Christine Alvarado serves as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education and Teaching Professor in the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) Department. She joined UC San Diego in 2012 after starting her faculty career at Harvey Mudd College. Her efforts are focused on designing curriculum and programs to make computing and computing education more accessible and appealing. In 2014, she founded the UC San Diego CSE Early Research Scholars Program, an inclusive research apprenticeship for second-year students in computing, with the goal of increasing access to research and retention of students from groups that are currently underrepresented in computing. Alvarado earned her undergraduate degree in computer science from Dartmouth College and her MS and PhD in computer science from MIT.

Gillian Hemingway Asch serves as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. In this role, she coordinates, implements, and oversees strategic organizational initiatives and programs, supervises the EVC Office professional support staff, oversees donor and fund stewardship for EVC Office endowments, and serves as a liaison to internal and external constituents. Gillian convenes and participates on executive hiring, policy, strategy and planning committees on behalf of the EVC Office, is a LEAD Fellow, and represents the EVC Office on the Sensitive Issues Response Team. She currently serves as a Steering Committee member, project manager and campus liaison for the EVC’s Erasing Equity Gaps via Collective Impact Initiative. Prior to joining UC San Diego in 2003, Gillian served for six years as a Field Representative with the California State Assembly, 78th District. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and is a graduate of LEAD San Diego’s Impact Program

Jill Blumenthal (she/her/hers), MD MAS, serves as a Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health in the Department of Medicine. She conducts clinical research on HIV prevention using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in cisgender men who have sex with men, cisgender women and transgender and nonbinary (TGNB) individuals at risk for HIV. She sees adolescents and adults living with HIV and is also the Director of PrEP Services at the Owen Clinic. She cares for TGNB individuals seeking gender-affirming care and recently helped establish the Gender Health Program at UCSD Health. She also co-founded the Transgender Community Advisory Board to engage and empower the TGNB community in research. Jill currently serves as co-chair of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Issues. She received her BA and MD degrees from Cornell and completed postgraduate training at UCSD.

Matthew Carazo, MD serves as Assistant Clinical Professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine. He specializes in adult congenital heart disease and advanced cardiac imaging. In this clinical educator role, he trains medical students, interns, residents, and fellows at UC San Diego School of Medicine, and his research focuses on the development of outcome assessment tools in adult congenital heart disease. He currently serves on the inaugural Diversity and Inclusion committee of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and co-founded the work group on LGBTQ+ issues for the ACC. Prior to coming to UC San Diego, he worked in diversity and inclusion efforts at the University of Kansas, New York University, Harvard University, and Emory University. He received his BA and MD degrees from the University of Kansas and completed his postgraduate training at New York University, Drexel University, and Harvard University.

Evan Centala serves as the Intake and Case Coordinator - Campus, in the Office for Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination. In this role, Evan helps address and process campus complaints related to harassment or discrimination based on a protected category, or related to sexual violence or sexual harassment. Evan previously served as an Assistant Director of Residence Life within HDH, and has been working at UC San Diego since 2017. During this time Evan has also been a part of HDH's Justice Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Advocates, as well as the VC-CFO Committee for Inclusive Excellence. Evan earned a BA from the University of San Diego (2014) and a MA from the University of Maine (2016) in Peace and Reconciliation Studies, with academic work focusing on the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Dominic Cooper serves as the Project Manager of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (S.S.P.P.S.). He serves on the Admissions team in recruitment efforts with Minority Serving Institutions, including outreach presentations at Historically Black Colleges and Universities or HBCUs. Dominic is a member of the Health Sciences Anti- Racist Task Force and has assisted in the S.S.P.P.S. efforts to develop a Health Equity Anti-Racist Training curriculum. He is also a member of the Skaggs Pharmacy mentorship program for Underrepresented Pharmacy applicants. Since 2016, Dominic has received numerous awards serving as the Research Methodology Training Laboratory Program Coordinator in the Skaggs School of Pharmacy pipeline efforts. His expertise includes Mentorship, Health Equity, and Community Health Education.

Mya D. Hines mdhines@ucsd.edu works as a Senior Academic Advisor at John Muir College.  Mya has been at UC San Diego since August 2007 starting in the Conflict of Interest Office under the Research Affairs Vice Chancellor area.  After receiving her master’s degree in higher and post-secondary education, Mya moved to a more student-facing role within the Division of Arts and Humanities in the African American Studies Minor Program as the academic advisor and program coordinator.  Currently, Mya is working on her Ed. D. in Higher Education Leadership from Azusa Pacific University. Her research focus is interrogating how Black-identified students define student success and how that might inform academic advising practices and services.

Dr. Sonia Jain sojain@ucsd.edu serves as a Professor of Biostatistics and the Interim Associate Dean for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at UC San Diego.  Dr. Jain received her PhD in Statistics from the University of Toronto in Toronto, Canada. Dr. Jain's primary methodological research interests are in Bayesian biostatistics. Her research interests include adaptive clinical trial designs, statistical computing, and statistical genomics. Dr. Jain is the lead Biostatistician for many collaborative projects in several disciplines, including HIV, infectious diseases, posttraumatic stress disorder, and traumatic brain injury.

Erik Mitchell is the Audrey Geisel University Librarian at UC San Diego. Prior to this role he served as an Associate University Librarian at the University of California, Berkeley, an Assistant Professor in the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park and as the Assistant Director for Technology at the Z. Smith Reynolds Library, Wake Forest University. He holds a PhD in Information and Library Science from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, a Masters in Library and Information Science from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Arts from Lenoir-Rhyne College. Erik’s research focuses on the use and impact of information in educational and cultural memory organizations and explores how communities find, use and create new knowledge.

Sally Morgan smmorgan@ucsd.edu serves as the Principal HR Analyst in Resource Administration for VC Academic Affairs. Sally works with departmental HR Contacts across VCAA to relay policy, provide training and development, and serve as their advocate. Sally also coordinates the annual UExplore program for early career staff and will be co-chairing the VCAA ACTs (Advocates. Changes. Transforms.) committee starting Winter quarter of 2022. Sally holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Speech Communication from CSU East Bay and a master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of San Francisco. Sally has spent most of her career working in Student Outreach, Advising and Residence Life before transitioning to working with Staff when joining UC San Diego in 2018.

Cindy Mui Perez is a Senior Instructional Designer at UC San Diego’s Teaching + Learning Commons, where she specializes in inclusive online course and program design. Cindy is actively involved in the Discover UC San Diego program, which provides high school students with the opportunity to take online college courses free-of-charge, promoting equitable access to higher education. Cindy is also co-leads a University of California research project aimed at assessing and improving inclusion in online learning.

Cindy earned her undergraduate degree in Cognitive Science from UC San Diego and her Masters in Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies from Florida State University. Cindy is a first-generation college graduate and daughter of immigrants from Mexico, and is dedicated to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in both the online classroom and the broader UC San Diego community.

Margaret Rattanachane is the Executive Assistant to the Chair of Medicine. She is passionate about connecting people with a vision for an inclusive future. She aims to energize faculty and staff in Medicine as a member of the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion executive committee. She is also on the Health Sciences Anti-Racism Task Force. Margaret is also the co-chair of the Pan Asian Staff Association and the chair of the UCSD API Alumni Council. In these roles, she brings together professionals from different backgrounds to network and build on collective wisdom. Margaret is a dedicated fundraiser for student scholarships. She was the inaugural Staff Chair for the Faculty and Staff Giving Council. She is also an affiliate of the San Diego Leadership Alliance, Asian Solidarity Collective, and APAPA San Diego Chapter.

Tyler Rogers (he/him/his) serves as an Educational Equity Data Specialist at the Teaching and Learning Commons. In this role, he collaborates with academic programs across campus to promote educational justice through data-informed decision making. Tyler’s research and teaching—spanning the fields of ethnic studies, feminist theory, and interdisciplinary research methods—are foundational to his current analytical work. Tyler earned an undergraduate degree in Ethnic Studies and Gender & Sexuality Studies from Brown University, and graduate degrees in American Studies from Yale University. Prior to joining the Teaching and Learning Commons, Tyler served as a Program Coordinator in the Undergraduate Research Hub at UC San Diego.

Michael Sapinoso serves as a Sergeant at the Police Department. He is currently assigned to Patrol and also oversees Recruiting and Traffic. Michael is a member of the UC San Diego Transportation Advisory Board, Vehicle Accident Review Board, and the Hazing Prevention Consortium. He has a Bachelor of Science in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. He is well versed in de-escalation, crisis intervention, and peer support. Michael is a certified Hostage/Crisis Negotiator and worked many years for a San Francisco Bay Area agency before joining UC San Diego. He loves music, food, travel, and spending quality time with his family. Michael believes every day is an opportunity to positively influence someone’s life and help people see the world from a different lens.

Helena Zandstra hzandstra@health.ucsd.edu serves as the Director of Continuing Medical Education (CME) at the School of Medicine. In this role, she provides leadership, strategy, administration, and program management, assisting Health Sciences faculty members in realizing their education and training goals. An accredited provider of continuing medical education, the CME unit develops and deploys postgraduate education serving to increase the competence and improve performance of physicians, in the interest of improved patient care. Helena holds a master’s degree in Leadership Studies from University and San Diego, and is a certified leadership coach.   

Veronica Abreu serves as the Assistant Dean of Academic Advising for Revelle College at UC San Diego. Veronica largely works with student who are experiencing academic difficulty. Typically these students' academics are being impacted by non-academic issues. Additionally, she spends a lot of time creating new ways to help academic advisors engage in training and professional development opportunities. Veronica is dedicated to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts and routinely engages in these efforts whenever possible. She co-created a workshop for staff, faculty, and students around “Recognizing and Responding to Microaggressions” and was honored as one of the 2019 Inclusive Excellence Awards recipients. She holds a B.S. in Psychology from University of Maryland University College, and an M.Ed. in Guidance and Counseling from Bowie State University.

Lihini Aluwihare serves as a Professor of Marine Chemistry and the current Head of the Earth Section at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO). She also served for 10 years as SIO’s Faculty Equity Advisor.  She studies the structure of geochemically altered biomolecules in the ocean and the stories of inter microorganism interactions, chemical element cycling, and ocean transport that are written into those structures. She was swept into oceanography after a short internship at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), where she obtained her PhD in the Joint Program between MIT and WHOI. Her world view is influenced by her lived experiences in Sri Lanka, Zambia, the UK, and the US. She has been running a lab and teaching at SIO since 2000.

Stacey Brydges serves as a Teaching Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty Equity Advisor (FEA) for the School of Physical Sciences, Director of Education and Outreach for the UC San Diego MRSEC, and an affiliate faculty of the Mathematics and Science Education Doctoral Program with San Diego State University. She received her Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from McMaster University (2003) and served as an associate research scientist and lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at Columbia University in the City of New York (2004-2008) before joining UC San Diego. Her program of chemical education research and practice has three major strands: (1) undergraduate chemistry lab and lecture pedagogy and curriculum reform; (2) STEM educator socialization and professional development; and (3) programming that advances access to and retention in STEM education.

Pedro Cabrales pcabrales@ucsd.edu serves as Professor of Bioengineering. He is working to addressing equity issues in Bioengineering, mainly increase representation of ethnic and racial minorities, and people with disabilities.  Since 2010, he has been involved with the IDEA Center at Jacobs School of Engineering. He mentors students from programs such as MARC, CAMP, UCSD Amgen, Ronald Ervin McNair, SAGE, UCSD-Howard Pathways, Regents scholars, IMSD, TESC, Latin America- Science Connect, CALPIRG, TRPP, CIHED, IDEA Scholars Program, Regents Scholar, OASIS Learning Community, OASIS Summer Bridge, IMSD, UCSD Science Bridge, and others. He in faculty advisor for SHPE, SWE, Tau Beta, Engineering World, the Nanoengineering and Technology Society, and the Biomedical Engineering Society. Quarterly, he run an outreach program at the high school’s level. In 2014, he received the UCSD's Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action and Diversity Award.

Dawn Carroll Joined UCSD in 2014 as 10 ICU Nurse Manager. Currently, Nurse manager of 3F/5H at JMC since opening 2016. I was involved in hiring all staff and crucial in the opening of JMC.  Received my BS/MS from SUNY at Stony Brook and worked as Senior Nurse Practitioner in Perinatal Women's Health. Currently, I have over 15 years of nursing leadership roles in Neuro-Surgical Intensive Care, Cardiovascular and Cardiothoracic Services. Prior to UCSD, I served as Director of Neuro/Surgical Intensive Care unit and Director of Trauma/Step Down at Regional Medical Center in Hudson Florida from 2008 to 2013.  I was crucial in the development of HCA's first Trauma Center.  My nursing team was recognized, based on my nomination, in Advance for Nurses for adaptability. The winning letter was featured in the May 2013 issue of Advance for Nurses. I also served as Nurse Manager of the ICUs and Rapid Response teams at Palomar. I am active in the nursing community and belong to several professional organizations such as ACNL, ANA, AONE and as a committee member of the Philanthropy for ACNL.  I am a student at University of San Francisco and pursuing my DNP in Executive Leadership.  I am on track to graduate 12/20/21.

Davyda Johnson (she/her/hers) serves as the Human Resources Manager for Business & Financial Services with expertise in talent management, organizational development, change and project management.  With over 20 years of service at UC San Diego, Davyda has dedicated herself to improving campus climate with special interest in women and under-represented populations. Davyda currently serves on VC-CFO Committee for Inclusive Excellence, VC-EDI Advisory Council and Black Staff Association Executive Board. She has previously served as Staff Co-Chair for both Chancellor’s & Systemwide Advisory Committee on the Status of Women. For her efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion, Davyda was awarded the Diversity Award in 2013.  In 2007, Davyda was nominated for Exemplary Staff Employee of the Year.  Davyda holds an MBA and B.A. in Public Administration. She is a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and ProSci change management practitioner. 

Ted Johnson is Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief Procurement Officer at the University of California San Diego. He is responsible for all aspects of the university's supply chain, Dining Services, Hospitality & Conference Services, and retail, which includes the Bookstore, Triton Print & Digital Media, and the Passport office. Prior to joining UC San Diego, Ted held the position of Director of Global Integrated Supply Chain at Sony Electronics and Director of Procurement at Hitachi Home Electronics, which included international assignments in Japan and Mexico. After receiving his BA from the University of California, Santa Barbara, Ted was awarded a fellowship from the Japanese Ministry of Education to pursue his Master’s degree in International Business Management at the University of Tsukuba, Japan.

Patrick Etienne petienne@ucsd.edu serves as the Procurement Card Program Manager in the Integrated Procure-to-Pay Solutions division of Business and Financial Services at UC San Diego. Patrick is responsible for strategic oversight and leads the P-Card Program by identifying opportunities, setting performance goals, maintaining program metrics, promoting the program to vendors, developing program policies, training, marketing, and official communications. Prior to joining UC San Diego, Patrick served 20 years as a United States Marine serving two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Patrick also served as the Equal Opportunity Program Manager for his command while stationed aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Patrick earned his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from National University and his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Redlands.

Jennifer Farace jfarace@health.ucsd.edu serves as the Director of Undergraduate Medical Education at UCSD’s School of Medicine. She is responsible for long-term strategic planning and administrative oversight for both curricular and student affairs. Prior to joining the School of Medicine, Jennifer served as the Director of Student Affairs at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. She earned her bachelor’s in communication studies from UCLA, her Master of Public Administration, with a specialization in public management, from USC, and her Doctor of Education in educational leadership from UCSD/CSUSM. She also served as a fellow in the Association of American Medical Colleges Leadership Education and Development Program. Her foci are staff development in higher education and improving the delivery of behavior change training to medical students.

Lia Friedman (she/her/hers) serves as the Librarian for Critical Gender Studies, Communication and Visual Arts at the UC San Diego Library. Lia supports faculty, staff and students within those departments as well as providing instruction for undergraduate and graduate students that incorprorate adressing racism, bias, classism and the importance of language. Lia is active in supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) issues in the Library, campus-wide, and in her community. Lia served as co-chair of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Issues in 2010 & 2011 and has been a member since 2009. Lia is past chair of the UCSD Library Diversity and Inclusion Committee and has been an active member since 2006. Lia received her BA from Evergreen State College and her Masters in Library and Information Science from Pratt Institute in New York.

Helen V. Griffith, Ed.D. hgriffith@ucsd.edu is the inaugural executive director of The Preuss School, UC San Diego. Most recently Griffith was founding executive director and CEO of е3 Civic High, a public charter school located in the San Diego Central Public Library. Griffith has over 25 years of experience as an educator and principal, specializing in leadership development, educational equity, school transformation, and educational entrepreneurship. Further, she serves as a consultant and presenter on issues related to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion with the California Joint Perkins Special Populations Advisory Committee and other organizations as requested. Griffith earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from UC San Diego, her master’s in educational technology, and doctorate in educational leadership from San Diego State University.

Lily Hoang (lkhoang@ucsd.edu) serves as Director of the MFA Program in Writing and as Associate Professor of Literature. She is the author of five books, including A Bestiary (finalist for a PEN/USA Award in Creative Non-Fiction) and Changing (recipient of a PEN/Open Books Award). A Spanish translation of A Bestiary received a national translation grant in Chile (forthcoming 2022). Her novel Underneath won the Red Hen Press Award for Fiction and is forthcoming in 2021. She co-edited the anthology The Force of What’s Possible: Writers on Accessibility and the Avant-Garde. In 2017, she was a Mellon Scholar in Residence at Rhodes University in South Africa, and in 2019, she was a Distinguished Scholar at Wuhan University in China. She has taught creative writing on five continents. She is a board member for Jaded Ibis Press, an independent press focused on BIPOC writers, and is on the Literary Awards Committee for the PEN Foundation. 

Helen Kaiser (she/her/hers), hkaiser@ucsd.edu, serves as the Associate Director of the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD) and Deputy Title IX Officer at UC San Diego.  In this role, Helen works to address reports of discrimination and harassment, as well as incidents of sexual violence and sexual harassment. Helen joined UC San Diego in September 2018 with over seven years of experience in Title IX.   She received her Bachelor of Arts from San Diego State University and her Juris Doctorate from University San Diego School of Law. 

Leah Klement serves as an Education Specialist at the Engaged Teaching Hub, part of UC San Diego’s Teaching + Learning Commons. In this role, she works with faculty, staff, and graduate student educators to advance equitable, student-centered, and research-based teaching practices across campus. Leah also collaborates with faculty groups on education research and departmental assessment projects, and recently served as a co-organizer and facilitator for the Engaged Teaching Hub’s inaugural Anti-Racist Pedagogy Learning Community cohort in Fall 2020. Leah holds a B.A. in Classics and English from Oxford University and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature (with a concentration in Medieval Studies) from Princeton University.

Kirby Knipp is the Assistant Director of Assessment, Evaluation and Organization Development for the Vice Chancellor - Student Affairs & Campus Life office at UC San Diego. Kirby led the creation, implementation, and assessment of the last two VCSACL five-year strategic plans. Kirby also leads professional development for the SACL Division. Kirby received his undergraduate Media and Mass Communications degree from University of Kansas and a year later received his Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from Northern Arizona University.

Alma Palazzolo [apalazzolo@ucsd.edu] is the Assistant Dean for the Division of Arts and Humanities with responsibilities in all aspects of strategic planning and resource administration for the Dean’s Office, the division’s six academic departments (Music, Theatre & Dance, Visual Arts, History, Literature, and Philosophy) the Institute of Arts and Humanities, the Institute for Practical Ethics, and the Analytical Writing Program.  Alma came to UC San Diego 20 years ago and prior to becoming Assistant Dean in 2014, served as CAO for the SD Supercomputer Center, MSO for the Department of Political Science, Assistant Director for OPAFS, and fund manager at SIO.  Alma earned both a bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from San Diego State University.

 Allorah Pradenas serves as the Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff to VC-CFO. Allorah works closely with faculty, administrators and colleagues across the University to advance the vision and values of UC San Diego as a student-centered, research-focused, patient-dedicated, service-oriented public university. She engages with key stakeholders on complex issues affecting the campus and serves as a strategic advisor and collaborator, providing expertise and counsel on policies, programs, and operations for administrative units that report to the Office of the CFO. In addition to her Chief of Staff role, Allorah oversees the Office of Operational Strategic Initiatives (OSI) at UC San Diego where she provides guidance and oversight for campus-wide strategic initiatives and projects as well as provides leadership for continuous improvement/Lean Six Sigma programs, operational excellence, and organizational reviews and strategy. She is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and a ProSci change management practitioner. Additionally, Allorah leads the VC-CFO Committee on Inclusive Excellence and is a LEAD Fellow. In these roles, Allorah serves as an EDI Practitioner on behalf of VC-CFO. Allorah earned her bachelor’s degree in writing from University of Redlands and her Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from UC Riverside.

 Akbar Rahman, MD, MPH, serves as Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine & Public Health in the School of Medicine.  Before coming to UC San Diego, he worked in federally qualified health centers in Los Angeles and Long Beach with medically underserved communities, and spent a year at an under-resourced public hospital in South Africa. He remains committed to reducing healthcare disparities domestically and abroad. He helped establish the Diversity & Anti-Racism Committee in Family Medicine at UCSD.  He is active in the clinical education of residents & students, and cares for patients in the inpatient and outpatient setting.  Half of his clinical practice is devoted to treating homeless patients at St. Vincent de Paul Village Health Center.  He received his medical & graduate training at Northwestern University. 

 Kelly Richardson is a Sergeant at UC San Diego’s Police Department and holds a bachelor’s in linguistics from UC Riverside. He is a dedicated leader who brings a wealth of experience in areas like recruitment, diversity training, and program development. He is currently spearheading the department's IACLEA accreditation efforts. Beyond his law enforcement expertise, Kelly thrives on fostering positive and inclusive environments. He has served as a Vice-Chair for the Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Gender Identity and Sexual Orientations Issues. Drawing from his unique perspective as someone from a biracial family and neurodivergent himself, Kelly is passionate about sharing his knowledge and experience to help others grow. Whether you're interested in law enforcement, leadership development, or navigating a university environment, Kelly is here to provide encouraging support. In his free time, Kelly enjoys exploring nature through kayaking, hiking, and backcountry adventures. He also finds peace and challenge in Euro-style carp fishing.

Wendy Hunter Barker is the Assistant Dean for Strategy and Operations at the Rady School of Management. She has also served as an assistant dean at the School of Global Policy and Strategy and prior to that spent 14 years at Scripps Institution of Oceanography where she held just about every administrative role there was! Wendy's passion is EDI and she has managed to work that into each of her positions, even though it was never in her job description. She has a keen passion for ensuring every person can see themselves in a place of higher education. Wendy thrives on creating new programs, especially for students and staff, and has initiated access events and programs in each of her three schools. She also works tirelessly on inclusivity, with the goal of all students, staff and faculty feeling as though they belong at the Rady School. Wendy was recognized last year with the Staff Inclusive Excellence Award for her efforts. Wendy is currently pursuing an Executive MBA at the Rady School (June 2025), is a mother / spouse / daughter, and owns a horse. She doesn't have a lot of free time, but is thrilled to be a part of this community of LEAD Fellows!

Jelena Bradic jbradic@ucsd.edu serves as Associate Professor of Statistics at UC San Diego associated with the Mathematics Department. Prof. Bradic is also affiliated with the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute. Her interests are in machine learning, high dimensional statistics, causal learning and inference, robust statistics, and survival analysis. Prof. Bradic holds a PhD in statistics from Princeton University (2011) associated with the Operations Research and Financial Engineering Department. In addition, Prof. Bradic is in charge of enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Physical Sciences at all three levels: undergraduate, graduate, and faculty. 

Daniel Carrillo Jr., dcarrillojr@ucsd.edu, is a Senate Analyst with the Academic Senate. In this role, Daniel supports Senate committees related to admissions, climate change, and the library, as well as the committee responsible for recommending faculty for workgroups and administrative committees. Prior to joining the Academic Senate in 2022, Daniel worked with the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), the Academic Internship Program (AIP), and with the Department of Education Studies. Daniel is a first-generation college student and is passionate about supporting historically marginzalized populations. He has served as a staff mentor, on staff committees for equity and diversity, and as a facilitator for equity and diversity initatives across campus with undergraduate and graduate students, staff, and faculty.

Alexandra Hubenko serves as the Program Manager at the Qualcomm Institute, the UC San Diego Division of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2) where she has managed large, multidisciplinary research projects and programs since 2004. Alex currently manages the UC San Diego-Los Alamos National Laboratory research and education collaboration and Resilient Shield, a CDC-funded program to develop innovative modeling tools, data visualizations, and networks to inform public health decisions and respond rapidly to emerging disease outbreaks. She holds a bachelor's in materials science and engineering from Cornell University and a Master of Business Administration in international management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. In the limited spare time she has, she loves cooking, cultures, and foreign languages.

Drew C. Hunsinger dhunsinger@ucsd.edu serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor for UC San Diego University Development. Drew is responsible for all aspects of advancement for UC San Diego’s general campus and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. His primary responsibilities include leading fundraising strategy and a team of more than 70 development professionals. Drew joined UC San Diego in January 2017 following over 14 years at Oregon Health & Science University Foundation (OHSUF), most recently serving as Vice President of Development. Drew earned his bachelor's in Psychology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his Juris Doctorate from Willamette University College of Law.

Anthony King, APR (he/him) anthonypking@ucsd.edu serves as Assistant Dean of Strategic Engagement in the School of Arts and Humanities. Anthony’s responsibilities include forming and implementing a comprehensive plan for the school focusing on advancing research and initiatives, supporting academic integrity and innovation, and strengthening people and resources. Anthony has held various public relations and communications position at UC San Diego since 2013, and is the founding and current chair of the UC San Diego Public Relations Council. Active in supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion, Anthony is currently the Arts and Humanities Staff Equity Advisor and served as co-chair of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Issues, as well as on the California Gender Recognition Act steering committee, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council, and Women’s Conference planning committee. Anthony received his bachelor's degree in writing from the University of Washington and his master's degree in international relations from Alliant International University. In 2022, he received the Accreditation in Public Relations from Public Relations Society of America.

Deirdre (Dede) Lyons dclyons.sio@gmail.com serves as the Assistant Professor, Marine Biology Research Division at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Deirdre became interested in questions about the origins and evolution of animal body plans as an undergraduate at Mount Holyoke College and as a research assistant at UC Los Angeles. Dede got her doctorate in molecular and cell biology at UC Berkeley studying the control of asymmetric cell division in invertebrate embryos. Dede established her own research group in the Marine Biology Research Division of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego in 2016.

Kacy Marume is Director of Marketing & Client Experience within UC San Diego’s Integrated Procure-to-Pay Solutions (IPPS) organization. Her portfolio includes communications, marketing, client relationship management, and business operations on behalf of IPPS and the Campus Partnership Program. She oversees a committee focused on student talent, is the subcommittee chair of the Leaders for Equity Advancement and Diversity (LEAD) Fellows within the VC-CFO, the board chair of the UC San Diego Marketing Council, and a member of the Pan-Asian Staff Association (PASA). Kacy received her BA from UC Merced, where she was part of the first graduating class.

Danielle A. Melman, daboyle@ucsd.edu, serves as the Senior Associate Athletics Director at UC San Diego. Melman has assumed many roles within the Intercollegiate Athletics Department, currently serving as the sports administator for men's/womens swimming and men's/women water polo. She also serves as the departments engagement officier, working closesly with the university's alumni relations team and advancement team. Melman graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in biology in 2003 where she was a member of the intercollegiate women’s water polo team for four years. Melman obtained a master's in sports management from Drexel University.

Jay Minert has served as Director of Outreach and Academic Engagement for Study Abroad UC San Diego since 2012, where he has promoted and increased access to global academic opportunities for students of all backgrounds and majors. Jay earned his bachelor's degree in cultural anthropology at The Evergreen State College and his master’s degree in education at UC Santa Cruz. Before coming to UC San Diego, Jay served as an Academic Advisor at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, a Student Affairs practitioner at UC Santa Cruz, a Peace Corps Recruiter in Seattle, and a Peace Corps Volunteer in Belize, Central America (with extended service in Palau, Micronesia). Jay is the recipient of two Fulbright International Education Administrators (IEA) awards, one to France in 2023 and the other to the United Kingdom in 2013. He received a UC San Diego Student Advocate Award in 2023, and in 2018 was named as a LEAD Fellow (Leader for Equity Advancement and Diversity) through the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Jay served as an Academic Consortium Board member for CIEE from 2019 to 2023, and has presented at professional conferences including NAFSA, The Forum, CIEE, and Diversity Abroad.

Dr. Alexander Norbash anorbash@ucsd.edu serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, provides training/support to Faculty Equity Advisors, and is charged with Faculty Climate and Professional Development at UC San Diego. Dr. Norbash also serves as Chair and Professor of Radiology within the UC San Diego School of Medicine. From 2011–2015, Dr. Norbash served as the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs at Boston University School of Medicine, where he led multiple initiatives to enhance diversity and inclusion. He received his combined B.A./M.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, completed postdoctoral training in Interventional Neuroradiology at Stanford University, and a master's in healthcare management from Harvard University.

MarDestinee Perez, As Director of the Center for Faculty Diversity and Inclusion, MarDestinee Perez oversees the development and implementation of campus initiatives to advance faculty equity, diversity, and inclusion. These include cluster hire efforts, inclusive search training, postdoctoral fellowships, faculty development and success programs, writing retreats, and climate assessment. MarDestinee enjoys partnering with faculty and academic leaders to reimagine academia as a supportive, empowering environment, and to innovate programs for organizational change. She is an ICF-certified leadership coach, trained mediator, and ProSci change management practitioner. Prior to working in higher education, she designed international development programs and international study programs for professionals. MarDestinee has a B.A. in Criminology, Law and Society from the University of California, Irvine and an M.S. in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University. She enjoys traveling, hiking, dancing, and spending time with her daughter and dog.

Ayelet Ruppin-Pham aruppin@ucsd.edu serves as the Patient Education Coordinator at UC San Diego Health. Ayelet’s responsibilities include resource development and program management for delivering effective education to inpatient and ambulatory patient populations, with a focus on patients with limited health literacy. Previously, she was the staff orientation and training coordinator for the openings of Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center and Jacobs Medical Center. Ayelet received her bachelor's in sociology/ethnic studies from UC San Diego (Marshall College) and her master's in nursing from University of Washington.

Robert Rome rrome@ucsd.edu serves as the Assistant Dean for the Division of Physical Sciences at UC San Diego.

Adam Burgasser (he/him/his) is a Founding Professor of the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics and an observational astrophysicist who studies the smallest stars and extrasolar planets. Adam is active in addressing equity issues in the Physical Sciences, particularly the underrepresentation of women and gender minorities, ethnic and racial minorities, the LGBTIQA+ community, people with disabilities, and intersectional identities through policy, curriculum development, advocacy, and commuity building. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Black Studies Project; was co-director of the UC-HBCU Pathways in Physics program at UCSD in partnership with Morehouse and Spelman Colleges; co-organized the first Inclusive Astronomy conference, presenting community recommendations to Obama's President’s Council of Advisors in Science and Technology; was a faculty organizer for the 2016 and 2025 American Physical Society Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics; and has been a Changemaker Fellow for the Anti-racist Pedagogy Learning Community. Adam has been awarded UCSD's Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action and Diversity Award and the School of Physical Science's EDI Excellence Award. Adam receieved his BS in Physics from UC San Diego and PhD in Physics from Caltech.

Lovella Cacho (she/hers) serves as the Industry Partnerships and Outreach Manager for the Qualcomm Institute, the UC San Diego division of the California Institute for Telecommunication and Internet Technology. She manages QI's Innovation Space, which houses over a dozen startup companies, and oversees the institute's outreach programs. She has also served on the CSE DEI Committee since 2022. Lovella has worked at UC San Diego since 2000 in various divisions and roles including lab manager, human resource manager, executive assistant and events and projects team manager. She received her Bachelor’s degree with majors in Molecular Cell Biology and English from UC Berkeley.

Anu Delouri adelouri@ucsd.edu serves as the Assistant Director for Communications and Community Planning in the Campus Planning Office at UC San Diego. Anu has worked on planning matters at UC San Diego since 2003 and in her role works as a Campus Planning liaison with the local communities of University City, La Jolla, Hillcrest, Point Loma and others where the campus owns or leases property. In addition, her responsibilities include collaboration on planning matters with local and regional agencies including the City of San Diego, SANDAG and the California Coastal Commission. She holds a Bachelors in Architecture and Masters in City and Regional Planning from Pratt Institute, New York.

Anne Footer afooter@ucsd.edu serves as the Chief Administrative Officer of the Oceans and Atmosphere Section at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Anne is responsible for the central budgeting, financial, human resources, facilities, research operations and general administration of the section’s two divisions, Marine Physical Laboratory (MPL) and Climate, Atmospheric Science and Physical Oceanography (CASPO). Anne came to UCSD in 2007 from Stanford University, where she was Assistant Director of the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics. Anne received her BA in European Studies from Mount Holyoke College and her MS in Health Policy and Management from Harvard School of Public Health.

Pamela F. Frugé pfruge@ucsd.edu serves as Assistant Dean, Undergraduate Education at UC San Diego. Pamela is a proud Triton graduate of Warren College, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree and went on to obtain her Master of Business Administration. Pamela has built a solid professional career as staff member with experience spanning a variety of campus departments from Admissions & Registrar, managing the UCSD Guardian, MSO for Education Studies (formerly TEP) and CAO for the Undergraduate Colleges. Pamela has chaired the UC San Diego Black History Month Planning Committee for the last 7 years, raising funds for student scholarships and highlighting the academic achievement of traditionally underrepresented students at UC San Diego.

Carolyn Huie Hofstetter chofstetter@ucsd.edu serves as the Chair and Associate Teaching Professor in Education Studies. She works primarily with the Joint Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership with UCSD and CSUSM. She focuses on evaluation, assessment, and research methodologies, with special emphasis on the validity of assessments for English language learners and adult education students. Prior to joining UCSD, she was on the faculty at the Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley. She has served as principal investigator (PI) or co-PI on several educational projects related to K-16 bilingual education, adolescent literacy with striving readers, teacher professional development, math and science curricula, arts-integration programs, GEAR-UP, and numerous programs serving English learners and underserved student populations.

Patricia Mahaffey serves as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Life at UC San Diego, where she oversees a diverse portfolio including Basic Needs, the Center for Student Involvement, University Centers, Student Government, Auxiliaries and Services, the Student Life Business Office, Student Legal Services, and the Campus Performances and Events Office encompassing ArtPower and Campus Events. She is also one of four Directors for the Changemaker Institute and the Executive Producer for the Muir Musical Ensemble. Patricia earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership through a joint doctoral program with UC San Diego and California State University, San Marcos. Other professional endeavors include her service to the campus as a LEAD Fellow, she attended Harvard’s Graduate School of Education’s Institute for Educational Management, completed training with the Co-Active Coaching Institute, and has taught in the Student Affairs graduate program at San Diego State University as well as co-instructed an Advanced Study in Higher Education course for the China Scholarship Council through UC San Diego Extension. She swims with UC San Diego's Masters Program and loves walking with her two dogs!

Gennie B. Miranda serves as the Chief Administrative Officer in the Ethnic Studies Department. In this role, Gennie is responsible for leadership, management and oversight of all administrative functions for the Ethnic Studies Department, Critical Gender Studies, Black Studies Project and The International Institute. Her responsibilities include strategic planning, budget and financial management, staff management, facilities management, policy development, risk assessment and management, accreditation and department review, implementation of internal controls, and management of information systems. She is the principle advisor to the department chair, program directors and department faculty regarding the development, implementation and assessment of short- and long-term strategic plans, budgets and financial performance. Prior to this position, Gennie served as the Director of Operations in the IDEA Engineering Student Center, Jacobs School of Engineering for 12 years, with overall responsibility for coordinating, developing and promoting initiatives to advance the diversity, enrichment, inclusion and retention of all engineering students. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, and an M.A. in Postsecondary Educational Leadership from San Diego State.

Jennifer (Oh) Bourque jbourque@ucsd.edu is the Director of Academic Research Personnel in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. In 2006 she established the Office of Postdoctoral and Visiting Scholar Affairs that standardized operations, streamlined business processes, and provided a central, resource office to the campus community. She co-founded the Torrey Pines Training Consortium, which is a multi-institutional collaboration, to develop, coordinate and offer transformative professional development opportunities to postdocs. In 2011/12 she received the UCSD Exemplary Staff Employee of the Year award and in 2012 the Partners in International Education. As a proud UCSD Alum (Revelle College), she is committed to fostering diversity and advancing UCSD’s research and education goals.

Alberto “Beto” Vasquez alv002@ucsd.edu serves as the Outreach Coordinator for San Diego Continuing Education (CE) where he created CE’s very first Outreach Department to boast their seven facilities, free programs and educational opportunities. He is currently employed with the Center for Research on Educational Equity, Assessment and Teaching Excellence (CREATE) where he spearheads UCSD’s efforts to increase STEM diversity, access and interest to disenfranchised communities throughout Southern California. Beto recently graduated from UC San Diego obtaining a Master’s degree in biology.

Heather Vinograd serves as the Executive Director of the Integrated Procure-to-Pay Solutions division of Residential, Retail, and Supply Chain Services. She also leads the Corporate Partnership Program, which seeks to advance the university’s mission of teaching, research and public service by improving service offerings, reducing costs, generating funding for university programs, establishing student placement opportunities and more. Prior to joining the university, Heather worked at a regional public accounting firm in San Francisco where she earned her Certified Public Accountant and Certified Valuation Analyst certifications. Heather received Bachelor’s Degrees in Accounting and Finance from the University of Arizona and her Master’s Degree in Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego.

Keiara Auzenne is the Diversity Initiatives Coordinator for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. This is a new position at Scripps and she is tasked with improving campus climate and addressing issues of equity, diversity and inclusion for students, staff and faculty at Scripps. Keiara is also the Co-founder and Director of a monthly Clean Slate Clinic that provides assistance formerly incarcerated individuals seeking to expunge their criminal records, and the Vice-Chair of the San Diego Reentry Roundtable. She is a San Diego native and a member of the California Bar, ABA, San Diego Lawyer’s Club, and San Diego Chapters of the ACLU and the NAACP. Keiara obtained her JD from UCLA (specialization in Critical Race Studies). She also holds an MBA from the Monterey Institute of International Studies and BAs in Political Science and Business Economics from UC Santa Barbara.

Luis R. Castellanos MD, MPH is an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine and recently appointed Director of Diversity in Medicine and Faculty Outreach at the UC San Diego School of Medicine. Dr. Castellanos believes that it is important to improve diversity and promote inclusion in the medical field so that we can better serve members of our community. Dr. Castellanos graduated from UC Davis summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at UC San Diego and after finishing his medical training, Dr. Castellanos moved back to Boston where he was a Fellow in Minority Health Policy at Harvard University/Commonwealth Fund Program.

Douglas P. Easterley, ED.D. is the Dean of Academic Advising, John Muir College at UC San Diego. Born and raised in San Diego. Doug moved to Santa Cruz at eighteen to study English and American Literature at UC Santa Cruz, was trained as an activist by a community of student and staff mentors. After graduating from UC Santa Cruz, he worked with the Academic Excellence Program, a math and science program focused on supporting first-generation and historically underrepresented students in introductory STEM courses. In 2000, Doug returned to San Diego and built a career at UC San Diego in academic advising - first at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, then at John Muir College before returning to school to complete a Doctorate in Education in Teaching and Learning at UC San Diego.

Kimberly L. Elias joined UC San Diego’s Teaching + Learning Commons in Spring 2016 as the first Engaged Learning Tools Coordinator. Working closely with the Registrar’s Office, Career Services, and other campus partners, Kimberly is responsible for further implementing and coordinating efforts of the suite of Engaged Learning Tools, which includes the Enhanced Electronic Transcript, Co-Curricular Record (CCR), Portfolium, and REAL Portal. Kimberly comes to UC San Diego from Canada, where she coordinated and implemented the Co-Curricular Record (CCR) at the University of Toronto, co-founded the national Canadian CCR Professionals Network, and completed her master’s thesis on employer perceptions of co-curricular engagement and the CCR at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.

Victor H. Minces, PH.D. studied physics at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, later obtaining his PhD in Computational Neurobiology at UC San Diego. Victor is now a project scientist in the Department of Cognitive Science in UC San Diego where he studies the role of music in cognitive development and education. Victor has always been interested in helping children and adolescents in all communities have access to great education experiences. He is a co-founder of UC San Diego Neuroscience Outreach Program, which in more than ten years has served thousands of students. He has recently founded Listening to Waves, a program for students to learn science through the science of music. Listening to Waves has reached hundreds of students in school settings, after school programs, and science fairs. He is interested in increasing the connections between universities and the local K-12 community. 

Elaine G. Tanaka, MD is an Assistant Clinical Professor, Non-Salaried in the Department of Surgery at UC San Diego.  Her specialization is in Breast Care and she teaches residents and medical students. She created the Breast Program at the VA Hospital (MDBrST) and is an advocate for Women’s Health. She serves on the steering committee for Critical Gender Studies at UC San Diego. She is volunteer faculty advisor for multiple UC San Diego undergraduate and medical student groups (APAMSA, MedICamp, AMWA).  She founded the San Diego Chapter of the UCSD Medical Alumni Association, and the Nonprofit Compassion Breast.

Emily M. Trask, PH.D has served in Student Affairs at the UC San Diego for 15 years, most recently as the Executive Director of the Center for Student Involvement at the UC San Diego, with responsibility for student organization advising, Greek Life, communication and leadership development programs, community service initiatives, and campus wide events. Her areas of academic interest include college student development, student engagement, leadership development, civic engagement and service-learning, and professional development in student affairs. Emily earned her doctorate in Leadership Studies with an emphasis in Higher Education Leadership from the USD, where her dissertation research focused on new student affairs professionals' use of advising strategies that promote self-authorship among college students. She has a Masters degree in Public Administration and a B.A in Philosophy from the University of Missouri - Columbia.

Tana Troke Campana serves as the Executive Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. Tana is responsible for the central budgeting, financial, human resources, facilities, technical operations and general administration of the Dean's Office. She is the senior business manager in the Jacobs School and collaborates with the Dean in administrative leadership of the School. With extensive knowledge of education administration, Tana began her University of California career at UC Irvine in 1987, moving into progressively responsible leadership positions during her thirteen years at the campus. She then spent two years at the UC San Francisco campus in Auxiliary Services before taking on the role of lead business administrator and IT director at a K-12 public school in Western New York from 2002-2007. 

Maureen A. Curran, M.S., serves the Director of Administration and International Business Development Health Sciences International (UCSD HSI). She is responsible for creating, maintaining and enhancing UC San Diego Health Sciences' International (HSI) services by fostering worldwide partner relationships. She also oversees administration and program implementation for collaborative partnerships such as establishment of College of Medicine and Health Sciences projects.

Melanie B. Cruz serves as the Executive Director of Development for the Divisions of Biological and Physical Sciences at the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego). At UC San Diego, she is responsible for the comprehensive fundraising activities for the Biological and Physical Sciences which include: the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Mathematics; Physics; Biological Sciences; the Science and Math Initiative; and the Environmental Systems program. She successfully oversaw the completion of a $20 million unit campaign for the Division of Physical Sciences during UC San Diego’s first capital campaign. In an interim capacity, she was tapped by campus leadership to execute and direct a major campus initiative for diversity fundraising and served as Interim Director for the UCSD Diversity Initiatives Development program. 

Earl W. Edwards serves as the Director of Athletics at UC San Diego since March of 2000. Under his guidance, the 23-sport program has made a very successful transition from the NCAA Division III ranks to Division II. Since moving to Division II in 2000, UCSD has been ranked among the top seven programs in the country on 10 different occasions in the annual Directors' Cup standings. Currently, he sits on the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Division II Board of Directors and the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA) Board of Directors. Edwards is also an ex-officio board member of the National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD) and has served as the organization's president. In addition, he is a member of the CCAA's Executive Council.

Roxanne Rockwell serves as the Director of the UCSD Adolescent Eating Disorders Service. She has experience in the research, evaluation and treatment of eating disorders and pediatric obesity since 1999. As a certified Family Based (i.e., “Maudsley”) Therapist, she served as the primary IFT program therapist for several years, and currently conducts FBT with families and provides training and supervision in this modality for staff in the adolescent eating disorders program. She began a Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) for the adolescent programs in 2012 and continues to develop this important service. Her clinical and research work focuses primarily on eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder) and weight management issues.

Anthony Singleton serves as the Chief Small Business Officer for UC San Diego’s Integrated Procure to Pay Solutions. He is responsible for Social Responsibility, and Sustainability programs, and the Office of Small Business Development. This includes policy development and regulatory compliance of programs, systems and processes in support of federal, state and local agencies and UC system-wide initiatives. These efforts lead the campus in demonstrating UC San Diego's commitment in business diversity, healthy and sustainable practices and greater San Diego community involvement and presence. He serves on various boards and councils for the University of California in Supplier Diversity Leadership, Vice Chair of the Public Agency Consortium (PAC), and serves the North County Small Business Development Center as an advisory council member.