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Home / Alumni Accolades

Alumni Accolades

portrait images of nine alumni|portrait photos of six alumni

Posted in

  • Luskin Forum Online

Published on

  • January 4, 2023
  • alumni, careers, education

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Chanell Lajoi Gore BA ’06 MPP ’11 is now senior operations manager at Possibility Labs, a social change platform that envisions an economy where historically marginalized communities have the wealth, power and resources to produce clean air, water and energy for everyone.

Ashley Mashian MURP ’15 is the new planning deputy at the city of Los Angeles. She is responsible for serving the greater Western San Fernando Valley.

Ricardo Ferreira MPP ’21 is now an associate sustainability advisor at ISS Corporate Solutions, which helps companies design and manage their environmental, social and governance programs to reduce risk and address the needs of diverse stakeholders.

Jonathan Kosaka MPP ’20 is the new controller at Robert Walters in Tokyo, Japan. Based in Great Britain, the company is a worldwide specialist in professional recruitment.

Samantha Brown Olivieri MPP ’09 is now the chief executive officer at Step Up Tutoring. Olivieri has extensive experience in education policy and is one of many MPP alums working in education management, services and policy.

McKenna Morgan Christensen MPP ’20 started a new position as a policy analyst at the Utah Department of Health and Human Services with the Tobacco Prevention and Control Program.

Caitlin Thompson BA’15 MPP ’20 is the new project director at UCLA Health.

Noreen Ahmed MPP ’20 is Imagine LA’s new family team manager. She serves as a clinical case manager for families who recently exited homelessness.

Dulce Vasquez MPP ’20 is now assistant vice president at Arizona State University. She oversees strategic advancement in the Los Angeles region and reports to the Office of the President.


portrait photos of six alumni
From left, Alex Michel, Nelson Guevara (top), Khanh Phu (below), Daniela Garcia Martinez (top), Kristen Gas (below), Samantha Joanna (Sam) Guerrero.

Fresh From Luskin

Ever wonder what kind of employment opportunities new UCLA Luskin alums secure post-graduation? Look no further. In this Alumni Accolades section, we highlight a handful of ’22 grads and their current positions.

Daniela Garcia Martinez MPP ’22 is a program manager at America On Tech, which creates pathways into degrees and careers in technology to decrease the economic and racial wealth gap in underserved communities.

Nelson Guevara MURP ’22 is a transportation planning associate in the city of Los Angeles’ Department of Transportation.

Samantha Joanna (Sam) Guerrero MURP ’22 is an associate at Estolano Advisors, an award-winning and Latina-owned urban planning and public policy firm in downtown Los Angeles that currently employs several UCLA MURP alumni.

Alex Michel MSW ’22 MPP ’22 is the new senior policy analyst at the nonprofit Homebase/The Center for Common Concerns. 

Kristen Gast MSW ’22 is a youth advocate at First Place for Youth, an organization founded in 1998 to prevent poverty and homelessness among youth who age out of foster care.

Khanh Phu MSW ’22 is a clinical case manager at Angels Foster Family Network
in San Diego.

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  • Agile Visual Analytics Lab (AVAL):

    Uses data visualization to improve decision-making for family and child services.

  • Berggruen Governance Index

    Evaluates the quality of political governance and democracy worldwide.

  • Center for Neighborhood Knowledge (CNK)

    Specializes in spatial analysis of socioeconomic disparities in neighborhoods.

  • Center for Policy Research on Aging (CPRA)

    Explores the societal and policy implications of an aging population.

  • Agile Visual Analytics Lab (AVAL):

    Uses data visualization to improve decision-making for family and child services.

  • Berggruen Governance Index

    Evaluates the quality of political governance and democracy worldwide.

  • Center for Neighborhood Knowledge (CNK)

    Specializes in spatial analysis of socioeconomic disparities in neighborhoods.

  • Center for Policy Research on Aging (CPRA)

    Explores the societal and policy implications of an aging population.

  • Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS)

    A national leader in transportation policy and mobility research.

  • Institute on Inequality and Democracy

    Advances scholarship addressing displacement and dispossession in Los Angeles and beyond.

  • Latin American Cities Initiative

    Connects urban planning and policy networks across the Americas.

  • Latino Policy & Politics Institute (LPPI)

    Addresses policy challenges facing Latinos and communities of color.

  • Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS)

    A national leader in transportation policy and mobility research.

  • Institute on Inequality and Democracy

    Advances scholarship addressing displacement and dispossession in Los Angeles and beyond.

  • Latin American Cities Initiative

    Connects urban planning and policy networks across the Americas.

  • Latino Policy & Politics Institute (LPPI)

    Addresses policy challenges facing Latinos and communities of color.

  • Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

    Researches housing, transportation, and economic development in Southern California.

  • Los Angeles Education Research Institute (LAERI)

    Collaborates with schools to improve educational outcomes for L.A. students.

  • Luskin Center for Innovation (LCI)

    Focuses on environmental policy, clean energy, and climate justice.

  • UCLA Voting Rights Project

    The flagship project for voting rights litigation and policy research.

  • Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

    Researches housing, transportation, and economic development in Southern California.

  • Los Angeles Education Research Institute (LAERI)

    Collaborates with schools to improve educational outcomes for L.A. students.

  • Luskin Center for Innovation (LCI)

    Focuses on environmental policy, clean energy, and climate justice.

  • UCLA Voting Rights Project

    The flagship project for voting rights litigation and policy research.

All Research Centers
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