Center for Social Innovation
People
CSI Alumni
Karthick Ramakrishnan
Director
Karthick Ramakrishnan is professor of public policy and political science at the University of California, Riverside, and founding director of its Center for Social Innovation. He has published many articles and 7 books, including most recently, Citizenship Reimagined (Cambridge, 2020) and Framing Immigrants (Russell Sage, 2016). He has written dozens of opeds and has appeared in over 1,000 news stories. Ramakrishnan was named to the Frederick Douglass 200 and is currently working on projects related to racial equity in philanthropy and regional development. He holds a BA in international relations from Brown University and a PhD in politics from Princeton.
Ramakrishnan serves on the Board of The California Endowment and the Association of Princeton Graduate Alumni, chairs the California Commission on APIA Affairs, and serves as director of the Inland Empire Census Complete Count Committee. Ramakrishnan directs the National Asian American Survey and is founder of AAPIData.com, which publishes demographic data and policy research on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Aaron Walter
Hello, my name is Aaron Walter, and I am a fourth-year UCR Psychology: Law & Society and Public Policy major, with my Public Policy tracks being International/Foreign Relations and Institutions/Processes. On-campus I am affiliated with several departments. In ASUCR, UCR's student government body, I serve as Judicial General Advocate. As General Advocate, I serve as a liaison between the Judicial Branch and the rest of ASUCR as well as the public representative of Judicial. Within the Psychology Department, I work as a research assistant in the Life Events Lab, studying coping strategies and emotions within uncertain waiting periods.
Adrian Fonseca
My name is Adrian Fonseca and I am a fourth-year Business Administration student concentrating in Information Systems at the University of California, Riverside's School of Business. I am passionate about technology and understanding how it can help improve business practices at an organizational level. Over the course of the 2019-20 academic school year, I developed an interest in analytics utilizing business intelligence tools like Tableau to better interpret and present visualized data. When on campus, I devote my time to the UCR TRIO Scholars Student Support Services program and serve as the President of External Affairs with the Association of Latino Professionals for America (UCR ALPFA).
Adriana Ninci
I am a PhD student in the department of Political Science at UCR. My major subfields are Mass Political Behavior and American Politics. My research interests center around race, ethnicity, gender and identity politics, political psychology, and inequality. I especially focus on the perception of women as political candidates. I am also a member of the Gender Lab in the Political Science department at UCR. My recent publication in the Journal of Policy and Politics is on Stand Your Ground Laws and the influence of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). I have experience teaching American Politics, Constitutional Law, and World Politics. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and served as President of the International Honor’s Society in Psychology (Psi Chi) and as Philanthropy Chair at Sonoma State University.
Alexander Ross
My name is Alex and I serve as a graduate researcher at CSI while pursuing a PhD in political science. My primary research interests are the politics of inequality, with a particular focus on the political effects of personal debt, such as student loans and credit card debt. My experience as a researcher at the center has informed my research interest by showing me how real and immediate the impacts of policy change are upon the lives and lived experiences of the people impacted. Upon receiving my PhD I plan to pursue a career in either academia or public policy.
America Valdin
Student Assistant
America Valdin was an undergraduate at the University of California, Riverside. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy, focusing her tracks on environment and health. She also double majored in Sustainability Studies. Her experience of growing up in a low-income neighborhood motivated her to pursue advocacy for successful policy implementation. She aims to combat health disparities within such communities and promote a sustainable way of life. Although policies have been implemented to help combat social issues, America believes we must constantly ensure their efficiency.
Ana M. Ojeda
My name is Ana Magaly Ojeda, and I am a Ph.D. student in the department of Sociology at UC Riverside. I am one of the new qualitative graduate student researchers for the Center for Social Innovation. I grew up in north county San Diego where I did all my schooling before entering the Ph.D. program at UC Riverside.
Andres Gutierrez
My name is Andres Gutierrez, and I am an incoming second-year in the Master of Public Policy Program at UCR. I graduated from San Francisco State University in 2021 and received my Bachelor's in Urban Planning and Studies. I am currently with the Los Angeles Planning Department and have experience in working with Government Agencies and City Programs. My Research Interests include Transportation, Housing, Environment, Criminal Justice reform, and Social Justice. My education and experiences have motivated me to help create local and regional impactful policies to build an equitable place for all.
Annie Hooper
Annie Hooper was responsible for the day-to-day operation and co-leads the strategic positioning of the Center for long-term growth and success. Annie maintained oversight and management of fiscal operations, human resources, and Center facilities as well as policy development and implementation. Valuing diversity, equity, and inclusion, she is honored to be part of the progressive impact the Center's work is leaving in the Inland Southern California.
Arielle Manganiello
My name is Arielle Manganiello, I am a fourth-year Ph.D. Candidate co-advised in social psychology and political science. My research interests include examining how generalized beliefs about groups, individual identities, and the political and social context of society affects an individual's political attitudes and behaviors. Particularly voting and candidate evaluations.
Arshneel Kaur
My name is Arshneel Kaur and I am a third year undergraduate student. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Political Science: Law and Society and a minor in Philosophy with an emphasis in Social Policy Analysis. After finishing my degree, I will attend law school to have a chance to further the public good and impact the way the world runs, and essentially reform the system designed to prevent people from growing out of their condition. Having grown up in an Indian household, I was raised to pursue a career in science, but I was drawn to the news. I have a deep passion for establishing truth and siding with the right side of justice and I have accumulated a foundational knowledge in this domain through analysis of legal policy and research. With a career in Law I will utilize this knowledge to provide a collective voice for the public and give individuals a chance to advocate through direct action and policy. My immediate interest lies in the inequality and lack of resources for minorities in the United States and their lack of representation in the Political arena.
Beth C Tamayose
Research Director
Beth Tamayose, Ph.D., is the Research Director, and in that role oversees the Center’s research portfolio and operations. Beth brings both academic and practitioner experience in urban planning, having worked on policy issues at a variety of levels. Beth has a Master's in Regional Planning from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Urban Planning from UCLA.
Brianna PhamTuong
Hi there! My name is Brianna, but I usually go by Bri. I am currently a second-year Master of Public Policy student at UCR concentrating in Health Policy. I received my undergraduate from UCR in public policy with an emphasis in social and health policy. I work on the IE Rise Research team and am involved with research through the public policy department. I am interested in helping the Inland Empire because it has been my home for the past 6 years, and I would like to give back to my community and others that are underrepresented.
Carmen Zambrano
Researcher and Center Associate
Hi, I’m Carmen Zambrano and the Qualitative Graduate Student Researcher at CSI. In 2019, I graduated from San Jose State University and received my BA in Sociology. Post-graduation I began working in Tech-Sales in Silicon Valley. Although the Tech space was challenging and rewarding, I decided to jump-start a career change. Currently, I am a graduate student with UCR’s Master of Public Policy program.
Chantelle Miller
Engagement Undergraduate Student Assistant
Chantelle Miller and is currently an undergraduate student at UCR studying Political Science. Chantelle has always had an interested in policies and social systems for as long as she can remember. Growing up, her mother was always heavily involved in advocacy work within their community and inspired her to get involved as well. During her time in high school, Chantelle worked very closely with her school’s board members and administrators to implement school-wide policies that focused on social education and inclusion of minority groups. On campus, Chantelle is involved with organizations such as the Mustard Seed Projects, which works to provide relief to the local homeless community by connecting them with opportunities and resources that can help. She is very grateful to be working with the CSI on projects that can truly help to benefit the Inland Empire.
Christian Lindke
Researcher and Center Associate
Christian Lindke is a Doctoral Candidate in Political Science at the University of California, Riverside and the former Program Director of the Arsalyn Program of Ludwick Family Foundation. Prior to entering the program at UCR, Christian earned his Master of Science in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing and Market Research at California State Polytechnic, Pomona at their Graduate School of Business.
Deborah Lefkowitz
Deborah Lefkowitz, PhD, is Assistant Professional Researcher at the Center for Social Innovation. She received her BA summa cum laude in Visual and Environmental Studies from Harvard University, and her PhD in Social Ecology from the University of California Irvine. Her community-engaged, qualitative and mixed-methods research explores cancer survivorship, health disparities, and health law and policy, with a focus on vulnerable cancer populations in Southern California’s Inland Empire.
Diana Cervantes
Hi everyone! My name is Diana Cervantes, and I am an incoming second-year in the Master of Public Policy program at UCR. I graduated from California State Polytechnic, Pomona, in 2021 with my bachelor's in sociology with an emphasis in social work. My research interests include public health, social justice, poverty, and immigration policy. Growing up in San Bernardino my whole life has influenced my educational interest and my interest in working with CSI. I have seen and experienced the disadvantages and challenges people face daily living in the Inland Empire. I hope to utilize my lived, work, and educational experience to make an impact in this region.
Eric Calderon
Assistant Director
Eric Calderon is the Assistant Director of the Center for Social Innovation (CSI) at the University of California, Riverside's School of Public Policy. In his role, he helps with Center operations, research, communications, and engagement. A SoCal native, Eric earned his Associate of Arts degree in Sociology at East Los Angeles College and his Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy at the University of California, Riverside. He is passionate about all things that impact community engagement and well-being and has spent most of his time working on issues surrounding climate, education, health, housing, and transportation. Eric has supported and led various projects including Inland CA Rising summits, State of the Inland Empire report releases, SoCal Policy Forum,the 2020 Census efforts of the Inland Empire Complete Count Committee, Census IE Nonprofit Tables, and the UCR Counts! committee, Racial Data, Inland Southern California Climate Collaborative , and many others.
Eric Hayes
My name is Eric Hayes. I am a second-year Ph.D. student in Statistics at UCR. Prior to coming to UCR for my Ph.D., I did my BA in Economics at UCLA and my MS in Statistics at SDSU. I worked for several years at the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) as an Associate Economist, where I was responsible for researching and forecasting the state of the Southern California economy.
Erin Conlisk
Senior Research Manager
Erin Conlisk, PhD, comes to the Center of Social Innovation after 15 years working throughout California as a data scientist in environmental sustainability and conservation (see her prior work in the link provided below). As a Senior Research Manager at the Center for Social Innovation, Erin manages, analyzes, and creates data visualizations and reports to advance equity in the Inland Empire, with a particular focus on educational and environmental justice. When not gathering or analyzing evidence to inform decision-making, Erin likes to get outside, be active, and learn from others.
Esau Casimiro Vieyra
I received a Bachelor’s in Political Science from CSU Bakersfield and Master of Public Policy at UC Riverside in Spring 2020. I chose Race and Immigration as my concentration as these two areas have had a great impact in my life and those around me. My other interests include public opinion, race and ethnic politics, and I have been pulled towards spatial analysis during my time in the MPP.
Estefania Caldera-Alvarado
I am Estefania Caldera-Alvarado, and I graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a B.A. in Public Policy and an emphasis in public health and international and foreign policy. I aim to pursue the next degree milestone and earn a Master’s degree in Public Health. With this degree, I plan to achieve two long term goals to help my community. One of my goals is to increase immigrant’s access to affordable healthcare. The second goal is to create opportunities for immigrant mobility and encourage civic engagement by educating immigrants about resources currently available to them. My passion for immigrant advocacy developed because of my family’s experiences with health and employment. My parents are immigrants, and I saw their struggle to obtain financial stability. Moving from town to town to follow employment I learned that the low wages, fear of deportation, the irony of living with food insecurity while working in agriculture, and developing several preventable health illnesses were issues that my family shared in common with other immigrants. More importantly, I learned that the personal troubles immigrants faced were due to larger socioeconomic and political issues. As a researcher for IE RISE, I am highlighting the work of various immigrant advocates and coalitions, while addressing current policy and investigating immigrant issues through a multidisciplinary lens. I am thrilled to work with IE RISE as we work to better understand the needs of residents in the Inland Empire.
Evelyn Pruneda
My name is Evelyn Pruneda and I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Sociology at UCR. I earned my B.A. in Politics from Occidental College and a Masters of Public Administration from California State University, Fresno. My research interests include critical race and gender studies, labor, social movements, and environmental sociology. My dissertation work centers on the experiences of women farmworkers in California’s rural San Joaquin Valley and focuses on the political and social borders that shape and exacerbate multiple marginalized identities that influence their work, family, and community lives.
Fatima Nelson
Community Engagement Specialist
Fatima comes to the Center for Social Innovation with over 20 years of community engagement experience. She began her journey as an undergraduate intern with the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education’s Say Yes to Education program. Her passion for finding resources for underserved communities began with that early work and has carried her throughout her professional career.
Francisco Pedraza
Francisco I. Pedraza (Ph.D. University of Washington, 2010) is a political scientist at the University of California, Riverside with appointments in the School of Public Policy and the Department of Political Science. He is the coordinator of the Politics of Race, Immigration, and Ethnicity Consortium. Francisco’s research centers on political attitude formation and political behavior, with a special emphasis on the attitudes and behaviors of racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. His research draws on sociological, psychological, and policy processes theoretical frameworks to better understand individual-level policy preferences, electoral candidate preferences, political knowledge, and other political orientations like trust in government. His substantive research interests also include the relationship between immigration policy and health policy.
Gary Rettberg
Research Manager
Gary Rettberg majored in Communications/Sociology as an undergrad, and got his Masters in Public Policy at UC Riversidein 2018. His academic interests include health policy, economic development, community development, and public policy at every level specifically in California and New Jersey. He is also am an amateur historian with a focus on Southern New Jersey, specifically Gloucester County.
Karen Chen
My name is Karen Chen and I’m a third-year double major in Theater, Film, and Digital Productions and Media Cultural Studies. After finding my passion for filmmaking through programs provided by my high school in Bentonville, Arkansas, I started to dedicate time learning and experimenting within the various aspects of digital film. Academically, I am interested in the techniques used to share the most powerful stories and studying other famously impactful works.
Karla López del Río
Karla brought a wealth of community development experience and housing expertise to augment our Center’s capacity and impact. She specializes in creating collaborations and leading research initiatives that promote more equitable public policies. In all her efforts, she leverages her expertise and passion to help communities reach their fullest potential. In her various professional positions, she has forged thousands of community-centered, multi-level, cross-sectoral partnerships among public, private, and local organizations, leading to increased civic engagement, housing solutions, and innovative resident-led projects. Over the years, her work has resulted in multi-million dollar investments in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods across Southern California.
Kate Niyakarn Neamsapaya
My name is Kate Neamsapaya. I am currently an undergraduate at the School of Public Policy who is interested in researching health inequities. My long term goal is to attain a Ph.D. in Public Health. With this degree, I hope to bring more awareness of mental illnesses and diseases to minority communities and Southeast Asian Countries. Growing up, I came from a Southeast Asian community where mental health and other public health issues were not well known. As I grew older, I noticed how a lot of people in the community faced PTSD from the Khmer Rouge or other mental illnesses from immigrating, yet going to a psychologist was not even an option for us. In my community, going to see a psychologist was only for the "mentally insane". Because of this negative stigma around mental health, the people that I grew up with still suffer from it. Even children who have mental disabilities in my community did not get the best options because parents were too proud to accept that their child needed help. Having sisters with autism in this community only encouraged me more to bring awareness towards these hardships that many minority and immigrant communities face. Due to these past experiences, I hope to contribute to CSI’s mission in promoting an overall better opportunity for the disadvantaged communities living in the Inland Empire.
Katelynn Grajeda
My name is Katelynn Grajeda and I am a recent graduate from UCR, with a BA in Media and Cultural Studies and a minor in Sociology. Aside from CSI, I am also an administrative assistant for the School of Public Policy, who we work closely with. I have also been involved in multiple on-campus organizations. After moving to Southern California to pursue my education in the Media field, I found a passion for social media strategy and marketing.
Lauren Macy
Graduate Student Researcher
Lauren Macy was a second-year Master's student at the University of California, Riverside School of Public Policy. She began her education at Orange Coast Community College and earned a Bachelor of the Arts in Sociology from California State University, Long Beach. She has worked in healthcare for almost five years at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach and volunteered with School on Wheels as a tutor for students experiencing homelessness in Southern California. Her education and experience informed her interests and motivation in creating and implementing impactful policies surrounding housing, mental health, community development, education, and public health.
Lin Cong
My name is Lin Cong, I am currently a rising 3rd year Ph.D. student in the Department of Statistics at UCR. I received my master's degree in Statistics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and my bachelor's degree in Statistics at Renmin University of China.
Loren Collingwood
Loren is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at University of California, Riverside. His research and teaching interests include American politics, political behavior, race and ethnic politics, and political methodology. He received his Ph.D. in political science from University of Washington in 2012, and his B.A. from California State University, Chico, with a stint in between at Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research in Washington, DC. His dissertation and upcoming book examines cross-racial political campaigning where candidates and voters are of different racial/ethnic backgrounds.
Mai Do
My name is Mai Nguyen Do. I work as a researcher for AAPI Data and am a Ph.D. student in the political science department. I'm particularly interested in migration, Southeast Asian refugees in the United States, and Asian American politics more generally. On campus at UC Riverside, I serve as a departmental representative to the Graduate Student Council and as a head steward for UAW 2865’s Riverside unit.
Mariela Loera
Mariela Loera is a second-year student in the MPP program at UCR. She graduated from UCR with a degree in Sustainability Studies. She is interested in environmental justice especially when it comes to helping vulnerable communities. She is specifically passionate about working with the community in order to give them a voice at the table and develop creative solutions to deal with environmental justice issues.
Marlenee Blas Pedral
Marlenee Blas served as the Associate Director at the Center for Social Innovation. She is passionate about access to education and advocating for innovative ways to support a more equitable and sustainable environment in the Inland Empire. Her work at the Center for Social Innovation helped prepare her for her next step of attending UC Berkeley Law School. After completing a master’s degree in higher education, a Fulbright Fellowship in Brazil, and meaningful work at the Center for Social Innovation, Marlenee continued to be reminded of her upbringing and why she pursued law school.
Monica Cardenas
Financial Analyst III
Hi, my name is Monica Cardenas; I joined the Center of Social Innovation as the new Financial Analyst. In this role I will be serving School of Public Policy and AAPI while also focusing particularly on the California 100 project. My goal is to learn about the projects within the Center of Social Innovation and become engaged in the community programs. Prior to joining UCR Center of Social Innovation I worked for corporate settings in the Life Insurance and Property Management industries, both areas provided me exposure to growth and knowledge gain opportunities. I obtained my Bachelor’s in Management in 2017 but have been working in the accounting world for the past 6+ years. Some of my areas of interest include financial literacy, development of Hispanic youth, economic developments and environmental preservation.
Natalie Ikhrata
Hello my name is Natalie Ikhrata and I am a fourth year Public Policy major focusing on housing and transportation policy. I’ve lived in California my whole life and I know we can do better for our regions and the amazing people living within them. I am an advocate for meaningful social justice reform, as well as housing and transportation policy reform that will allow California to become an affordable, sustainable, and equitable place to live for every single person.
Paola Avendano
External Affairs Associate
My name is Paola Avendano and I am a 25 years old latina from San Bernardino, CA. Although I am not currently enrolled as a student, I graduated in 2016 with a major in Political Science from UCR and am currently working on studying for the GRE in order to go back to school soon. I plan to apply for programs that focus on public policy, public administration, and even business administration.
Peter Chor
Webmaster Student Assistant
Peter Chor earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at UCR in Media Cultural Studies and specialized in website creation and management. Prior to being hired at Center of Social Innovation, Peter worked as a Webmaster and Newsletter editor at UCR’s Office of Sustainability. As CSI’s Student Assistant Webmaster, Pater managed web pages and created media across platforms such as Drupal, Wordpress, Canva, and Photoshop. Peter has a passion for learning more about computers, the World Wide Web, and coding. Peter helped improve CSIUCR’s website during his time as a Webmaster Student Assistant.
Quanfeng Zhou
Researcher and Center Associate
My name is Quanfeng Zhou. I am a 4th year Ph.D. student in economics with a focus on topics related to education, labor market as well as the empirical methods used in studying those questions.I was born in Shanghai, an economically developed city in a developing country. Both of my parents are among the well-educated people of their generation and I have benefited a lot from that.
Safi Bajwa
My name is Safi Bajwa and I am a 4th-year undergraduate student pursuing a Biology degree. My long-term goal is to attain a medical degree to provide healthcare to underprivileged communities and work diligently on combatting socioeconomic structures that hinder proper healthcare treatment and access. I am passionate about deeply understanding health demographics and health policy that directly affect the underserved community, and then utilizing this vital knowledge to provide optimal healthcare and opportunities for the community in the future.
Samantha Stanfill
My name is Samantha Stanfill and I am a Business major with a concentration in management at UCR’s School of Business. After graduating from undergraduate I plan on attending Law School to pursue my passion for advocating for others and to utilize my ability to understand others and problem solve.
Sarah Garibay
Community Engagement Specialist
Sarah Wright was a Community Engagement Specialist for the Center for Social Innovation. In 2019, Sarah earned her Master’s in Social Work at California State University, San Bernardino with an interest in pursuing macro social work. Prior to graduate school, Sarah worked in District Offices for two local Congressional Members and also worked on a number of different political campaigns in the Inland Empire. Sarah earned her Bachelor’s degree in Ethnic Studies from UCR in 2012. Her interests are women’s rights and gender equity, mental health, and public health.
Sarah Hayes
My name is Sarah Hayes and I am a second year graduate student in the political science department. Broadly, my research interests are Black politics, political behavior, electoral politics, and health policy. My primary line of study is exploring how people engage with political institutions and how these interactions shape individual and institutional political participation.
Sono Shah
Sono served as a center associate and researcher at AAPI Data while completing his Ph.D. in Political Science at UCR. He studies race & ethnicity, political behavior, civic engagement in the U.S, and the application of computational social science methods. He is currently a computational social scientist with the Data Labs team at Pew Research Center.
Stephanie DeMora
I'm a PhD student and my subfields are Mass Political Behavior and American Political Institutions. Most of my research is on gender and politics. I have an Associate's degree in Liberal Arts, Bachelor's degree in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies, and a Master's degree in Comparative Politics. I have a couple of publications in public policy (Policy & Politics; Journal of Elections, Public Opinion, and Parties) and another in gender and politics (British Journal of Political Science).
Stephanie Tapia Jimenez
My name is Stephanie T. Jimenez. I am originally from Sacramento, CA and I have recently graduated from UCR in June 2020 with a degree in Public Policy and a concentration in Health/Population and International/Foreign Policy. I have a keen interest in the issue area of global public health and I deeply value learning about improving the health and well-being of communities. As a lifelong learner, I aspire to return to school in the hopes of completing a masters degree. In the future, I plan to utilize my skills and knowledge to advocate and advance social change.
Sunny Shao
My name is "Sunny" Yiming Shao. I am a researcher at the Center for Social Innovation and AAPI Data. I received my Master's Degree in Public Policy from Pepperdine and my Bachelor's Degree in International Communications from Nottingham. Currently, I am a Ph. D. Candidate in Political Science at UCR.
Sydney Pun
My name is Sydney Pun and I am the Research Data Analyst at the Center for Social Innovation. I graduated from UCR with a Computer Science degree in March 2021. I find it interesting that in the subdivision of Computer Science known as Data Science, this field can combine data visualizations and other data-driven strategies to bring a voice to underrepresented communities.
Tamara Marquez
Tamara Marquez graduated with a B.S. in Media and Culture Studies major and Spanish from UCR. She is passionate about volunteering and being part of organizations that give back to the community, specifically to the undocumented community as she can relate to their struggle. Tamara’s internship experiences have encouraged her to pursue a career in the marketing industry or communications. With the opportunity of helping the social media/marketing team at the Center for Social Innovation, she hopes to find a passion that will guide her towards Graduate School. Tamara enjoys taking photos of friends and editing them.
Wendy Ramos
My name is Wendy Ramos. I am a 3rd-year undergraduate student where I am in the process of double majoring in Anthropology and Sociology. My interest in Anthropology was sparked through my fascination with the interworking relationship between language and culture; however, my true passion will always lie with Sociology. I have always been curious about people and have often caught myself burning holes right through them. I'm fascinated with the way a person walks, the subtle emotions caught on a person's face, the types of interactions people have, and even more so when a person shifts from society’s norms.
Yiwang Li
My name is Yiwang Li. I am a fourth-year PhD student in Education Policy Analysis and Leadership at UCR. Before coming to UCR, I did my BS in Education and Public Policy at Penn State. I worked for the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) as an analyst, where I was responsible for processing and analyzing teacher evaluation data.