Meet the team!
Sophia Wang - Co-founder
wangsophia@g.ucla.edu
Sophia Wang is a third year Public Affairs major and Statistics & Data Science minor. Her research interests include safety on public transit, sustainable infrastructure, and educational policy. When she’s not carrying three cameras around LA, you can find her petitioning Khalid to go on tour again, reading RF Kuang’s Substack, or playing the piano in Hooligan’s pit orchestra.
Carolyn Wang - Co-founder
carolynwang25@g.ucla.edu
Carolyn Wang is a third year Public Affairs and Statistics & Data Science major. Her research interests lie in addressing education challenging facing Los Angeles. In her free time, Carolyn loves to hike (she's been to every national park in California!), host game nights with friends, and explore LA!
Dr. Jorge A. Avila - Co-founder
javila@college.ucla.edu
Dr. Jorge A. Avila is an Assistant Director at UCLA's Undergraduate Research Center-Sciences. His research is focused on behavioral neuroscience, and specifically the neural and molecular mechanisms that underlie cognitive dysfunction. When he isn't teaching or mentoring, he is a father, husband, chauffer, and adventurer.
Zephania Hartojo - Co-Logistics Chair
Zephania is a fourth year Public Affairs Major with a double minor in Global Studies and Community Engagement and Social Change. Her research explores effective interventions for the prevention of homelessness, along with her intersecting interests in incarceration and basic needs. In her free time, Zephania can be found cozying up with a warm cup of tea, a freshly baked good, and her newest crochet project.
Alisha Gupta - Co-Logistics Chair
Alisha is a second year Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics major and a Global Health minor. She is currently researching novel approaches to use gene editing to combat rare diseases. In her free time, she enjoys skiing, playing soccer, and going on spontaneous adventures.
Emily Kim - Co-Fundraising Chair
Emily is a third year Applied Math major interested in discrete mathematics research. Although she spends much of her free time trying to figure out what discrete math is, she'll often be found improvising soup recipes and performing musical numbers for her roommates.
Derek Ren - Co-Fundraising Chair
Derek Ren is a fourth year Human Biology and Society major. His research interests are in community and public health prevention strategies, with focus on early diagnosis and treatment for HPV and HIV-related pre-cancers. Derek's hobbies include attending UCLA sports events, collecting movie memorabilia, and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen.
Jennifer Nguyen - Co-Publicity Chair
Jennifer Nguyen is a fourth year Human Biology and Society, Anthropology major. Her research interests include neurodegeneration and health disparities in underserved communities. Outside of school, she loves snuggling with her cat, trying new stationary, exploring LA, and reading!
Joyce Lin - Co-Publicity Chair
Joyce Lin is a second year International Development Studies major. Her research interests include international relations and cultural connection in the Asia Pacific region. She enjoys playing tennis in her free time while also attending concerts of any genre of music and exploring LA for new cafe/dessert spots.
Jennifer Yang
Jennifer Yang is a Physiological Science major with a minor in Biomedical Research. Her research interests include women’s health, sexual health, neurology, and endocrinology. In her free time, she enjoys running, swimming, cafe hopping, and catching up with friends!
Shrey Chaganlal
Shrey Chaganlal is a second year Cognitive Science and Business Economics double major. His research interests include decision making and its influence on consumer behavior in the tech and business industries. In his free time he enjoys playing basketball, memorizing the flags of the world, and practicing trivia!
Keertana Sreekumar
Keertana Sreekumar is an honors English major with aspirations to go to graduate school and explore professorship. Her research interests include young adult literature, South Asian diaspora, and new media studies. Her honors thesis revolves around the invention of the teenage girl in European literature. Keertana is a screenwriter for coming-of-age narratives and owns an arts culture magazine, K. Mag, based in New York.
Mia Hansen
Mia Hansen is a fourth year Physiological Science major and Biomedical Research minor. Her current research examines the neuroendocrine regulation of physiological changes during pregnancy in mice. She is actively involved in the URSP and i2URP research programs at UCLA. When not in lab, she is likely rewatching Gilmore Girls, going to the beach or updating her google calendar.
Mai-Khoi Vu
Mai-Khoi is a second year Physiological Science major. She currently volunteers at the Golshani Lab, where she studies how large scale neuronal populations drive cognition, especially decision making. If she’s not hanging out with the mice in her lab, she’s usually reading Asian literature, going on a boba run, or practicing traditional Vietnamese music with friends!
Alexander Hu - Webmaster
Alex is a first year Computer Science Major at UCLA. His research interests include AI and computer vision. In his free time, he enjoys playing chess.