Latino Excellence and Achievement Dinner (LEAD) 2023 Annual Program

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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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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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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 !

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