Academic Support

mehtank@ucla.edu

Electrical and Computer Engineering, Saxon Suites

Now, this is a story all about how
My life took me to where I am now
And I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there
I'll tell you how I became a prof at UCLA.

A bit north of Philadelphia born and raised
Boston is where I spent the next of my days
Getting my Masters and Bachelor's too
Engineering is the field I did then pursue.

Then a couple of years until I finally would
From California, Berkeley get my doctor hood
I got in one lil' postdoc and then I prepared
to move to LA just south of Bel Air.

I've done a bunch of things since I came here
I puzzled and board gamed and skated everywhere
If anything I could say that I like to play
But I thought "nah forget it, I live too far away"

After a number of years, a bit more than eight,
I yelled to ResLife "yo homes, let me stay"
Moved up to the hill, been a month so far
Living in Saxon Suites as your friendly FIR

bvenkat@g.ucla.edu

UCLA Institute for Society & Genetics / History, De Neve East

Bharat grew up in Wisconsin and moved to California for the first time during college, earning his B.A. and M.A. from Stanford and his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley. After spending time in New York, New Jersey, Washington DC, and Oregon, he returned to California to join UCLA's Institute for Society & Genetics (with joint appointments in History and Anthropology). In 2021, he published a book (At the Limits of Cure) about tuberculosis in India. Since then, he's been studying how climate change impacts human health through UCLA Heat Lab, an interdisciplinary, collaborative research team focused on thermal inequality. Bharat's partner Jonathan is a graphic designer and ceramist from São Paulo, Brazil. Their dog, Seven, loves living on the Hill, playing fetch, and barking at skateboards.

bcallaghan@ucla.edu

Psychology, De Neve West

Dr. Bridget Callaghan is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology where she directs the Brain & Body Lab. In her lab, Bridget and her students study how early experiences (particularly with caregivers) get under the skin to influence mental and physical health across the lifespan. Using a diverse range of tools such as brain imaging, heart rate monitoring, and gastrointestinal microbiome analyses, as well as behavioral observations of parents and children, and cognitive tasks, Bridget’s research is aimed at creating personalized mental and physical interventions and supports for people who are struggling after early caregiving adversity.

Bridget was born in Sydney Australia and received her undergraduate BA degree in Psychology and her Ph.D at the University of New South Wales before moving to the USA in 2014 to complete her postdoc at Columbia University. Bridget moved to sunny Los Angeles in 2019 with her husband Beau, and her fur baby (Vinnie). Bridget and Beau have a 3 year old son called Freddie. Together, Bridget, Beau and Freddie love to spend time at the beach, at the Sunset Recreation, and finding pretty spots in nature. Vinnie (the dog) nearly drowned in a storm water drain on Christmas Day 2019 (Bridget had to dive in to save him) and so does not partake in water based activities. He also does not like garden sprinklers. He does love sleeping. Freddie likes to watch Bluey on TV, play with trains, learn to skateboard, and swim. Bridget loves to sew (and is learning to make quilts), craft, and learn new crafts.

cprovenzano@schoolofmusic.ucla.edu

Musicology, Rieber Vista

Catherine Provenzano’s scholarship focuses on voice, instrumentality, labor, and technology as they intersect gender, race, and class in US popular culture. She is currently writing a cultural history and ethnography of pitch correction softwares (Auto-Tune, Melodyne), and researching the political economy of sound, media, and software in megachurch worship contexts. Catherine is interested in questions and formulations of musical/sonic value, and how these affect work worlds, the environment, and social relations. In 2019, she earned her PhD in Ethnomusicology from New York University with her dissertation, “Emotional Signals: Digital Tuning Software and the Meanings of Pop Music Voices.” Using ethnographic and historical methods, she shows how the practice of pitch correction in U.S. Top 40 and hip hop puts emotion at the center of the voice’s worth.

Catherine’s work appears in *The Journal of Popular Music Studies*, *Musicology Now*, and *Guernica Magazine*, among other outlets. She is also a singer, songwriter, and performer.

djuansmart@g.ucla.edu

Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, Rieber Hall

D'Juan Farmer is an assistant professor in the Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology (MCDB). He is a developmental biologist, a scientist that studies how multicellular life arises from a single fertilized cell and he teaches MCDB 138: Developmental Biology. His laboratory investigates the origins of congenital anomalies that impact the face and skull.

D’Juan is a native of the L.A. area, and grew in Compton, California. He is first-generation college student and an alumnus of UCLA, majoring in MCDB with a minor in Biomedical Research. Though he started his journey as a pre-med student, after graduating and performing a post-baccalaureate program at the National Institutes of Health, he discovered a passion for biomedical research and decided to pursue a PhD. He completed his PhD at the University of California, San Francisco and his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Southern California.

D'Juan lives with his wife and his vibrant daughter. He and his family are movie and music lovers. He tries his best to attend several concerts a year. He is also an avid fan of fantasy, African American art and tennis, and hopes to return to playing tennis at UCLA (although he’s no good!). He is so excited to connect with students, to share his experiences and to learn from everyone!

ireneachen@ucla.edu

Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Olympic Hall

Irene Chen is a Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCLA. She grew up in San Diego, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Harvard, and earned an M.D. from the joint Harvard-M.I.T. program and a Ph.D. in Biophysics at Harvard. Her laboratory studies nanoscale synthetic biological systems to learn about the origin of life and to develop antimicrobial agents. She is curious about all things science and beyond. To wind down she likes to read speculative fiction and play BTD6 with her kids. Her spouse, Michael Schindlinger, grew up in New York and attended Berklee School of Music before earning his Ph.D. in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard. They live on the Hill with their two boys, ages 8 and 13, and their cat.

silvers@g.ucla.edu

Psychology, De Neve Towers

Jen Silvers is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology where she teaches courses on developmental psychology, emotion and neuroscience. Jen also directs the Social Affective Neuroscience and Development Laboratory, where she and her lab members use neuroscience tools to understand the effects of stress and social relationships on the emotional brain in children and adolescents.

Jen grew up in Bethesda, MD and earned B.A. degrees in Psychology and Cognitive Science at the University of Virginia. After spending two years working as a research assistant at the National Institute of Mental Health in Washington, D.C., Jen completed her Ph.D. and postdoctoral training at Columbia University in New York. Nine years in New York City left Jen with a strong appreciation for bagels and public transportation, but also with an even stronger desire to never walk her dog through snowdrifts again (thanks, LA!).

Jen and her husband, Jason, have a dog child, Sally, and three human children, Eloise, Sebastian, and Theodore. Sally, Ellie, Sebastian, and Theodore enjoy getting all kinds of attention from UCLA students and proving to Jen that she knows a lot less about development than she thinks. The Silvers Buhle family loves all of the joyous things that LA has to offer, especially food, film, art and nature.

jharris@gseis.ucla.edu

Education & Organizational Change, Courtside + Canyon Point

Jessica C. Harris is Associate Professor of Higher Education and Organizational Change in the School of Education & Information Studies at UCLA. Through her research,

Jessica aims to disrupt systems of domination embedded throughout post-secondary education. Her research agenda, which focuses on race, racism, and its intersections in higher education, is concentrated on three areas: Multiraciality in postsecondary contexts, the intersections of race, gender, and campus sexual assault, and the mis/use of theory to advance racial equity in higher education.

She is currently focusing her research on Women of Color student survivors’ experiences with campus sexual violence, including their experiences with reporting, healing, processing, and prevention of sexual violence.

Jessica was born and raised in Portland, Oregon and moved to Los Angeles to attend Occidental College. She graduated from Occidental with a M.A. in Critical Race Studies. Jessica was heavily involved in student activities at Occidental. After graduating college, she pursued her M.Ed. in College Student Affairs at Pennsylvania State University. At Penn State, Jessica fell in love with research and decided to next pursue her PhD in Higher Education at Indiana University. She has worked at UCLA for nine years and has lived on the UCLA campus as a FIR for seven years. In her free time, you can find Jessica working out (Peloton!), reading, and spending quality time with her family.

JoseLoya@luskin.ucla.edu

Public Affairs, Delta Terrace

José Loya is an Assistant Professor in Urban Planning at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs and faculty affiliate with the Chicano Studies Research Center. His research addresses Latino issues in urban areas by connecting ethno-racial inequality and contextual forces at the neighborhood, metropolitan, and national levels. On his free time, he enjoys hiking and playing basketball.

chavezmoreno@ucla.edu

Chicana/Chicano and Central American Studies, Sproul Hall

Laura Chávez-Moreno is an assistant professor in the Departments of Chicanx & Central American Studies and Education. She grew up in Douglas, Arizona, and Agua Prieta, Sonora, México.  Dr. Laura has studied and/or worked in several universities including Northern Arizona Univ, Univ of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Univ of Pennsylvania, and Boston College. She earned her PhD from the Univ of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Education.  Dr. Laura’s book, How Schools Make Race, shows how school policies, practices, and discourses construct ideas about race and the Latinx group.  Dr. Laura lives on the Hill with her partner of over 20 years, UCLA Prof. Hiram Beltrán-Sánchez. Fun fact: Dr. Laura has refrained from consuming desserts and any foods/drinks with added sugar for 5+ years. She loves potlucks and parties, and she enjoys learning about the Hill community.

mcarriger@tft.ucla.edu

Theater and Performance Studies, Hedrick Summit

Michelle Liu Carriger is an associate professor of theater and performance studies and the chair of the UCLA Department of Theater. Michelle’s books include Theatricality of the Closet: Fashion, Performance, and Subjectivity Between Victorian Britain and Meiji Japan (2023) and a theater appreciation textbook Theatre Brief 13th edition (2022). Other research and writing include articles on pedagogy in times of crisis, cheerleaders in musicals, cultural appropriation and kimono. Dr. Carriger teaches theater history and performance theory with specialities in fashion, reenactment, Japanese performance, feminist and queer theories. Courses available for UCLA students include Fiat Luxes on a range of topics, theater history, producing theatrical seasons, and theater 107 Drama of Diversity, which fulfills three GE requirements and the Diversity requirement.  In addition to this research, she is a longtime practitioner of the Japanese Way of Tea and occasional theatre maker. Students interested in matcha or chanoyu, “tea ceremony,” should check out UCLA’s tea club: UTeaLA.org

nikkibbarry@ucla.edu

Education, Hedrick Hall

Raised in her homelands in the Snake River Valley of what is currently called Idaho, Nikki is a citizen of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and is also of Paiute and Irish descent.

She is an assistant professor of Environmental Justice Education who studies how to cultivate ethical, caring relationships between human and more-than-human communities. A former first generation college student, Nikki earned her PhD in Learning Sciences from Northwestern University, her MA in Teaching from Pacific University, and her BS in Sociology from Northeastern University. She also has taught middle school and high school English and musical theatre.

For fun, Nikki is learning to play the guitar and occasionally hits a dance class or cheerleading open gym to practice co-ed stunting with her husband.

Nikki and her partner, Kevin, have three boys: Sohobi, Hoda, and Wasa. As a family they enjoy being outside, especially in the woods near water.

khankan@ucla.edu

Life Sciences, Rieber Terrace

Dr. Rana grew up in the California central valley and moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA as an undergraduate. A former first-generation college student, Rana is a triple Bruin now. After earning her B.S. and M.S. in Physiological Sciences (PHYSCI), Rana completed her doctorate in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology at UCLA while conducting spinal cord injury research. She went on to investigate glioblastoma development at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, then joined the Life Sciences Core Education Department to teach introductory biology and physiology courses. When Rana is not working, she likes to stay active, usually in the great outdoors, connecting with nature. On campus, you might see her DIYing at the Makerspace or gardening (more like playing with dirt) at the Healthy Campus Initiative Community Garden at Sunset Recreation. Off-campus, she loves visiting the Getty Center, exploring various Los Angeles museums, and indulging in her somewhat unhealthy habit of escape rooms.

sbeckmann@humnet.ucla.edu

Classics, Sproul Cove and Landing

suzanne@orl.ucla.edu

Education, Hitch

Asst. Vice Chancellor, Student Development

Dr. Suzanne L. Seplow (aka Seppy) is a fellow Bruin, receiving her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership here at UCLA. She is currently the Executive Director, Residential and Student Life.

Focusing on learning communities and environmental influences, Dr. Seplow specializes in maintaining living/learning communities that foster positive impacts on student learning.

Suzanne earned her Bachelors degree in Natural Sciences and Biology, with a concentration in Education, from Muhlenburg College in Allentown, PA. She completed her Masters degree from Teachers College at Columbia University in New York City, studying Higher Education and specializing in Student Affairs.

Dr. Seplow teaches an honors service-learning class focusing on citizenship, leadership and service. She also participates in the Fiat Lux series and has taught for many years a class on sexual orientation and gender identity. In addition to these undergraduate courses, Dr. Seplow teaches identity development theory to graduate students in the Masters of Student Affairs program within the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies.

Suzanne, her partner Robin, and their two children love being part of the residential community and opening up their home to students. They enjoy participating in student programs, open discussions, cultural experiences and other learning adventures.

Her hobbies include anything sports (particularly fantasy football), card games, spending time with family and watching The Voice!

tjambo@g.ucla.edu

American Indian Studies, Dykstra Hall

Theresa Ambo is an associate professor in the Department of American Indian Studies. Her primary research examines historical relationships and contemporary partnerships between Native Nations and public universities. She also collaborates with community members and colleagues to examine settler land acknowledgment statements and histories of universities.

Theresa is a first-generation college student and grew up in La Puente, a suburb of Los Angeles County. She is a triple Bruin, holding a B.A., M.Ed. in Student Affairs, and Ph.D. from UCLA. After completing her doctorate, she was a postdoctoral researcher and assistant professor at UC San Diego in the Department of Education Studies. When she is not working, Theresa enjoys pour-over coffee, reading fiction and graphic novels, artwork, decluttering ;-), swimming at Sunset Rec, long walks, playing pickleball with her spouse (we are terrible at it), and the LA food scene.

tina.christie@ucla.edu

Education, Centennial Hall

Christina (Tina) Christie is Wasserman Dean and Professor in the School of Education and Information Studies. Tina lives with her partner, Michelle, two children, Grace (14) and Eli (8), and two pandemic puppies, Lola (4) and Latte (4).

She earned her Ph.D. from UCLA, then served on the faculty at the Claremont Colleges for 9 years before returning to UCLA in 2010 as a faculty member. She was appointed Wasserman Dean of the School of Education and Information Studies in 2021. Her scholarship aims to strengthen our understanding of program and policy evaluation as a method for facilitating social change. Her work has three main foci: she conducts applied evaluation research studies, research on evaluation practice, and theoretical analysis.  

Ultimately, she hopes that her work helps to bridge the academic and practical worlds of evaluation science and contributes to the body of knowledge that promotes positive program and policy reform.