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, including those from naturally occurring asbestos minerals, arsenic, and other carcinogens. Earlier work included research on warm deserts, including soil genesis, radionuclide and heavy metal contamination, biologic soil crusts, paleoclimate and landscape evolution, salt tectonics, geomorphic hazards, and 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 Universal National Information Management System (UNIMS), Section 508, and UNLV-FIA programs. 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 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 the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). In her personal time, she enjoys hiking, camping, 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. After graduating in August of 2023, she accepted a full-time position as a Program Coordinator. Certified by the Department of Homeland Security as a Section 508 Trusted Tester, Alana manages the assessment and remediation of a number of FIA web applications to ensure that they comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). She also provides quality assurance testing and user documentation support for several FIA projects, supervises student interns, and performs various administrative duties. Alana is additionally being trained as a future facilitator and project manager for national FIA change management projects. Alana received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from UNLV in August 2023, and plans 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 Castillo first joined the UNLV-FIA group as a student programmer in September of 2021, during which time he worked on the DATIM project with a focus on Section 508 compliance. 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.

Zach Dorff joined the UNLV-FIA group as a student programmer in late 2023. After graduating from UNLV with a B.S. in Computer Science in the Spring of 2024, Zach accepted a full-time position as a Software Engineer. He works on a number of projects, including EVALIDator, DATIM, and FIESTA. In his spare time, Zach enjoys riding motorcycles, playing video games, and working on personal projects.

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.

Alex Fox joined the UNLV-FIA group as a student programmer in September 2021. He accepted a full-time Software Engineer position after graduating from UNLV with a B.S. in Computer Science in the Spring of 2023. He currently works on the EVALIDator and DATIM projects. In his free time, Alex enjoys watching sports, playing video games with friends, and working on his own coding projects.

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 completed his Masters in Computer Science from Quaid I Azam University, Pakistan in 2016. 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. For UNLV-FIA, Sunil is a Software Engineer on the Maestro and UMaestro projects. Sunil believes in thinking outside the box to find unique solutions to difficult engineering problems. In his free time, Sunil enjoys hiking, playing cricket, and spending time with his family.

Michelle McGowan joined the UNLV-FIA group as a student programmer in early 2023. She accepted a full-time Software Engineer position upon graduating from UNLV with her B.S. in the Spring of 2024. Michelle currently works as a software engineer on the UMaestro, EVALIDator, and DATIM projects with a focus on Section 508 remediation. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys reading, hanging out with friends, and going to concerts.

Kelvyn Meyers joined the UNLV-FIA group as a student programmer in the 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. In addition to serving as the lead developer on the DATIM project, Kelvyn works on various other projects, including NVCS and NOMS. He also serves 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, she assesses web applications for compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). 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 December 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.

Jane Reid worked as a Forest Service employee for approximately 20 years. Following her retirement from the Forest Service, she joined the UNLV-FIA group as a Data Specialist in September 2018. She has been an important contributor to the DATIM, FIA2FSVeg, and UNIMS projects. Jane received her B.S. in Zoology from Brigham Young University and enjoys gardening, knitting, and reading in her spare time.

Natalie Renkes joined the UNLV-FIA group in May 2020. She received her M.S. degree in Geoscience from UNLV in May of 2023. She supervises student interns/staff members; is project manager for the DATIM, EVALIDator, Urban EVALIDator, Sample Nonresponse Bias in Estimations, and Science Strategy projects; and performs other duties based on FIA National Operations priorities. As a member of the FIA Section 508 Program Development Team, she is also working to ensure our group's compliance with federal accessibility laws. Outside of UNLV-FIA, Natalie’s research interests focus on naturally-occurring asbestos and its health implications within metropolitan Las Vegas. In her spare time, Natalie enjoys playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, hiking/camping, and is an avid reader. Her favorite book series is Game of Thrones (she hasn’t seen the show, don’t ruin the ending)!

Christopher Rosado joined the UNLV-FIA group as a student intern in December 2023. Currently, Chris is pursing a Bachelors of Science degree in Computer Science and is hoping to graduate in the Fall of 2025. Chris is ensuring that the DATIM site meets Section 508 standards. Chris enjoys hobbies such as snowboarding, the gym, and traveling.

Larry Royer began working for the USDA Forest Service in 1978 and retired in January 2008. At the time, Larry worked extensively with numerous Information Systems such as the design and development of NIMS-CS for the Southern Research Station FIA Unit. Since then, Larry has worked with NIMAC in maintaining US Fish and Wildlife Information systems, development of the Wisconsin Ratio Estimation Tool, and supporting PC Evalidator for multiple State inventories. Larry joined the UNLV-FIA team in January of 2008 and worked with us until October of 2016. While working with us, Larry worked extensively on the NIM-CS project, the NIMAC project, the TPO database, the NWOS, among other projects. From November of 2016 to September of 2021, Larry left UNLV-FIA and began working for the SUU-FIA partnership with UNLV and the USDA Forest Service. As of October of 2021, Larry has returned to the UNLV-FIA team as a Forestry Information Management Specialist to provide his expertise for NIMS-CS support, TPO database system, and maintenance of NIMAC systems. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Management from Colorado State University

Joe Tschida joined the UNLV-FIA group as a full-time Enterprise Data Architect in 2024. Having been in the industry since 1990, Joe brings decades of experience to the team. He builds data platforms, employs data integration techniques, and tools with all kinds of data projects. He seeks to leverage his skills as a data architect, modeler, developer, and analyst to assist FIA with enterprise efficiency and lean capabilities. He also hopes to promote strategic and operational improvements via enhanced insights and abilities to make decisions.

Ron Wanek has worked for the Forest Service for over 35 years and 20 years as a FIA employee. Following his retirement from the Forest Service, he joined the UNLV-FIA group as a Data Specialist in 2018. Ron has been an important part of our team and provides subject matter expertise on the design and development support of FIA information management systems in areas such as: data warehouse design, data extractions, transformations, and loads (ETLs), data processing, database programming, data analytics, database administration, software architecture, and quality assurance testing. Ron received a B.S. in Forest Management from Oregon State University.