UC Spotlight: March 2025

Council of UC Staff Assemblies Chair Jen Bowser, Sustainable Procurement program manager and supplier diversity officer at UC Santa Barbara, shared an inspiring video to help colleagues understand the importance of advocating for UC.

Becker’s Hospital Review recognized Dr. Deepti Pandita, chief medical information officer and vice president of clinical informatics at UC Irvine Health, as a chief medical information officer to know.

David Seward, chief financial officer of UC College of the Law, San Francisco, partnered with the Tenderloin Museum to help bring a new exhibit to campus that highlights Black artists, advocates, and residents who have shaped the Tenderloin neighborhood. 

Liana Williams sat down with the UC Merced newsroom to share how her work as coordinator of the campus’s Black Academic Success Initiatives is empowering students in and outside the classroom.

In a fascinating podcast episode, UCSF Health Chief Nursing Informatics Officer Kay Burke shared engaging, real-world examples of how she and her team are leveraging innovative digital tools to improve the lives of patients and providers, and offered predictions for what’s next for technology and nursing practice.  

George Baxter, chief innovation and economic development officer at UC Davis, shared his vision for making Aggie Square an economic driver and place for innovative enterprises to have world-class room to grow.

UCLA Simms/Mann Center Program Coordinator Da’Vie Guzman shared how the center’s new digital library is crucial to its efforts to serve patients and the general public.

Becky Daro, executive director of strategy and administration for the UCSF Finance and Administrative Services Division, shared her career journey in honor of her pending retirement.

Linda Chang is a native of Merced, graduate of UC Merced and staff member who is building community within and beyond the university.

Iris Ruvalcaba shared her journey from a UC San Diego Health patient to a passionate and skilled member of the staff.

Jo Sornborger shared an overview of UCLA Health Operation Mend, an organization that offers free psychological and physical specialty care to post-9/11 veterans and their caregivers. 

Becker’s Hospital Review named Ron Amodeo, of UC Davis Health, and Santiago Munoz, of UCLA Health, chief strategy officers to know. 

At the annual American College Personnel Association meeting earlier this month, three colleagues were recognized for their exceptional contributions.

• Senior Scholar Diplomate: Lori Patton Davis, UCLA
• Annuit Coeptis – Senior Professional: Windi Sasaki (University of California, San Diego)
• Advocate Award: Jamal Myrick (University of California, Riverside)

Thanks to its Facilities Management Grounds team, UCLA became the first campus in California to earn the prestigious Green Grounds Certification from the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus Higher Education program.

UC Davis Office of Strategic Communications staff, in collaboration with the UC Davis Office of Research and Government and Community Relations, have worked with faculty to share their research impact in the “From Labs to Lives” website and video series. 

The UC Irvine Police Department celebrated employees who have demonstrated exceptional service during their biennial awards ceremony.

Staff at the Labor Occupational Health Program at UC Berkeley School of Public Health celebrated 50 years of advancing safe jobs, healthy lives and worker justice.

The UC Riverside School of Education introduced a new mural featuring artwork by Maurice Peterson that reinterprets Norman Rockwell’s iconic 1964 painting, “The Problem We All Live With.”

The UC Davis Police Department is honoring the memory of K-9 Charlie — a beloved black Labrador retriever who dedicated a decade of service to the UC Davis Police Department — with a toy drive benefiting the Woodland Veterinary Hospital.  

Kelley Adams, Cristal Muhammad, Tay Richardson, and Ashley Valdez Valdez shared their experiences as Black health care leaders during a panel sponsored by UC San Diego Student Health and Well-Being and Career Services Center.

The UCLA International Education Office partnered with the Council on International Educational Exchange to host a “Passport Caravan” that enabled dozens of students get free passports on campus. 

The UCSF Collaborative Approach for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders Research and Education (CARE) Registry team received a certificate of recognition from the California State Assembly for outstanding contributions to advancing the health and wellness of the Filipino American community. 

The Project ADAM Sacramento at UC Davis Children’s Hospital team is teaching staff at the Mission Oaks Recreation and Parks District how to use and maintain public-access defibrillators for cardiac emergencies.

UC Law SF’s Diversity Week brought together students, faculty, and staff for five days of meaningful conversations, exhibits, and celebrations. 

UC Riverside Dining Services launched Sweet Tooth Bakery, which offers freshly baked, custom-made cakes featuring a variety of designs.

The UC Davis Women’s Cardiovascular Medicine Program welcomed guests — donned in red dresses, sweaters, socks and ties — to the 20th annual Women’s Heart Care Forum.

Sarah Ceja and Nallely Garcia were among those recognized for their work in advancing equity at the UC San Diego Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs Awards.

The UC Davis Fire Department is helping keep kids safe by offering a free car seat inspection program that teaches parents and caregivers how to properly install and secure a car seat.

The UC Riverside Center for Early Childhood Education completed a multi-year playground renovation project.

The UC Santa Barbara Staff Assembly hosted a National Employee Appreciation Day celebration featuring games, opportunities to connect and free burritos!

Syerra Logan, Mike Legrand and Jen Carmichael were recognized for their outstanding contributions in the second annual UC Davis Finance, Operations and Administration Division Excellence Awards.

The Office of Information Technology at UC Irvine launched a new ZotGPT Academy — an online learning program that promotes and encourages AI literacy among faculty and staff.

The UC San Diego Design Lab held their annual citywide Design for San Diego Challenge, bringing together high school students, university teams, community members and seasoned professionals, to tackle San Diego’s most pressing issues.

Mike Ruffalo, Sabrina Coloma, Alexandra Barnette and Rebecca Coleman of UC Irvine Health were honored at the 2025 Heroes with Heart Gala for displaying deep compassion and support for patients in need.

Adam Kukic and Jovanna Hernandez received Values in Action Awards from the UC Riverside School of Medicine for exemplify the school’s core values, including inclusion, integrity, innovation, excellence, accountability, and respect.

The UC Irvine Health Liver and Pancreas Services team and a pet therapy volunteer welcomed a visit from former patient Lauren Torres, a 12-year-old dancer who was cured of a pancreatic tumor.

UC Davis became the first university in the U.S. to be awarded the silver award, the highest award available through the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s STEMM Equity Achievement (SEA) Change initiative, for its work in diversity, equity and inclusion.

UC Merced earned R1 status from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, establishing it as one of the nation’s top research institutions.

UC Davis was awarded Gold Recognition in the Well-being Works Better scorecard from the American Heart Association, highlighting its commitment to promoting and sustaining a healthy work culture that empowers all employees to reach their full potential.  

Led by the Grounds Services team, UC Santa Cruz has earned the California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s Integrated Pest Management Achievement Award.

Faculty and staff throughout UC Berkeley partnered with Cal Alumni Association and Cal Black Alumni Association to honor the 27 new recipients of the African American Initiative Scholarship.

Since it opened in early January, more than 1,000 UCLA community members have volunteered to help out at the FEMA center at the UCLA Research Park!

UC Davis Health’s Cardiac and Thoracic Intensive Care Unit was recently recognized with a Gold Beacon Award for Excellence in 2024.

UC Merced and UC Irvine were recognized by the California Mobility Index, which evaluates institutions on the proportion of low- and moderate-income students they enroll and the return on investment graduates provide within California. 

The UC Riverside School of Medicine hosted the 41st annual Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA)-West Regional Conference. With more than 700 attendees, it was the largest-ever LMSA event!

Hundreds of Bruins, community members and policymakers celebrated the opening of Broxton Plaza — a 14,000-square-foot, car-free commercial stretch in the heart of Westwood Village in Los Angeles — with a street party and ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The UC Davis community came together for the Black Futures Month kickoff event, which celebrated the campus’ storied history and work toward creating a bright future for all through networking, student support and more. 

Staff from across UCLA hosted a successful “First Thursdays” event for students, which included opportunities to connect with one another and give back to the community.

UC Davis staff are making progress together on Vision Zero — a campus framework that aims to eliminate traffic tragedies by prioritizing human life and safety over convenience.

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission reaccredited UC Davis for another 10 years, praising the campus’ “shared purpose, professional pride and inclusive belonging that fosters active engagement and shared governance.”