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People

A big thanks to our current collaborators, partners, and/or supporters:
Coffee Bandits                                                
The Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute
Frame of Reference                                        
Illumina Studios                      
Merced Vernal Pools & Grassland Reserve   
Quest

BIOTA is a documentary series on symbiotic relationships with an aim to draw in an audience that reflects underrepresented individuals from all backgrounds (orientation, political stance, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, and so forth). BIOTA is a collaborative operation between scientists and artists. Most importantly, it's a series catered to an audience who would otherwise not show interest in the sciences. This bizarre requisite of BIOTA's team sets it apart from other science-affiliated film media, opening up an entirely new toolset to the scientific community and general public alike.

Get Involved

Are you an artist, musician, photographer, scientist, and/or human interested in contributing to BIOTA in some form? We're always in need of a wide array of skills and seek to involve the widest possible audience. Please contact us at biotatv.org@gmail.com.

ALEXANDRA D PARVAZ [social media-journals] earned an M.S. in Environmental Science and Sustainability at the University of Utah, where she worked to help establish the U of U’s Office of Sustainability and coordinate the Edible Campus Gardens Project. In addition to rabid gardening, she cultivates a passion for food justice issues, social-ecological resilience, pen art, dulcimers, bicycle-based economies and mechanics, and sharing good food.

ALLISON HARDEN [graphic design] is a mathematics major studying at the University of Utah. Allison loves both math and biology and hopes to someday combine the two for her future career. She is currently working on research at the U of U, analyzing genes related to neurodegenerative disorders.

ANDREW A SCHLAIER [web design] graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with degrees in German and Geography. In his free time, Andrew is an avid reader, avid snowboarder (weather permitting), wannabe hockey player, and has been playing in punk bands since he was 11 years old.

SABAH UL-HASAN [micromanagement] is a Salt Lake City transplant Ph.D. student at the University of California, Merced, with research interests in host-symbiont interactions since 2007. Though a total sucker for science, Sabah's also into rock/ice climbing, swimming, skateboarding/snowboarding, social justice, net-zero sustainability, avante-garde visual and audio productions, being “that annoying guy”, and inconclusive philosophical repertoire.

HELEN CHENG [social media-policy] earned an M.S. in Zoology from the University of New Hampshire and currently resides in Washington, D.C. as a Knauss Fellow, working in marine policy at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Sea Grant Office. In her spare time, Helen enjoys hiking, going to the beach, swimming, playing guitar, and has recently picked up stand-up paddleboarding.

BASIM USMANI [music] is a touring musician, working for the first time as a dedicated soundtrack composer. His music has been featured in multiple VICE documentaries, and films like the Taqwacores, Slackistan, Gol Chakkar, and Anima State. A large part of his expertise lies in playing punk houses, and basements. He draws his energy from watching viral animal videos.

DANAAN DENEVE [co-host] is a Ph.D. student at the University of California, Merced studying the evolutionary ecology of river otters and their responses to environmental changes. Danaan's hobbies include breaking things, fixing things, almost anything you can do outside, environmental education, and perpetually learning new skills she has no time to use.

JULIE ABUBO [production] is a producer, advocate, and entrepreneur based in Salt Lake City, Utah. She’s earned a number of awards and accomplishments, including the Utah Screenwriters Project, and aims to provide quality science education to marginalized youth communities worldwide.

MALEEHA LATIF [social media-visuals] was born and raised in Las Vegas, but, interestingly, now lives in Saudi Arabia. Maleeha is a tech savvy business student who enjoys photography, conspiracy theories, fitness, pizza and stories about mythical creatures.

MANNY COLLAZO IV [videography] works as a freelance video guy creating videos with small businesses, nonprofits, gyms, churches, universities, and more. If you were to ask Manny where he wants to be in five years, he’d say he would want to be traveling to different countries making a living shooting video that will change the world.

NICHOLAS C DOVE [funds] moved westward, from Boston, in search of big mountains and opportunities to pursue his passion for ecology. He is currently a Ph.D. student at the University of California, Merced where he studies how soil microbial communities respond to wildfire. Although he now spends considerably more time crunching data and working in the lab, he still tries to get outside by going hiking and skiing as often as he can.

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