in Green Forum – Los Angeles
RELEVANT COURSES
ESM206 Data Analysis for Environmental Science and
Management
PSTAT262ST Seminars: Spatial Statistics
ESM203 Earth Systems Science
ESM235 Watershed Analysis
ESM232 Environmental Modeling
ESM215 Landscape Ecology
GEOG214A Advanced Remote Sensing
GEOG243 Vegetation Atmosphere Dynamics
GEOG260 Biogeochemical Cycles
SKILLS
Computer: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel,
PowerPoint, Publisher, Outlook), R, SAS, HTML, javascript, Python,
MATLAB, GIS (ArcGIS, QGIS)
Languages: intermediate level in reading Spanish,
conversational level in speaking Spanish