Gabriel Santos
Collections Manager & Outreach Coordinator
Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology
Hi! My name is Gabe Santos, I’m from Los Angeles, and a first generation Filipino scientist. I have a B.Sc. in biological sciences from University of California-Irvine, and am finishing his M.Sc. in geological sciences at California State University-Fullerton. I am also a huge nerd and have been going to cons for years! I have always loved cosplay and have done simple ones here and there. It wasn’t until I found a reason to cosplay at my museum that I actually started “officially” cosplaying. My first one was a Professor Oak cosplay to talk about fossil Pokemon!
As a scientist, I am a paleontologist for the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology in Los Angeles, California. My job is split into two parts as the collections manager, where I take care of our fossil collection, and as the outreach coordinator, where I plan events and activities for education. My research interests focus on the Eocene vertebrate fauna of Southern California and the paleobiology of marine mammals, particularly in the extinct hippo-like desmostylians.
While I have always loved science, I am one of the few paleontologists who didn’t always want to be one. I originally wanted to do medicine, but I had a change of heart after I got my bachelor’s degree. Switching to paleontology is the best decision I have ever made!