Meet Our Team

Meet the staff, leadership, and student members who power the Institute’s work — from research and grant facilitation to project management and outreach. Learn about the diverse roles and dedication of CWI’s community working to support sustainable water-resource efforts across California. 

Division of Research & Education

Leadership

Laura Ramos

Director

Laura Ramos

Laura Ramos is a water professional with over 20 years of experience in delivering water resource management solutions through education, collaboration, and research. She particularly enjoy providing current research knowledge to water managers creating a nexus between academia and practical research applications in the field. As a result, she has been able to form teams of experts to address water resource management issues by connecting Fresno State researchers to the community. She is always looking for water management issues with a need for solutions that Fresno State can help address.

Dr. Thomas Holyoke

Assistant Director

Dr. Thomas Holyoke

Dr. Thomas Holyoke is Professor of Political Science at Fresno State and Assistant Director of Research and Education at the California Water Institute. He received his Ph.D. from The George Washington University in 2004 and is a specialist in interest group politics, education policy, and western water policy. He is also the author of over three-dozen research articles and book chapters, as well as four books, the most recent of which is Water Politics: The Fragmentation of Western Water Policy published in 2023 by Routledge.

Cordie Qualle

Assistant Director

Cordie Qualle

Cordie Qualle is a lecturer in the Lyles College of Engineering, Civil and Geomatics Department and Associate Director of the California Water Institute Research & Education Division. He served as the Interim Director of the California Water Institute from 2020 to 2021 while continuing to teach in the Civil and Geomatics Department and initiate research in groundwater recharge on the Fresno State campus farm. Cordie spent 40 years as a consulting Civil engineer prior to moving to Fresno State to share his years of experience with future engineers. Most of those 40 years as a consulting Civil engineer were spent in the water resources and flood management area. Cordie believes that the management of our limited water resources in California, conserving and storing water during the wet years to bridge the gap in water availability during drought is the key to California’s future.

Cordie is a registered Civil engineer in the State of California, obtained his Master’s in Civil Engineering from Norwich University, Vermont, in 2007 and his Bachelor’s in Engineering from Fresno State in 1974. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Water Resources Association, and the Groundwater Resources Association.

When not involved in teaching or assisting with leadership at the California Water Institute, Cordie spends time traveling with his wife, Deborah, and bicycling.

Staff

Jase Trovao

Project Manager

Jase Trovao

Jase Trovao is the Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator at California Water Institute. Jase oversees managing calendars, scheduling meetings, and creating meeting minutes for CWI. He is a Fresno State graduate with a major in Mass Communications and Journalism and has ample experience in managing schedules in a fast-paced environment. Outside of CWI, Jase spends his free time watching movies and doing photography.

Julissa Zavala

Grants and Contracts Facilitator

Julissa Zavala

Julissa Zavala is the Grants and Contracts Facilitator at the California Water Institute – Research and Education Division. Julissa helps with researching, drafting, and submitting grant proposals and applications that help the institute receive funding for projects. These projects advance CWI’s mission of connecting academia to the water community to solve water management challenges through education, collaboration, and research. In addition to grant writing, Julissa assists with written communication for the institute, guaranteeing clarity and coherence of materials distributed across Fresno State’s campus and among various stakeholders.

Born and raised in the Central Valley, Julissa received her bachelor’s degree in mass communication and journalism from Fresno State and spent several years as a reporter for local newspapers before making the change to grant writing. She brings a unique blend of editorial expertise and a journalistic foundation to her current role, embodying a commitment to effective communication and impactful storytelling in her professional work. When she’s not working at her computer, you can find Julissa reading fiction, watching a scary movie, or (most likely) listening to Taylor Swift.

Catherine Barnett

Director’s Assistant

Kaylie Rogers

Event and Office Coordinator

Students

Ysabella Ramirez

Victoria Vera

Graciela Gastelum