UNLV-FIA

Dr. Brenda J. Buck joined the UNLV-FIA program in 2017. As the Program Director and Principal Investigator, she oversees daily operations.

Dr. Buck received her Ph.D. in 1996 from New Mexico State University in Agronomy/Soil Science. She has been a professor at UNLV since 1998. Dr. Buck’s research has spanned a wide range of interdisciplinary topics. She is perhaps best known for medical geology research on health hazards associated with dust exposure. Earlier work included other applications of arid soil science/geology. Dr. Buck has served as a researcher, collaborator, and teacher for field expeditions to 18 countries on 6 continents. She is also an artist, outdoor enthusiast, cyclist, and loves live music.

Gretchen Andrew has worked with the UNLV-FIA group since 2009. She currently serves as Program Manager for the UNLV-FIA information management program and ancillary Section 508 program, and as senior project manager of UMaestro. She also works closely with the FIA National Operations team to promote effective project management practices and to develop standard operating procedures to improve efficiency, quality, and consistency for a variety of operations. She serves as functional manager and supervisor for UNLV staff and oversees much of our daily operations. She continually strives to find solutions and strategies to ensure our long-term success. Gretchen received her M.S. in Environmental Science from UNLV. In her personal time, she enjoys hiking, camping, live music, and reading.

Sami Ahmed joined the UNLV-FIA group in August 2022. As an experienced Software Engineer, he has worked on different software products using various programming languages, frameworks, and tools. Sami is a skilled end-to-end software developer that has mastered object-oriented programming. He applies analytical thinking to design attractive user interfaces and develop back-end solutions. He received a B.S. in Computer Science from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. Sami is a full-time member of the UMaestro project.

Alana Bayless first joined the UNLV-FIA group as a student intern in early 2023, and then accepted a full-time position post-graduation. She currently works as a junior project manager and program coordinator. Certified by the Department of Homeland Security as a Section 508 Trusted Tester, Alana manages the assessment and remediation of several FIA web applications to ensure that they comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). She also facilitates and manages national FIA change management projects, supervises student interns, and performs various administrative duties. Alana received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from UNLV in August 2023, and hopes to pursue a Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. In her free time, Alana enjoys watching movies/TV series, sewing, painting, drawing, and other creative craft projects.

Prior to joining the UNLV-FIA group as a data specialist in the Spring of 2021, Helen Beresford worked for the U.S. Department of Defense as an Oceanographer and for the USDA Forest Service as a physical scientist and information technology specialist. She transitioned to the UNLV-FIA team upon retiring from the Forest Service after 21 years, bringing with her vast experience in forest inventory data management. She now serves as an important contributor to the Timber Products Output (TPO) project. Helen received her B.S. in Oceanography from the Florida Institute of Technology and has additional education in remote sensing and geographic information systems.

John Bertini joined the UNLV-FIA group in 2015 as a Software Engineer. After successfully leading the development team on the DATIM project, John joined the UNIMS team as the primary database developer. John received his B.S. in Computer Science from UNLV. He enjoys reading, off-roading, and camping.

Dave Lorenz Castillo first joined the UNLV-FIA group as a student programmer in September of 2021. After graduating from UNLV with a B.S. in Computer Science, Dave accepted a full-time position as a Software Engineer in early 2023. He now serves as the lead developer on the UMaestro project and works on a number of other projects, including NOMS and EVALIDator. In his free time, Dave enjoys watching TV shows, gaming, playing music, and improving his programming skills by designing personal projects.

Brian Cordova has worked as a Computer Systems Analyst with the UNLV-FIA group since its inception in 1998. He has long been a key contributor on nearly every co-project we share with the Forest Service and was even awarded the FIA Director Award. Brian received his B.S. in Management Information Systems from UNLV. In his free time, Brian enjoys gardening, walking, camping, and playing a number of instruments, including piano, saxophone and oboe.

Vicki Foster joined the UNLV-FIA group as a data specialist in the Spring of 2023 after retiring from the USDA Forest Service. She formerly worked for the United States Air Force, both active duty and as a civilian employee. Vicki has extensive experience in database management and has been an important contributor to the MIDAS, NOMS, NIMS, and other projects. Vicki received her M.S. in Management/Management Information Systems from Minot State University. She enjoys riding motorcycles, kayaking, camping, and exploring the forests and beaches of Alaska.

Westly joined our team as a senior-level Oracle Database Programmer in December 2021. Due to his former role as a consultant, he came into this position already familiar with several of our FIA projects, including UNIMS and DATIM. Wes studied Wildlife Management at the University of Wisconsin and previously worked as an Oracle University Instructor. In addition, he has approximately 25 years of experience in programming, database development, database administration, and database/data warehouse architecture.

Sunil Manzoor joined the UNLV-FIA group in October 2022. He is an experienced full-stack Software Engineer with expertise in all aspects of the software development life cycle, including requirements analysis, design, development, and production support. He is proficient at designing and formulating test automation frameworks and writing code in various languages. He believes in thinking outside of the box to find unique solutions to difficult engineering problems. Sunil received his M.S. in Computer Science from Quaid I Azam University, Pakistan. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, playing cricket, and spending time with his family.

Cedric Men joined the UNLV-FIA group as a student programmer in November 2025. He is currently pursuing his M.S. in Computer Science and expects to graduate in 2027. He enjoys learning new things and further improving his skills.

Kelvyn Meyers joined the UNLV-FIA group as a student programmer in October 2020. After receiving his B.S. in Computer Science from UNLV in the Spring of 2021, Kelvyn accepted a full-time position as a Software Engineer. He quickly proved himself to be a strong leader, and has served as lead developer on a variety of projects and as technical advisor to student interns. In his free time, he enjoys working on personal projects, playing video games, and spending time with his family.

Luiza Novytska joined the UNLV-FIA group as a student Web Accessibility Tester in June 2024. Certified by the Department of Homeland Security as a Trusted Tester, her main responsibility was to assesses web applications for compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). In January 2026, Luiza transitioned to a full-time role as a Junior Database Administrator. In this capacity, she will handle a range of database administration tasks, oversee release management, manage projects related to several FIA and national change management initiatives, and work on Section 508 Compliance projects. Luiza’s academic background boasts two M.S. degrees, one in Hospitality and the other in Economics with a focus on International Affairs. She is currently pursuing her third M.S. in Data Analytics, with an anticipated graduation in the Spring of 2026. Beyond her professional pursuits, Luiza enjoys spending quality time with family, indulging in sewing projects, and exploring new destinations through travel. She is also a dedicated Star Wars fan.

After retiring from the Forest Service after 20 years of service, Jane Reid joined the UNLV-FIA group as a Data Specialist in September 2018. Her expertise in database management and the extract, transform, and load (ETL) data integration process has made her an important contributor on a variety of projects, including the UNIMS database development project. Jane received her B.S. in Zoology from Brigham Young University. She enjoys gardening, knitting, and reading in her spare time.

Chris Rosado joined the UNLV-FIA group as a student programmer in December 2023. After receiving his B.S. in Computer Science in December 2025 he joined the UNLV-FIA group as a Software Engineer. In his spare time, Chris enjoys snowboarding, going to the gym, playing games with friends, and traveling.

Larry Royer joined the Forest Service as an employee in 1978. After retiring in January 2008, he joined the UNLV-FIA group as a part-time team member. Throughout his career, he has worked extensively with a variety of Information Management Systems. He helped design and develop the NIMS-CS for the Southern Research Station, worked with NIMAC to maintain U.S. Fish and Wildlife Information Management Systems, developed the Wisconsin Ratio Estimation Tool, and supported PC Evalidator for multiple State inventories. He has also worked extensively on NRUM/TPO, NWOS, and other projects. Larry received his B.S. degree in Forest Management from Colorado State University.

Maria Surova joined the UNLV-FIA group as a student programmer in November 2025. She is currently pursuing a B.S. in Computer Science and Mathematics and expects to graduate in the Spring of 2026. In her spare time, Maria enjoys traveling, painting, and spending time with her cats.

Prior to joining the UNLV-FIA group as a part-time employee in 2018, Ron Wanek worked for the Forest Service for 35+ years and for FIA for 20 years. His expertise in the design and development of FIA Information Management Systems includes data warehousing, the ETL data integration process, data processing, database programming, data analytics, database administration, software architecture, and quality assurance testing. Ron received his B.S. in Forest Management from Oregon State University.