Heleena Madanat graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a B.S. in Environmental Management and Protection, where she developed expertise in geographic information systems and environmental science. She specializes in using geospatial tools like ArcGIS Pro to tackle environmental challenges through data analysis and collaborative research.
During her undergraduate studies, Heleena gained hands-on research experience working on projects that connected technology with real-world environmental issues. She served as a research assistant on a study examining how soil quality affects coffee quality for farmers in Costa Rica, where she prepared soil samples, collected data, and conducted laboratory analyses to help inform sustainable farming practices. She also contributed to a team project identifying optimal groundwater recharge locations in California’s Upper Salinas-Las Tablas Region using GIS analysis.
Currently, Heleena works as a Research Scientist and Science Communicator at SIG, where she coordinates projects across research teams and develops content for websites and annual reports. Her role involves facilitating communication between collaborators and translating complex research into accessible formats. Her work draws on her background in GIS, natural resource management, and environmental life cycle analysis to support research initiatives addressing environmental problems.
