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Francisco Javier G. Ornelas

Graduate Student Researcher
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

I am a graduate student researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). I earned my Bachelor of Science (BS) in Civil Engineering from the University of the Pacific (UOP), focusing on geotechnical engineering, water resources, and structural engineering. I then went on to earn my Master of Science (MS) at UCLA under the supervision of Dr. Jonathan P. Stewart, concentrating on geotechnical engineering. I am currently pursuing a PhD at UCLA under Dr. Stewart's guidance, conducting research related to the Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio (HVSR). We aim to collect more data from various sites in California for use in the development of updated California based ground motion models conditioned on HVSR. Additionally, I am studying the spatial and azimuthal variability of microtremor derived (mHVSR) to develop a framework for understanding the complexity of a site, which can be useful in ground response analysis.

Education

• Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering (expected 2026)
  University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

• M.S. in Geotechnical Engineering, 2022
  University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

• B.S. in Civil Engineering, 2020
  University of the Pacific

Research Interests

• Civil Engineering

• Geotechnical Engineering

• Soil Mechanics

• Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio (HVSR)

• Geophysics

• Geospatial Statistics