Meet our M.DevEng Students - Class of 2023
Click on a name to view a profile.
Yunxi Chang
Yunxi Chang
(She/Her)
Bio: Undergraduate majoring in accounting and minoring in History of Art and Economics.
What place do you call home? Beijing, China
LinkedIn: Yunxi Chang
December 2023
Self-Designed Concentration
Yordanos Degu
Yordanos Degu
(She/Her)
Bio: Undergraduate study: Double major in Bachelor of Science in Mechanical and Bachelor of Art in Management, Mekelle University, Ethiopia.
Graduate study: Master of Development Engineering, University of California, Berkeley and Master of Art in Public Management, Ethiopia Civil Service University
I aspire to use the knowledge and skills I have acquired from my professional academics to solve communities' problems, provide sustainable solutions and achieve real development for positive impact.
What place do you call home? Ethiopia, Addis Ababa
LinkedIn: Yordanos Degu
December 2023
Sustainable Design Innovations
Kenan Carames
Kenan Carames
Bio: Kenan joined the program to learn how his interests in data analytics, optimization and human centered design can be directed towards social good and improving human dignity. Kenan recently finished studying industrial and systems engineering at University of Florida with a minor in international development and humanitarian assistance. His undergraduate research focused on human-automation interaction and addressing the challenges and opportunities created by new technologies. These projects explored automated vehicles, shared decision making, remote participatory design, and empowering older adults with cognitive impairment. Kenan has also implemented lean principles in healthcare manufacturing and conducted data analysis in the aerospace industry. He embraces systems thinking and believes in the power of exploring many disciplines to develop curiosity and innovation. In his free time, Kenan enjoys playing and watching soccer, spending time at the beach with friends, and exchanging book recommendations with others.
What place do you call home? St. Augustine, Florida
December 2023
AI/Data Analytics for Social Impact
Rais Salsa Muhammad
Rais Salsa Muhammad
(He/Him)
Bio: An Indonesian native. Prior to joining DevEng, I worked as a Management Consultant at KPMG, supporting clients with financial and commercial due diligence in Merger & Acquisition cases. After a year, I accepted the role of Corporate Strategy and Investments Lead at Ruangguru, the largest ed-tech company in Southeast Asia, for an additional year. In addition to my professional responsibilities, I am actively associated with NGOs that focus on social inclusion and carbon footprint offsetting.
Personal Writing: Rais Salsa M
Instagram: Raissalsam
December 2023
Sustainable Design Innovations
Ja Yoon Kim
Ja Yoon Kim
(He/Him)
Bio: I am Ja Yoon Kim, a half Chinese and half Korean DevEng student with Al/Data Analytics as concentration. I majored in Business and Finance for undergraduate.
What place do you call home? Shanghai
December 2023
AI/Data Analytics for Social Impact
Morris Chang
Morris Chang
(He/Him)
Bio: "Hello, My name is Morris Chang, and I am currently a Master's in Development Engineering student at UC Berkeley. I graduated from the University of Washington in June 2021 with a degree in International Studies and a minor in Entrepreneurship. At UW, I was primarily trained in the area of political economy, cybersecurity policy, and entrepreneurship. In addition, I also had experience with Python, Java, R, and Tableau through courses in data science and computer programming.
I have hands-on experience in areas including International Education, Product Development, Legal Legislation at the Congressional level, Social Charity, Podcast, and Social Media management. I embrace and take on challenges, responsibilities, and value both traditional and pioneering ideas. I can facilitate communications in teams and prefer to approach problems with creative and innovative solutions. I have lived in various places with diverse cultures around the world, including Europe, Asia, and the U.S., enabling me to think and work in a multi-cultural setting. Learn more about me: www.morrischang.info"
What place do you call home? Taipei, Taiwan
LinkedIn: Morris Chang
Personal Website: Morrischang.infoDecember 2023
AI/Data Analytics for Social Impact
Pun Praphanphoj
Pun Praphanphoj
(He/Him)
Bio: I'm an prototyper, designer with great interests in product/solution development aiming to address human complex issues. I’m on an endless journey of improving society and discovering new ideas along the way. I am passionate about bringing technological solutions to solve societal and environmental problems 🙂
LinkedIn: Pun Praphanphoj
December 2023
Sustainable Design Innovations
Rachel Lorae Dersch
Rachel Lorae Dersch
(She/Her)
Bio: Hello! I have a Bachelors of Electrical Engineering from Michigan State University with an emphasis in energy, power, and electromagnetics, and an associates in Spanish Language. Prior to arriving at Berkeley, I was working on the research, development, and data analysis of pilot programs demonstrating the energy efficiency of various new technologies for commercial and industrial applications at a Michigan energy utility company. As an undergraduate capstone project, I designed a 14kW solar power system for a ‘green’ school in Tanzania with the non-profit Solar Circle. I loved the intersection of travel and nonprofit renewable energy work. So I then spent two years working with EcoSwell, a non-profit in northern Peru, delivering a solar power installation training for the village medical post that establishes resilience for vaccine freezers, and building a solar water distiller prototype. As an undergraduate intern, I designed and taught project-based energy efficiency classes for high school students, and love being in the class room. With a masters in Development Engineering I hope to learn about the political, economic, and social implications of energy infrastructure in rural locations and would like to pivot my career in that direction following the program.
What place do you call home? Michigan
LinkedIn: Rachel Lorae Dersch
Twitter: @RachelDersch
December 2023
Energy, Water, and the Environment
Charity Fang
Charity Fang
(She/Her)
Bio: "Interested in Earth Science and Geography since childhood, she spent her undergrad in the Molecular Bioscience and Environmental Science fields. With the hope to gain interdisciplinary skills and acquire creative and critical thinking, she joined Duke Kunshan University (DKU) to be the first class of its undergraduate students. Through 4-year experience in lab work, field study, and volunteer activities, she is deepening her understanding of the wicked global challenges and accumulating a variety of knowledge from social science and humanities. With her 4-year pioneer experience at DKU, she finds her huge passion in sustainable development and hopes to promote eco-friendly practices in industrial activities. This brings her to Development Engineering at UC Berkeley. With all these preparations, her ambition is to make contributions to the development of renewable energy and the eco-friendly materials industry."
What place do you call home? China
LinkedIn :Charity Fang
December 2023
Energy, Water, and the Environment
Lambert Lin
Lambert Lin
(He/Him)
Bio: Bachelor degree in Sichuan University，China. Major in Environmental Engineering & Minor in Financial Engineering. Internship: Quantitive analysis assistance for two month in China International Capital Corporation (CICC).
Research/Projects: 1.The correlation between EUA (EU Allowances) and EU New Energy Stock Prices 2.Structure-activity relationship of trace organic pollutants in nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube-activated periodate-activated water by periodate 3.Using machine learning to build investor sentiment indicators and stock price crash risk early warning based on guba text
Leadership activites： Co-Leader & Video Editor, Regional Environmental Science InnovationCompetition 1st prize
Skills: Editing videos, programming with:Python, R, MATLAB.Modelling: Stock Price Forecasting, Random Forest, Support Vector Machines, Time Series
Other Specialty：Go-chess Hobby：Basketball, billiards，go-chess, hiking, climbing, movies
What place do you call home? China
LinkedIn: Lambert Lin
December 2023
AI/Data Analytics for Social Impact
Imani Alpha
Imani Alpha
(He/Him)
Bio: "A professional with a penchant for driving integration between technology, business and policy with expertise in the business development and technology arena. He is a high performance and top skilled maven with expertise in partnerships, business development, tech support, project management and community development, backed by a knack for eliminating technical problems, and collaborating with the development teams and global partners. When he is not trying to change the world, he'd be changing keys in music or exploring his creative outlet through his camera lens and writing."
What place do you call home? Nairobi, Kenya
LinkedIn: Imani Alpha
December 2023
AI/Data Analytics for Social Impact
Rui Qian
Rui Qian
Bio: I have a Bachelor degree in Environmental Science at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. I have done a research in biodiversity conservation in Bhutan. I have experience worked in Unilever China as data analyst intern in marketing department. I love listening to music and go to concert, from Kpop to EDM.
What place do you call home? Shenzhen, China
December 2023
AI/Data Analytics for Social Impact
Kristi Andono
Kristi Andono
(She/Her)
Bio: Hi! My name is Kristi Andono. I am an inquisitive learner and problem solver with creativity and empathy as my guiding principles. I love working on design challenges where I see potential to improve users’ experiences and create a meaningful impact to the community. I completed my undergraduate education at the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Architecture and Real Estate Development. My most recent experience is leading the CSR team of an energy company in design-build projects, namely community centers and shelters in remote villages in Papua, Indonesia, as well as infrastructure for clean water accessibility. I also have extensive experience in residential architecture projects and product design with various UX toolkits.
In my free time, I love to cook, create mixed-media paintings, make a Pinterest board for every idea that comes to mind, and sing my heart out in karaoke!
What place do you call home? Jakarta, Indonesia
Personal Portfolio: Kristi Andono
December 2023
Energy, Water, and the Environment
Ana Isabel Orozco Campos
Ana Isabel Orozco Campos
(She/Her)
Bio: Hello! My name is Ana Isabel. I was born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, where I obtained my bachelor degree in civil engineering. I worked there supervising and managing residential and commercial construction during 3 years. Later, I came to the US to do an internship at the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, where I had the opportunity to collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of social scientists and engineers in a survey that documented the physical and economic impacts on businesses after the 2018 earthquake in Anchorage, Alaska. Before coming to UC Berkeley, I worked for 3 years at Pankow, a construction management firm in Oakland. Having experienced the lack of awareness about the amount of waste that construction generates, I am very interest in using waste to create innovative and sustainable materials.
What place do you call home? Guadalajara, Mexico
LinkedIn: Ana Isabel Orozco Campos
December 2023
Sustainable Design Innovations
Jing Wang
Jing Wang
(She/Her)
Bio: I have a Bachelor of Mathematics & Statistics from University of Connecticut. I started my first internship in the Department of Finance of Agricultural Bank of China in my sophomore year. I conducted an in-depth financial analysis of several companies to assess their financial situation based on data. I joined the data insight team of the marketing department at Unilever China in 2021 summer, working as a data analysis intern. The work mainly consists of data collection and data analysis. The Master of Development Engineering program is an innovative program merging technology and development, covering for social impact, social entrepreneurship, and sustainability, which will broaden my view.
What place do you call home? Shandong, China
December 2023
AI/Data Analytics for Social Impact
Ibtihal Alshehri
Ibtihal Alshehri
(She/Her)
Bio: A professional with a bachelor’s degree in Physics & Engineering with an emphasis in computational analysis. Prior to joining UC Berkeley, Ibtihal worked in multiple academic and industrial sectors in the scope of complex systems analysis, integrations, and decision making. Her passion for joining this program comes from the interdisciplinary depth it offers combining engineering, economics, business, and design to facilitate the decision making process. At UC Berkeley, Ibtihal is focusing her studies on data analytics and AI for social impact.
What place do you call home? Saudi Arabia
LinkedIn: Ibtihal Alshehri
December 2023
AI/Data Analytics for Social Impact
Anjali Ravunniarath
Anjali Ravunniarath
(She/Her)
Bio: Hello! My name is Anjali. I hold a Bachelors in Computer Science and Math from Colorado College, and is an alumna of UWC Costa Rica. I have been working in international development since I graduated college, and have experience in data analysis and visualisation, impact evaluation, and product development and management. I love food, traveling and discovering new music. I want to continue working on impactful products and with inspiring people.
What place do you call home? India
December 2023
AI/Data Analytics for Social Impact
Diane Kabanyana
Diane Kabanyana
(She/Her)
Bio: Diane Kabanyana attended Birmingham-Southern College and majored in Economics and Business. Diane is passionate about transforming society toward well-being, with a focus on assisting people in achieving maximum productivity with limited resources. Merging technology and innovation are repetitive skills that are becoming increasingly scarce in most fields in her home country of Rwanda, particularly agribusiness. She is hoping that Development Engineering will provide her with the knowledge she needs to close that skill gap. This will provide her with a thorough understanding of problem-solving approaches, economic and social demographic dynamics, technological interference, and knowledge of sustainability. Her goals are to address the economic, business, and methodological barriers that Rwandan agriculturists faces. Diane enjoys Quality time with her loved ones, listening to music, podcasts, and playing chess, as well as reading infectious and hereditary diseases and nutritionist books— weird, isn't it?
What place do you call home? Rwanda
LinkedIn: Diane Kabanyana
