In keeping with the student-led focus of the Grad Peer Mentor Program, we’ve constructed a star-studded cast of Lead Mentors. With the support of program staff, Lead Mentors act as divisional liaisons to advertise and support the review of funding applications, provide consultations with divisions/departments who are interested in launching new programs, and offer centralized peer mentor workshops for all peer mentor programs.
Arts
[Vacant]
… [Arts Division]
***ACTIVELY RECRUITING***
Engineering
Steven Au
Natural Language Processing Student
Steven is a First-Generation Cantonese-American born and raise in Santa Cruz. Steven is 2nd year Masters student in Natural Language Processing with an interest in sentiment analysis and dialog systems with a focus in therapy chatbots. He hopes to continue his graduate studies for PhD in affective computing providing accessibility for healthcare systems. As a lead mentor, Steven is interested in the opportunity to connect and foster the potential of students that are the grounds for a more inclusive tomorrow. His hobbies include bouldering, playing video games, and collecting tarot cards.
Humanities
Caitlin Flaws
Literature Ph.D. Student
Caitlin is from Sacramento, California. She went to UC Davis for undergrad and studied Literature and Women’s Studies. After graduating she worked at NorCal Mental Health America as a Youth Advocate and Planned Parenthood as a Teen Parent Support Advocate in Sacramento. While loving working in her community, she realized after some time that she wanted to pursue graduate school and earned an MA in Literature from Washington State University in 2021. She is now a 4th year PhD student in the Literature department here at UCSC. After graduating she hopes to pursue teaching writing at the community college level. She values disability justice and advocacy in both her research and her work as an instructor.
As someone who as both mentored and been a mentee, she understands that there are questions that seem like you SHOULD know the answer – but don’t. She values questions like this so that we can spread knowledge that is implied (but not explicit) aka the hidden curriculum. She also values disability visibility and welcomes any and all discussions about being disabled at UCSC.
Caitlin sews her own clothes! She has a chihuahua named Gromit. He loves long walks on the beach.
Physical and Biological Sciences
Jack Clancy
Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology (MCD)
Jack is a fourth-year Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology. He has a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin — Madison. His research focuses on apical extracellular matrix remodeling and assembly in the model organism C. elegans to provide insight into human dermal physiology.
The aspect of the Lead Mentor position that interests him the most is the opportunity to develop peer mentoring programs and workshops tailored to the evolving needs of graduate students. Graduate school is a challenging experience, not only academically but also in terms of navigating new professional relationships, understanding available resources, and building and feeling a sense of community. By creating structured mentoring programs, he hopes to provide a space where graduate students can share their experiences and insights, helping each other grow both personally and professionally. He loves puzzles and cooking.
…
Social Sciences
Monica Shandal
Economics International Student
Monica is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate specializing in development economics who attended the University of Alberta in Canada and holds an MSc in agriculture and resource economics. Monica worked in Malawi, India, and Australia as an impact evaluation practitioner, evaluating various interventions aimed at reducing inequities. Monica is currently researching the impacts of waste trading in Indonesia and the spillover health and labor effects. As a lead mentor, Monica is interested in improving students’ transitions to a new environment and ensuring that all individuals feel confident in their ability to succeed!
Division of Graduate Studies
Rachel Neuman M.S.
Director of Graduate Student Life
Rachel Neuman is the Director of Graduate Student Life in the Division of Graduate Studies at UC Santa Cruz, and has served on campus since 2008. In her current role Rachel manages the Graduate Student Commons (GSC), a building designated specifically for graduate students, where their mission is to create a sense of community and belonging. She advises a governing board of grad students who make decisions about the GSC building and the student life programs they run. The programs she organizes support graduate student well-being, break down barriers, combat isolation and create a network of community, sense of belonging and support student success and retention.
Division of Graduate Studies
Lorato Anderson M.S.
Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Graduate Studies
Lorato Anderson is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Graduate Studies at UC Santa Cruz, and has worked on campus since 2016 in various advising roles. Her role centers on advancing initiatives for minoritized graduate student support, as well as providing direct support to students, staff, and faculty. Lorato graduated with a B.A. in Literature/Writing from UC San Diego and received her M.S. in Higher Education Administration and Policy from Northwestern University. Lorato takes pride in incorporating social justice, as well as empathetic advising strategies and teaching pedagogies, in every aspect of her work.
Graduate Student Commons
Danni Ruano
Graduate Student Intern
Danni Ruano (they/them) is a first-year MS student in the Natural Language Processing program. They have a background in education, having been a Spanish teacher and having worked in education administration after graduating from the University of South Carolina in 2021. Danni’s interests include machine learning, linguistics, and education. As the Graduate Student Intern, Danni assists GSC operations and facilitates marketing and event mechanics.
Student Affairs and Success
Angel Dominguez
GANAS Graduate Program Director | HSI Initiatives
Angel Dominguez is a Queer, First-Generation, Latinx UCSC alumni dedicated to supporting our Latinx, POC, first-gen, and low-income background students during their time here in the redwoods as the Director of GANAS Graduate Programs for UCSC. Angel holds an MFA in writing and poetics from Naropa University and is the author of several books of poetry and prose. Having worked for UCSC for nearly a decade, they are dedicated to serving our historically underserved communities on campus with an emphasis on graduate student education and support.