Meet the Team

Bella Harandi
Bella joined the GEI Lab in Spring 2025 and holds the P3 Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Central Florida. She earned her Ph.D. in Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems from the Faculty of Engineering at Universiti Putra Malaysia in 2018. Before joining UCF, she was a researcher and an educator in Australia and Japan. Her primary research focuses on the application of machine learning algorithms in spatial science, including geohazard prediction and mitigation. At the GEI Lab, she is supporting multiple remote sensing and machine learning projects.

Varun Singh
Varun joined the GEI Lab in Fall 2024. He is a current US Fulbright Scholar, and a Civil and Geotechnical Engineer. He possesses a strong academic and professional foundation in industry work, research and education. He is currently pursuing an MSc in Civil Engineering (Structural and Geotechnical Track) at UCF. Experienced engineer with a proven track record in field data analysis, innovative material studies, and geotechnical investigations. Skilled educator, serving as a graduate teaching assistant, guest lecturer, and technical presenter, with a commitment to mentoring and inspiring future engineers. He is dedicated to advancing knowledge through interdisciplinary research and effective teaching methodologies in civil and geotechnical engineering.

Sanidhya Sharma
Sanidhya joined the GEI Lab in Fall 2024. He received a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degree from Delhi Technological University in 2022. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Structural and Geotechnical Engineering at UCF. As a civil engineer in Nepal, he had worked on buildings, hydropower, and water supply projects. He has skills in SAP2000, AutoCAD, Etabs, and ArcGIS, and has a conference presentation about Soil-Structure Interaction Effects on the Seismic Response of RC Structures. At the GEI Lab, he is working on big data analytics, signal processing, and seismic hazard assessment.

Wenlong Yu
Wenlong joined the GEI Lab in Spring 2025 as a visiting scholar at the University of Central Florida. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Geological Engineering and Geological Resources at Chengdu University of Technology. Before joining UCF, he worked extensively on early identification, monitoring, and warning systems for geological hazards. He has expertise in UAV photogrammetry, LiDAR data processing, and InSAR deformation monitoring. At the GEI Lab, his research focuses on geological hazard assessment and landslide mechanism analysis.

Olivia Tedeschi
Olivia joined the GEI Lab in Fall 2024. She is undergraduate student in Civil Engineering at UCF. She has worked as a Field Technician Intern at the Southwest Florida Water Management District and worked as an undergraduate research assistant in supporting Florida’s recycling programs. She loves field and lab work. In her free time, Olivia enjoys cooking, yoga, and spending time with my two cats. At the GEI Lab, she is working on coastal erosion projects.

Gustavo Flores
Gustavo joined the GEI Lab in Spring 2025 under the UCF EXCEL program. He is a sophomore pursuing a degree in Computer Engineering. He is passionate about the intersection of hardware and software, aiming to develop innovative computer hardware solutions that improve problem-solving efficiency. He enjoys exploring scientific and scholarly publications to deepen his understanding of new concepts and answer his own questions. In his free time, Gustavo learns about Linux through the Arch Linux distribution, plays the video game Ark: Survival Evolved, and spends time talking with his friends. At the GEI Lab, Gustavo is working on coastal erosion problems.

Nathalia Carreno
Nathalia joined the GEI Lab in Fall 2024. She has diverse professional experiences include interning as a traffic engineer, where she analyzed data for major Central Florida Expressway (CFX) roads in Orlando, and as a preconstruction intern for a large contractor, preparing bids and proposals for projects exceeding $100 million. Additionally, Nathalia gained hands-on experience as a project engineer intern in the heavy civil sector. Her interests include sustainability, management, and big data analytics, and she aspires to pursue higher education in these areas to further contribute to addressing the challenges of climate change. At the GEI Lab, Nathalia is working on landslide mapping projects for extreme climate events.

Julia Manfrediz
Julia joined the GEI Lab in Spring 2025 under the UCF EXCEL program. She is currently a sophomore at the University of Central Florida pursuing a B.S. Degree in Civil Engineering, with an anticipated track of geotechnical and transportation. She has always had a strong interest in geotechnical engineering, and most specifically natural disaster mitigation. Her goal in her research and career is to make a positive impact in how the world approaches disaster mitigation and anticipation. At the GEI Lab, she is working on landslide mapping projects.

Ma Alessandra Domingo
Alessandra joined the GEI Lab in Fall 2024. She will receive a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of Central Florida in Spring 2025. She has strong interest in water treatment processes and is currently working as an intern at Orange County Water Reclamation. Outside of academic pursuits, Alessandra likes to spend her time training dogs and traveling. At the GEI Lab, she is supporting the Florida sinkhole project.