New Mentoring Team, Same Open Science Spirit

Read it in: Español.

We are excited to introduce the new team of mentors for the rOpenSci Champions Program! This year, we have ten very talented individuals, all from Latin America, who bring a unique combination of experience, enthusiasm, and commitment to open science. Some of them have already been part of the program in previous editions, either as mentors or Champions, and today, they return to continue strengthening this community.

Our new mentors come from a wide variety of disciplines and are active voices within the R community in the region, participating in different groups and initiatives. With their support, our new group of Champions will not only develop their projects but also grow as leaders in open science and research software development.

Carolina Pradier

Carolina Pradier Universidad de Montreal rOpenSci – Ecofemidata

Hi, I’m Carolina Pradier and I will be participating as a mentor in this edition of rOpenSci Champions Program.

I am from Argentina, I have a degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in Labour Studies from the University of Buenos Aires. I am currently living in Canada, where I am doing a PhD in Information Sciences. My doctoral thesis focuses on the study of inequalities in the scientific field in Latin America.

Within the rOpenSci community, I am a maintainer of the eph package, a tool designed to facilitate the analysis of the Permanent Household Survey of Argentina. I participated as a student in a previous cohort of the rOpenSci Champions Program, where my package went through the rOpenSci peer review process..

I am very excited to be part of the program as a mentor. I want to be able to pass on my experience in R package development to those who are taking their first steps in this community. But I also want to learn from other people, from their journeys, their motivations and their projects. I am convinced that opening spaces for exchange and mutual support is fundamental to continuing to build a diverse, inclusive and supportive community.

Elina Gómez

Elina Gómez Universidad de la República R-Ladies Montevideo – RUG Montevideo

I am Elina Gómez Bonaglia, BA in Sociology, MA in Contemporary Latin American Studies and PhD candidate in Sociology at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Udelar, Uruguay.

I am a teacher and researcher at the Methods and Data Access Unit (UMAD) of the Faculty of Social Sciences (Udelar). I am dedicated to applied social research and its intersection with data science, specifically in the areas of public policy and massive text analysis. I have also been teaching basic and advanced R courses for more than ten years.

I am interested in participating in the Champions Program as a mentor and in following projects of different types, even in other research fields to which I am accustomed.

Elio Campitelli

Elio Campitelli Monash University rOpenSci – LatinR

I am from Argentina but last year I moved to Australia because it is the only other country that starts with an ‘A’ and uses the same type of plug.

I am doing a postdoc at Monash University researching interactions between Antarctic sea ice and the atmosphere.

I was a mentor in a previous edition of the program. It was a great experience that I want to repeat.

Francisco Cardozo

Francisco Cardozo Universidad de Miami rOpenSci – The Carpentries

My name is Francisco Cardozo. I am currently a doctoral student at the University of Miami, USA, where I am part of the Prevention Sciences and Community Health program.

I have worked in the evaluation of prevention programs in several Latin American countries. Currently, I am developing workshops to teach the use of software that improves the reproducibility and rigor of research. These workshops focus on the use of R and statistical analysis techniques, such as machine learning and latent variables.

I am deeply committed to strengthening technical capabilities within communities; I believe in equipping people with the tools they need to best execute their projects. I was a mentor in a previous cohort of the program and want to continue participating in this initiative.

Geraldine Gómez Millán

Geraldine Gómez Millán IBM Epiverse TRACE-LAC

My name is Geraldine Gómez Millán, I am from Colombia, I am a Systems Engineer and I am currently pursuing a master’s degree in Software Engineering. I have participated in several social projects, leading the development of packages and software in R with focus on epidemiology and regional analysis. I have done trainings in R and good programming practices.

I have experience in data analysis, software architecture, development methodologies, security, DevOps, Cloud and artificial intelligence. Currently, I lead an information security team and serve as a mentor in the Champions Program.

I firmly believe that knowledge that is not shared, does not exist. Sharing knowledge, building collectively and creating opportunities through learning and democratization of technology are key factors to transform society. I hope to contribute my experience and socio-technical knowledge from an ethical and innovative perspective, as well as to expand and learn about other ways of thinking and approaches to problem solving.

Luis D. Verde Arregoitia

Luis D. Verde Arregoitia Instituto de Ecología AC – INECOL LatinR, rOpenSci, The Carpentries

Hello, I am Luis D. Verde Arregoitia, Mexican living in Mexico. I am a mammalogist with a background in Biology. I have a degree in Biology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and a PhD in Conservation Sciences from the University of Queensland, Australia.

I am currently an academic technician, specialized in Data Science applied to Biodiversity. I also spend my time writing tools, blogs and teaching materials to help others work with messy data and spreadsheets and improve their R scripts for reproducibility. I also do hands-on R teaching.

I was a mentor during the 2023-2024 cohort and am happy to participate again in this edition.

Milagros Mendoza

Milagros Mendoza Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco R-Ladies Natal

My name is Milagros Mendoza. I am Peruvian by birth, but I currently live in Brazil where I work at the Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE). I am also part of R-Ladies Natal.

I am interested in participating in the Champions Program to share knowledge and experience with others in the rOpenSci community and to promote open data science and contribute to the creation of open source tools and resources. By being a mentor, I will also be able to develop leadership and communication skills, and learn to work with others to achieve common goals.

I am happy to contribute to the open science community.

Pablo Tiscornia

Pablo Tiscornia C40 Cities

I am Pablo Tiscornia, BA in Sociology, born in Argentina and currently living in Mexico. I work as a data scientist at C40 Cities, a global organization that drives urban climate action, and I run Estación R, a school specialized in R training and data analysis in Latin America.

I am very happy to be able to participate as a mentor in this edition of the program. I decided to apply because communities of practice have played a key role in my personal and professional growth, and I see in this space a great opportunity to give back some of what I received throughout my career. I strongly believe in the importance of continuing to create and sustain communities that promote the inclusion of new people in the world of programming.

From the program I hope to learn from the vast knowledge and experience of my colleagues, as well as contribute my perspective and background. I am especially excited about the possibility of establishing connections with professionals from different areas to expand our horizons and strengthen the positive impact that R and its community can have in solving current problems and challenges.

Pao Corrales

Pao Corrales Australian National University & 21st Century Weather CoE R-Ladies, LatinR, rOpenSci, The Carpentries, RForwards

I have a PhD in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina and now in Australia I work for the 21st Century Weather Centre as a Research Software Engineer.

I actively participate in R-Ladies, R Forwards, The Carpentries, LatinR and rOpenSci – learning and sharing about R in community. In 2023 I participated in the Champions Program as a Champion by presenting the agroclimatico package to rOpenSci’s peer review process. I learned a lot and connected with people from all over the world, it was an excellent experience!

I am passionate about teaching and helping other people to grow in what they do, access new opportunities and develop professionally and as individuals. I am very happy to participate this year as a mentor in the Latin American Champions Program.

Ronny Hernandez Mora

Ronny Hernandez Mora University of Alberta

I am Ronny A. Hernandez Mora, a PhD student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta, Canada. My research focuses on the development of computer vision and reinforcement learning tools applied to first responder drones.

Previously I worked in industry developing data solutions for different companies in Latin America and the United States. My experience includes model development, process automation, API creation, and application development and implementation.

My entry into the world of R and programming was possible thanks to people who were willing to teach me, so participating in this program is a way to give back and contribute to the community.

What’s next

We are happy to have this diverse and talented team of mentors, who embody the values of collaboration, openness and commitment to collective growth. Their support will be key for the new Champions to move forward with their ideas and projects, and contribute to the development of a stronger and more diverse Open Science Community in Latin America.

We are currently finalizing the selection of the Champions and will be announcing them soon!