New Hire Spotlight

March

Nicole Wood

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Department: Undergraduate Education

Title: Advising Assistant

Hobbies/Fun Facts: I spent five fun years living in Australia.

February

Brad Hooker

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Department: World Food Center

Title: Communications Specialist

Hobbies/Fun Facts: I've traveled to 37 countries and have years of mountaineering experience.

Amanda Price

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Department: Shrem Museum of Art

Title: Director of Communications 

Hobbies/Fun Facts: I am a certified yoga instructor, in my fifth year teaching and in my 20th of practicing yoga.

Katie Martinez

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Department: Center of Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Title: Program Coordinator

Hobbies/Fun Facts: I am a mom to an amazing 18 month old little girl who is the light of my life and keeps me very busy. I enjoy spending time outdoors with my family and staying as active as possible. I love to travel, cook and work in my garden.

Soccorro "Suki" LaForga

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Department: OCP Personnel

Title: Recruitment Assistant

Hobbies/Fun Facts: I love traveling. It gives me an opportunity to see new sights, taste different foods (especially the desserts) and meet new people. I also collect a Starbucks cup from each country that I visit.

January

Sierra Feldmann

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Department: Academic Senate Office

Title: Resource Analyst

Hobbies/Fun Facts: I have a passion for traveling. Also, one of my goals for 2015 is to get my motorcycle license.

Barbara Celli

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Department: World Food Center

Title: Senior Director of Development and Partnerships

Hobbies/Fun Facts: I sing with the UC Davis Alumni Chorus and also look forward to going on tour to Scotland this summer with the Sacramento Master Singers.

Amy Liedstrand

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Department: Confucius Institute at UC Davis

Title: Event and Conference Assistant

Hobbies/Fun Facts: I spend a lot of time running, and I am fascinated by farm equipment! Imagine the mind it would take to design a corn harvester!

Shari Kawelo

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Department: Shrem Museum of Art

Title: Senior Director of Development

Hobbies/Fun Facts: Together with my husband, we manage the active lives of our daughter and son -ages 13 and 9- who both play on travelling softball and baseball teams, respectively. I am also very active with Girl Scouting, and have led a troop for the past eight years.

Erin Becker

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Department: Undergraduate Education

Title: Postdoctoral Researcher

Hobbies/Fun Facts: I like to study languages and linguistics in my free time.

Kelsey Hutcherson

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Department: Global Affairs

Title: Intern for the Humphrey Fellowhip Program

Hobbies/Fun Facts: I love doing anything outdoors; hiking, camping, trail running etc! And... fun fact: I'm a twin!

December

Adebayo (Bayo) Akintunde

Emily Taylor

Department: Services for International Students and Scholars

Title: International Graduate Student Assistant

Hobbies/Fun Facts: I love playing my drums in a drum circle, watching and playing basketball, and going to the park with my family.

Sarah Schaale

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Department: Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts

Title: Digital Marketing Manager

Hobbies/Fun Facts: Giants baseball, crafting, Netflix marathons (those are hobbies, right?!).

Cris Breivik

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Department: Office of the Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education

Title: Training Administrator

Hobbies/Fun Facts: Fluent French speaker, certified life coach.

November

Danaka Reaney

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Department: Academic Senate Office

Title: Executive Assistant

Hobbies/Fun Facts: My favorite hobby is rock climbing.

October or Prior

Islam Ahmad, Esquire

Emily Taylor

Department: Internal Audit Services

Title: Law Fellow

Hobbies/Fun Facts: Enjoys playing soccer and spending time with wife and two daughters.

Chris Porter

Emily Taylor

Department: Services for International Students and Scholars

Title: International Data Assistant

Hobbies/Fun Facts: I am a recent UC Davis graduate (BS in Genetics, minor in Psychology) who worked as a student employee for a year and a half at SISS prior to completing my degree. I will be assisting SISS in its transition to a new database system that will be used to track international students and scholars in conjunction with the US government's SEVIS database.

Enid Picart

Emily Taylor

Department: Undergraduate Research Center

Title: Program Coordinator

Hobbies/Fun Facts: I'll be a UC Davis School of Medicine medical student as of this coming July!

Dana Werdmuller

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Department: Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts

Title: Marketing Manager

Hobbies/Fun Facts: My favorite things in the world are books. I have a vintage collection, from Shakespeare to Dr. Suess, plus oddities like A Gentleman's Guide to Goat Breeding. 

Ashanti Tunson

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Department: Academic Affairs

Title: Program Analyst

Hobbies/Fun Facts: I have a deep appreciation for nature.

Ryan Dickson

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Department: Internal Audit Services

Title: Law Fellow

Hobbies/Fun Facts: I teach an indtroductory literature class in the Department of English.

Melissa King

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Department: Campus Council

Title: Executive Analyst

Hobbies/Fun Facts: I'm addicted to working out and weight lifting. I recently lost over 200 lbs with diet and exercise and working out is a huge part of who I am now.

Sheila O'Rourke

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Department: Campus Counsel/ Academic Affairs

Title: Associate Campus Counsel/ Special Advisor to the Vice Provost

Hobbies/Fun Facts: I like to swim in the San Francisco Bay and swam from Alcatraz for the first time last November!