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
Marilia Kaisar
Film and Digital Media International Student
Marilia Kaisar is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Film and Digital Media at UC Santa Cruz. She holds an MA in Media Studies from Pratt Institute and a Diploma in Architecture Engineering from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Her experimental practice uses affect theory and a feminist perspective to explore intersections of media, technology, and desire, using the body as the nexus point. Currently working on her dissertation titled “F*cking with the Virtual”.
Engineering
Manasi Pawar
Computer Science and Engineering Student
Manasi is a second-year PhD candidate in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), with a specialization in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and 3D Computer Vision. She is a member of the renowned Computer Vision Lab, working under the guidance of Prof. Roberto Manduchi. Her research focuses on the development of innovative systems designed to assist visually impaired individuals. As a Woman of Color in the field of CSE, she is committed to promote diversity and inclusivity. Her work is characterized by the seamless integration of cutting-edge technology and a profound dedication to improving the quality of life for those with visual impairments.
Humanities
Radhika Prasad
Literature International Student
“I’m a sixth year PhD candidate in the Literature department with a Designated Emphasis in Feminist Studies. My academic interests include South Asian literature and history, translation studies, language politics, and feminisms in the Global South. As a sixth year international student and a woman of color, I have found the university to be a space of immense possibility, but also great inequity. Peer mentorship programs are an important step towards bridging the knowledge gap, and making universities, classrooms, graduate programs, and research into more equitable spaces, and I am excited to contribute to this one.”
Physical and Biological Sciences
Megan Splettstoesser
First-Gen Physics Student
Megan Splettstoesser is a fourth-year PhD student in the Physics Department. She has a BSc in Astrophysics (also from UCSC). Before transferring to the PhD program at UCSC she was a Physics PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh. She currently studies blazars (a type of active galactic nucleus) at a broad range of energies across the electromagnetic spectrum. She views mentoring programs as a way to help students navigate the hidden curriculum.
Social Sciences
Monica Shandal
Economics International Student
Monica is a second year Ph.D. student specializing in development economics attended the University of Alberta in Canada and hold a 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 interested in researching the economics behind health care access and access to clean environments in low income countries. 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
Logan Barsigian
Graduate Student Intern
Logan Barsigian (they/them) is a PhD candidate in social psychology. They use qualitative research methods to study queer, trans, non-binary, and feminist narratives of gender and sexuality, with particular attention to age, generation, and development across the life course. Logan holds an MA in counseling from Loyola University Chicago and has worked in multiple higher education advising and administrative roles before coming to UC Santa Cruz. They have served as an intern with the Graduate Student Commons since 2022, where they support the Grad Peer Mentor Program and GSC programming more broadly.
Student Affairs and Success
Angel Dominguez
GANAS Graduate Services Counselor