MEDS 2026
Pronouns: she/her/ella
Bio
Marie Tolteca was born and raised in Ventura County from Oxnard. She graduated from the California State University of Monterey Bay (CSUMB) earning a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, Technology, & Policy focusing on Watersheds with a minor in Data Science. After graduating Marie spent two years in the workforce, where she worked for NASA-AMES research program with CSUMB research lab, which utilized spatial analysis, remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and collaborated with weather stations using satellite imagery to observe water usage on agriculture fields throughout California. She also worked with the Bureau of Land Management in the high desert located at Burns, Oregon. She undertook the role as an Environmental Resource Upland Monitoring Intern, where she learned high desert flora and fauna, conducted data collection and analysis, spatial analysis, and worked closely with supervisors. Most recently, she worked as a Biologist and Assistant Project manager at a local environmental firm in Ventura, CA. She contributed with GIS, report writing for regulatory agencies, various surveys (nesting birds, revegetation, and pre-construction), managed projects such as routine landscape maintenance, habitat mitigation, and budget preparation.
Building on her background, Marie aims to apply machine learning, spatial analysis, and visualization to deeply analyze water resources, natural hazards, and disasters, collaborating with regulatory agencies to develop resilient solutions.