1 April 6, 2023 Welcome to Latino Excellence and Achievement Awards Dinner THE SIXTH ANNUAL
6th Annual UCI Latino Excellence and Achievement Awards Dinner
RECEPTION
Los Chagos
EVENING PROGRAM
Performance by Ballet Folklórico de UCI
Rodrigo Lazo, Ph.D. Interim Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Gala Co-chair
Jaymi Smith Associate Dean for Student Success, Graduate Division
KEYNOTE
Tiffany López, Ph.D. Dean, Claire Trevor School of the Arts
Adelí Durón Director, Latinx Resource Center Gala Co-Chair
AWARDS PRESENTER
Jessica R. Ortega, Ph.D. Senior Staff Psychologist, UCI Counseling Center
SCHOOL AWARD PRESENTATIONS
Claire Trevor School of the Arts
School of Biological Sciences
Paul Merage School of Business
School of Education
Henry Samueli School of Engineering
School of Humanities
Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences
School of Law
Performance by Brown Bag Theater Company
School of Medicine
School of Nursing
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
School of Physical Sciences
Program in Public Health
School of Social Ecology
School of Social Sciences
COMMUNITY AWARDS PRESENTATIONS
Distinguished Staff Leadership Award
Outstanding Alumni Leadership Award
Outstanding Community Builder Award
Outstanding Faculty Mentorship Award
CLOSING REMARKS
Rodrigo Lazo, Ph.D.
Interim Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Gala Co-chair
Rodrigo Lazo, Ph.D.
Interim Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Professor of English, School of Humanities Gala Co-chair
Dr. Rodrigo Lazo is the Interim Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for the University of California, Irvine (UCI). Through the Office of Inclusive Excellence (OIE) he leads a team working to promote institutional transformation in support of equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Dr. Lazo’s previous positions at UCI include Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Graduate Division, Associate Dean of Humanities, and Director for the Humanities Core Program, a one-year introduction to the humanities for first-year students.
Dr. Lazo is a professor of English and is a highly regarded scholar of American literature broadly conceived across the Americas, and he teaches courses on LatinX fiction and poetry. His published books and articles include Letters from Filadelfia: Early Latino Literature and the Trans-American Elite, which won the prize for best book in Early American Literature in 2021.
Jaymi Lee Smith
Associate Dean for Student Success, Graduate Division Professor, Claire Trevor School of the Arts
Jaymi Lee Smith is the Associate Dean for Student Success in the Graduate Division where she has served since 2020. She is a professor of lighting design in the Drama department and has been a member of the faculty since 2007. She has additionally served on the Graduate Council, the Provost Leadership Council, as Head of Design, and on numerous other small committees for both policy and fellowships. Her research work as a lighting designer has taken her to theaters such as Steppenwolf, The Goodman, South Coast Repertory, Pasadena Playhouse, Oregon Shakespeare, LaJolla Playhouse, Dallas Theater Center, and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, among others. Her work has also been seen in China, Italy, Spain, Scotland, and Ireland.
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Tiffany López, Ph.D.
Dean, Claire Trevor School of the Arts
Dr. Tiffany Ana López has dedicated her career to working collaboratively to advance inclusive excellence and develop DEI-centered leaders. She is currently the dean of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts.
Dr. López began her educational journey at a community college in Northern California, then transferred to California State University, Sacramento, where she completed a bachelor’s degree through fellowship and support programs. After a year post-graduation, participating in creative writing workshops with foundational figures Sandra Cisneros and Rudolfo Anaya, she earned a scholarship to complete her Master’s degree and Doctorate at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She was then the first Cesar Chavez Dissertation Fellow at Dartmouth College.
During her tenure at the University of California, Riverside, she founded and directed the Latina/o Play Project at the Culver Center for the Arts and helped to build a transdisciplinary undergraduate curriculum for the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences first-year success program. Dr. López served as Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of English and mentored Latine students to graduate programs, complete their Ph.D. programs, and move into faculty positions. She collaboratively led an interdisciplinary Latine cluster hire proposal across STEM, business, education, humanities, and the arts. Dr. López is a nationally recognized voice in Latine theater and a leader in equity, diversity and inclusion in higher education.
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Jessica R. Ortega, Ph.D.
Senior Staff Psychologist, UCI Counseling Center Awards Presenter
Dr. Jessica Ortega began her academic career as a student at Arizona State University and earned her B.A. degree in Psychology, Master’s degree in Counseling and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology.
Dr. Ortega joined the Counseling Center in Fall 2005, and currently serves as a Senior Staff Psychologist. As a staff psychologist, she engages with students through individual and group therapy, designs and delivers workshops/training to enhance student development and wellness, provides mental health consultation to the UCI community, provides supervision and training for doctoral-level psychology interns, and mentors students through their professional development which often includes graduate school preparation.
She is the coordinator for the UCI Counseling Center C.O.A.C.H. (Creating Options and Conquering Hurdles) Peer Program that frequently partners with other campus departments and units. Through this role as C.O.A.C.H. coordinator and supervisor, Dr. Ortega trains and mentors advanced diverse undergraduate students to serve as peer life coaches to other students on the UC Irvine campus. She serves as a liaison to Chican@/x and Latin@/x staff and faculty seeking to consult regarding their students in distress, especially those whom are underrepresented, 1st generation to college and may find seeking help through counseling a stigmatizing experience. Dr. Ortega has collaborated on outreach events with UCI and off-campus community Latin@/x staff, is a former co-chair of UCI’s CLSA (Chicano/Latino Staff Association) and former co-chair of the mentorship program for this same staff association. Her professional work embodies the empowerment of underrepresented and underserved communities, training of students to reach their potential as agents of change, and ultimately helping students strengthen their voice, spirit and leadership.
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FOR RECIPIENT BIOS
PLEASE VISIT: bit.ly/ucilead
School Awards Recipients
CLAIRE TREVOR SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
Diana Herrera
Graduate Student Excellence
DONALD BREN SCHOOL OF INFORMATION AND COMPUTER SCIENCES
Catalina Medina
Excellence in Research
HENRY SAMUELI SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
Aaron Ramirez
Graduate Student Excellence
PAUL MERAGE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
John Javier Schlenz
Leadership
SCHOOL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Lauren Abigail Houchin
Excellence in Research
6 Latino Excellence and Achievement Awards Dinner
School Awards Recipients
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Daniela Alvarez-Vargas
Graduate Student Excellence
SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES
Kathryn Campo Bowen
Graduate Student Excellence
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL ECOLOGY
Desiree R. Delgadillo
Graduate Student Excellence
SUE & BILL GROSS SCHOOL OF NURSING
Jamie Rae Garcia
Graduate Student Excellence
PROGRAM IN AND PUBLIC HEALTH
Victoria E. Rodriguez
Graduate Student Excellence
FOR RECIPIENT BIOS PLEASE VISIT: bit.ly/ucilead
Latino Excellence and Achievement Awards Dinner 7
FOR RECIPIENT BIOS
PLEASE VISIT: bit.ly/ucilead
School Awards Recipients
SCHOOL OF LAW
Cindy Ventura
Leadership
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Olga Jaime
Excellence in Research and Health for the Latino Community
SCHOOL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
Emily M. Castro
Graduate Student Excellence
SCHOOL OF PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Heriberto Flores Zuleta
Graduate Student Excellence
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
Caroline Martinez
Graduate Student Excellence
8 Latino Excellence and Achievement Awards Dinner
Community Awards Recipients
DISTINGUISHED STAFF LEADERSHIP
Marvin J. Maldonado
Assistant Director of Academic Innovation, Partnerships
Henry Samueli School of Engineering Office of Access & Inclusion
OUTSTANDING ALUMNI LEADERSHIP
Marlen Kanagui-Muñoz, Ph.D.
Psychologist, Faculty and Training Director
Kaiser Permanente, School of Allied Health Sciences
OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY BUILDER
John T. Billimek, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Vice Chair of Academic Affairs Family Medicine, Health Policy Research Institute
School of Medicine
OUTSTANDING FACULTY MENTORSHIP
Maritza Salazar Campo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Organization and Management
Paul Merage School of Business
Latino Excellence and Achievement Awards Dinner 9
FOR RECIPIENT BIOS PLEASE VISIT: bit.ly/ucilead
Thank you to our performance/entertainment groups
Los Chagos
Los Chagos is a Father/ Son duet group from Moreno Valley, CA. Santiago Sandoval Sr. has played music professionally for over 30 years on many musical fronts; from Norteño groups to now Boleros. Santiago Sandoval Jr. inherited an affinity to music, especially the guitar, and attended UCI as a Guitar Performance Music Major. They have played together for over 10 years and continue to play for private events in the Los Angeles, Inland Empire, and Orange County areas.
https://discord.gg/huY93AKz
Ballet Folklórico
Ballet Folklórico de UC Irvine is a student-run organization that welcomes students, alumni, and community members to participate and learn about a variety of different Mexican histories and traditions through dance and music. BFDUCI’s goal is to create a safe space for individuals of all racial and geographic backgrounds to feel comfortable with freely expressing who they are, whether it be through dance & music or other creative means.
Brown Bag Theater
Brown Bag Theater Company is an ensemble of artists & scholars who aim to produce equally engaging & captivating artistic work that reflects & empowers the Latinx communities. We create various opportunities for young Latinx individuals, and our allies, within the performing arts. At BBTC, we believe that the discipline of theatre is a cultural force capable of transforming our community and we bolster this belief whilst celebrating the richness & pride of Latinx culture.
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@ Ballet Folklorico de UCI @bfduci ballet.folklorico.deuci@gmail.com
2023 LEAD Planning Committee
Adelí Durón, Co-Chair
Latinx Resource Center
Alex Camacho
School of Law
Belinda Campos
Department of Chicano/Latino Studies
Burt Alvaro Slusher Paul Merage School of Business
Claudia Campos
Department of Psychological Science
Doug Everhart Student Wellness & Health Promotion
Elsa Bugarini Alumni Association
Jasmine Ambriz
Campus Organizations & Volunteer Programs
Jorge Padilla
Department of Urban Planning & Public Policy
Jose Sanchez Student Housing
Kimberly Macias
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Mariela Menendez Graduate Division
Nikolaus Alvarez
Samueli Institute for Integrative Medicine
Paulina Raygoza
UCI Student Outreach and Retention Center
Raslyn Rendon Graduate Division
Rodrigo Lazo, Co-Chair Office of Inclusive Excellence
Santana Ruiz
Center for Educational Partnerships
Tootie Yee
Office of Inclusive Excellence
Valerie Amador Graduate Division
Victoria Rocha Latinx Resource Center
Latino Excellence and Achievement Awards Dinner 11
Table Sponsors
Claire Trevor School of the Arts
Division of Enrollment Management
Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences
Paul Merage School of Business
Office of Inclusive Excellence
Public Health
School of Education & Center for Educational Partnerships
Henry Samueli School of Engineering
School of Humanities
School of Law
School of Physical Sciences
School of Social Ecology
School of Social Sciences
Strategic Communications & Public Affairs
Student Affairs
Student Housing
Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing
UCI Chief Executive Roundtable
UCI School of Medicine
UCI-OC Alliance
Wellness, Health & Counseling Services
Special Thanks
Allison Mabbott
Special Events & Protocol
Alyssa Sanchez
Special Events & Protocol
Amanda Sivgals
Special Events & Protocol
Jess Leggett
Student Affairs Creative & Marketing Communications
Sara Martinez
Student Affairs Creative & Marketing Communications
12 Latino Excellence and Achievement Awards Dinner
Party Rentals
Signature
www.signatureparty.com
What is precision medicine?
Precision medicine is health care that is based on you as an individual. It takes into account factors like where you live, what you do, and your family health history. Precision medicine’s goal is to be able to tell people the best ways to stay healthy.
What is the All of Us Research Program?
The All of Us Research Program is a large research program from the National Institutes of Health. The goal is to help researchers understand more about why people get sick or stay healthy.
We hope that one million or more people will join the All of Us Research Program. People who join will share information about their health, habits, and what it’s like where they live. By looking for patterns in this information, researchers may learn more about what affects people’s health.
The All of Us Research Program will last for 10 years or more. This will allow researchers to study health over time. If you decide to join the All of Us Research Program, you will be contributing to an effort to improve the health of generations to come. You also may learn about your own health.
To learn more and to enroll, contact us at:
14 All of Us, the All of Us logo, and “The Future of Health Begins with You” are service marks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Allofus.health.uci.edu | allofus@uci.edu | (949) 824-0282
you. Become
To start your journey, go to Participant.JoinAllofUs.org and: After completing these steps, you’ll receive $25. Give your consent Agree to share your electronic health records Complete the Consent to Get DNA Results Have your measurements taken (height, weight, blood pressure, etc.) and give blood and urine samples, if asked Answer health surveys Create an account
The future of health begins with
Our Partner
LEAD honorees and award recipients.
We are proud to celebrate your achievements.
LEAD homenajeados y ganadores de premios.
Estamos orgullosos de celebrar sus logros.
uci23-LEAD-Program-Ad-half-pg.indd 1 To our 2023 Latino Excellence and Achievement Award Recipient Diana Herrera
Lighting Design, Class of 2023 Department of Drama Congratulations A leader in her community who is advancing access and excellence! www.arts.uci.edu
Felicidades
M.F.A.
Congratulations to all 2023 LEAD Award Recipients! We celebrate your accomplishments and dedication to the Latine community. THE DIVISION OF On behalf of the entire Division of Student Affairs to all who are being recognized and celebrated at the 6th Annual Latino Excellence & Achievement Awards Dinner congratulations
Congratulations to all of the LEAD award winners for your amazing contributions to the community!
to all who are being recognized and celebrated!
Congratulations
21 Congratulations C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s t o P h D s t u d e n t E m i l y C a s t r o f o r g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t e x c e l l e n c e !