In November 2024, Gabriela refactored the internal API for Hexatic components in the glotzerlab/freud repository, focusing on improving memory safety and flexibility. She migrated NeighborList and NeighborQuery to use std::shared_ptr, updating the HexaticTranslational and Hexatic classes to accept shared pointers in their compute methods. This C++ work enhanced memory management and clarified object ownership, reducing lifetime fragility and preparing the codebase for future concurrency and performance improvements. By modernizing the API’s ownership semantics, Gabriela addressed architectural concerns and enabled safer resource management, demonstrating depth in object-oriented programming and software engineering without introducing new bugs.