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Home / Alumni Accolades

Alumni Accolades

The latest news and career highlights from alumni representing all four departments at the Luskin School
collage of text and images to highlight alumni news

Posted in

  • Luskin Forum Online

Published on

  • December 22, 2023
  • advancement, alumni, careers, engagement

Share this Article

Tiffany Caldas MSW ’15 is now chief of staff at Partnership for Growth LA, a Black/Jewish community development corporation working toward community wellness and cooperative development in South and West Los Angeles.

Oceana R. Gilliam MPP ’19 is now the chief of staff and justice deputy for Rep. Justin J. Pearson, Tennessee House of Representatives, District 86.

Todd Snyder MPP ’00 is now director of the Stormwater Department for the city of San Diego.

Kelsey Mulcahy MPP ’16 is now director of public affairs and agency partnerships at BlueLabs, an analytics and technology solutioning firm based in San Francisco.

Abraham Cheung MPP ’23 is a Presidential Management Fellow at the United States Census Bureau.

John Castillo MSW ’81 has been executive director of Walking Shield Inc. for 24+ years coordinating programs that provide shelter, health care, educational assistance and other aid to American Indian families. Castillo earned a PhD from Fielding Graduate University.

James D. Simon MSW ’06, LCSW was promoted to associate professor in the School of Social Work at Cal State Los Angeles. Simon earned a PhD from USC.

Gabriela Solis Torres MPP/ MSW ’19 was promoted to assistant director on the Criminal Justice Team at Harvard Kennedy School’s Government Performance Lab (GPL).

Alba M. Velasquez MURP ’13 started a new position as executive director at the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, a collective impact initiative working to make food healthy, affordable, fair and sustainable.

Daniela Simunovic MURP ’13 is now senior director of climate and sustainability in the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

Brian Wolfe BA in Public Affairs ’23 started a new position as transportation engineer/planner at the Orange County office of Fehr & Peers.

Paulina Torres BA in Public Affairs ’23 started a new position as constituent advocate at the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Ashley Ceballos-Hernandez BA in Public Affairs and Labor Studies ’23 is now a CORO Fellow in Public Affairs for 2024.

Adriana Bernal BA in Public Affairs ’23 joined the Federation of Independent School Alumnae (FISA) Foundation as Communications Associate.

Alejandra Guerrero MURP ’18 is now deputy director at cityLAB UCLA.

 

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Departments
  • Public Policy
  • Real Estate Development
  • Social Welfare
  • Undergraduate Program
  • Urban Planning
  • Public Policy
  • Real Estate Development
  • Social Welfare
  • Undergraduate Program
  • Urban Planning
Graduate Programs
  • Master of Public Policy (MPP)
  • Master of Real Estate Development (MRED)
  • Master of Social Welfare (MSW)
  • Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP)
  • PhD in Social Welfare
  • PhD in Urban Planning
  • Master of Public Policy (MPP)
  • Master of Real Estate Development (MRED)
  • Master of Social Welfare (MSW)
  • Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP)
  • PhD in Social Welfare
  • PhD in Urban Planning
Undergraduate Programs
  • BA in Public Affairs
  • Minor in Urban and Regional Studies
  • Minor in Gerontology
  • Minor in Public Affairs
  • BA in Public Affairs
  • Minor in Urban and Regional Studies
  • Minor in Gerontology
  • Minor in Public Affairs
Professional Certificates
  • Data Analytics Certificate
  • Data Analytics Certificate
Admissions
Program Specific Admissions
  • Public Policy
  • Real Estate Development
  • Social Welfare
  • Urban Planning
  • Undergraduate Program
  • Public Policy
  • Real Estate Development
  • Social Welfare
  • Urban Planning
  • Undergraduate Program
Faculty
Our Faculty
  • All Faculty
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  • All Faculty
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Leadership
  • Our Dean
  • Board of Advisors
  • Faculty Executive Committee
  • Our Dean
  • Board of Advisors
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Research Centers
  • 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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