Join us here on Monday, May 24, Tuesday, May 25, and Thursday, May 27, for the opportunity to connect virtually with UCLA Faculty, Staff, Alumni, and Industry Leaders, hosting networking sessions to discuss a variety of topics in different industries. The perfect opportunity for all students and friends of research eager to learn more and grow their network.
Networking Corner
Networking Corner
[vc_single_image image=”3951″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_rounded”]How Does it Work?
- Review our featured speakers page here to find someone you would like to connect with, the time they are available, and the link to RSVP for Zoom details.
- On the day of, we will have staff on demand to answer your questions or guide you to the right Zoom meeting. Click here to request help during our networking corner session days.
Schedule:
Monday, May 24
- 10 AM and 2 PM
Tuesday, May 25
- 9 AM and 10 AM
Thursday, May 27
- 9 AM, 10 AM, 2 PM, 3 PM, and 4 PM
Speakers
Monday, May 24
 Yvette Martínez-Vu, BA ’10, PhD ‘16Associate Director for the UCSB McNair Scholars Program Demystifying Graduate School Time: 10:00 AM PDT Click here to join |
Dr. Yvette Martínez-Vu is a first-generation Xicana Mother-Scholar with a BA in English and Ph.D. in Theater and Performance Studies from UCLA. She is a proud Bruin and former Mellon Mays Fellow. Dr. Martínez-Vu serves as the Associate Director for the UCSB McNair Scholars Program, where she prepares low-income, first-gen students of color for doctoral programs. She’s also the co-founder of the Chicana M(other)work collective and Mothers of Color in Academia de UCLA group, serves as the host for the Grad School Femtoring podcast, and provides academic coaching and consulting services for undergraduate and graduate students. She is a proud mom of a seven-year-old named Emi (e-mee) and six-month-old named Ely (e-lee). |
Michael Rosenkrantz, BA ’20 |
Michael Rosenkrantz is a first-generation transfer student who double majored in English and History. While at UCLA, he became deeply involved in the student community, including as one of the university’s first transfer Tour Guides during a highly competitive process and as a Peer Learning Facilitator at the Undergraduate Writing Center. However, the highlight of his experience was in academic research, where he was a participant in the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP) and the Undergraduate Research Fellows Program (URFP). As a result of these endowments, he completed his Departmental Thesis on literature written by veterans stemming from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq under the tutelage of the amazing Christopher Mott in the English Department. More recently, he completed a Legislative Fellowship for Congressman Seth Moulton and currently works as a Business Development Consultant at Oracle. He is currently applying to the US Fulbright Program in Israel and awaiting potential selection to Officer Candidate School with the United States Navy. |
Tuesday, May 25
 Sophia Yang, MS ’10Senior Program Manager at Microsoft on the Experience + Devices engineering team Translating Skills Learned from Research into Industry Time: 9:00 AM PDT Click here to join |
Sophia has had a nonconventional career path, building upon her undergraduate research experience. During her time at UCLA, she worked in Dr. Yung-Ya Lin’s lab on increasing MRI sensitivity to early stage tumor tissue. Her background in chemistry led her to work at HRL Laboratories, where she was part of the team that created the world’s lightest material in 2011. After a stint in product marketing, Sophia is currently a Senior Program Manager at Microsoft on the Experience + Devices engineering team. |
 Cliff Frieden, BA ’71, JD ‘74Corporate Law & Litigation Time: 10:00 AM PDT Click here to join |
Cliff Frieden received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from UCLA in 1971, followed by his Juris Doctor in Law from UC Berkeley School of Law in 1974. Upon graduation, Cliff joined the law firm of Rutan & Tucker in Orange County, where he specialized in business and real estate litigation as a partner of the firm. He also served as managing partner of the firm for three years. He recently retired a few years ago. Cliff has been a mentor to both young attorneys as well as undergraduates who wish to pursue a career in law, enjoying the opportunity to assist them in perfecting their legal skills. He was an active member of Bruin Professionals for many years and is currently a member of the Orange County Chapter of the Chancellors Society. Cliff specialized in business and real estate litigation. This included a wide variety of cases involving such matters as disputes involving the purchase and sale of real estate, the use of land such as boundary disputes and easements contested by neighboring properties, contract disputes involving the sale of product by one company to another, and partnership disputes involving the rights, duties, and obligations of the respective partners. |
Thursday, May 27
 Kunal Mehta, BS ’08, PhD ‘15Scientist at Zymergen Biotech Time: 9:00 AM PDT Click here to join |
Kunal studied bioengineering at UCLA and graduated in 2008. As an undergraduate he did research in the lab of Professor Jacob Schmidt and participated in the URSP and Amgen Scholars Program. After UCLA he did research in chemical biology at the University of Oxford and completed his PhD in bioengineering at Stanford University. He is now a scientist at Zymergen where he leads an R&D team working towards commercializing the large-scale production of chemicals using microbes. He lives in Oakland and when he is not thinking about making things sustainably using biology he loves playing the violin and backpacking through the mountains. |
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James Nee graduated from UCLA in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Russian Studies. He researched a variety of topics as an undergraduate, ranging from the history of bisexuality to Kazakh nationalism. He has continued to conduct research since graduating. Earlier this year, he contributed to the UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy’s report “From Student Politics to Capitol Insurrection: The Intensification of Extremism at UCLA and Beyond.” He is also involved with UCR’s Institute for Research on World-Systems (IROWS), where he is currently researching the October Revolution and Russian Civil War. Additionally, IROWS recently started a book project that will compile multiple perspectives on the formation of a progressive global political party; He is writing an essay from a historical materialist perspective for this project. Outside of research and his IT job at UCLA’s International Institute, James enjoy spending time with his partner, playing Dungeons & Dragons, exercising, and doing political work. Looking ahead to this fall, he’ll be applying to history graduate programs. He aims to research the role of violence—wielded both from above and below—in creating and shaping modern Kazakhstani society. |
Melanie Lampa |
Melanie Lampa is currently the Director of Research Administration and Operations at Pacific Neuroscience Institute (PNI). Previous she was the Manager of the Center for Pathology Research Services at UCLA Health where she managed all business, regulatory and operational activities of Pathology research services, located within the David Geffen School of Medicine. Melanie earned her B.S. in Neurobiology and Biopsychology. Before her time at UCLA Health, she worked with City of Hope as a research associate, website editor, and laboratory manager. |
 Caryl Carothers, BA ’59Executive Coach and Organizational Consultant Business & Consulting Time: 3:00 PM PDT Click here to join |
Caryl Carothers is a UCLA graduate with a degree in English and the Anderson School of Management Executive Program. As an Executive Coach and Organizational Consultant in the Anderson Executive Education and EMBA Programs, she connects people, ideas and organizations to create new narratives for synergy and growth. Both at Anderson and in private practice she coaches individual, corporate and non-profit professionals in a wide range of fields, including business, health, arts. communications and technology and social services. She also works with high school and college students in career planning. She has led the creation, strategic planning, board development and implementation of major university, arts and philanthropic organization advisory boards, addressing recruitment, team-building, program design and development. |
 Julia Nakamura, BS ‘20Pursuing her MA/PhD in Health Psychology at the University of British Columbia Psychobiology, Gerontology & Pursuing your MA/PhD Time: 4:00 PM PDT Click here to join |
Julia is a first-year graduate student in the Health Psychology program at the University of British Columbia. She recently graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology and a minor in Gerontology in 2020. Broadly, Julia studies the aspects of psychological well-being that positively influence physical health outcomes, health behaviors, and psychosocial well-being in older adults. Julia has recently begun to explore the associations between altruism and health/well-being outcomes. She is currently working with United Way Worldwide to learn about the greatest needs of older adults during COVID-19, and using these insights to help create “off the shelf” volunteering guides that United Way Chapters can rapidly implement to help older adults in their areas. |