A.J. Howell-Williams
Director of Transfer, Athletic & International Admission, Santa Clara University
Director of Transfer, Athletic & International Admission, Santa Clara University
A.J. Williams is Director of Transfer, Athletic, & International Admission at Santa Clara University. A former first-generation college student, transfer, and athlete, A.J. enjoys working with students, families, and counselors to demystify the college search and attainment process. A.J. has worked in higher education for over 18 years, and is a published author. His most recent book, It Ain’t Rocket Science: College Counseling for Everyone was published in May 2019.
Akshat Kalra
Healthcare Innovation Intern, Santa Clara University
Akshat has been a part of the Brain and Memory Care Lab for a while and apart from being a Computer Science graduate student at SCU, he is constantly on the lookout for ways to develop a broader understanding of Computational Neuroscience. He has decided to devote his work of life towards leveraging his computational skills in making this world a better place for people who are struggling with Neurological disorders and his current research is along the same lines of automating a therapeutic intervention mechanism for such diseases called PhotoBioModulation guided by real time brain activity in Electroencephalography.
Alejandro Masias
Athletic Director, August Boeger Middle School
Alejandro Masias serves as Athletic Director, Track & Field head coach, physical education teacher, and Spanish language elective facilitator at August Boeger Middle School in East San Jose. A seasoned educator, Alejandro has been teaching for over 18 years in both San Jose and his hometown, Denver. Striving to blend his passion for education and physical fitness, Alejandro promotes a curriculum that highlights the importance of sensible nutrition and physical fitness tailored to varying difficulty levels. He continually inspires and educates young minds about the importance of physical fitness and overall wellness and goes beyond the bounds of providing a traditional education. As a nationally ranked judo athlete and former Olympic Games hopeful, Alejandro adds an extra dimension of expertise and passion to his teaching style, helping students appreciate the physical, strategic, and mental aspects of sports that can also enhance their learning and academic outcomes
Alex Ontiveros
Founder and CEO, Silicon Valley Latino
Award-Winning Community Leader, Award-Winning Producer, Content Creator, Social Impact Entrepreneur, Cultura Curator and Empowerment Evangelist. Alex is an award-winning community leader and social impact entrepreneur with an extensive range of professional experience and success in the areas of community development, PR, brand development, marketing, community engagement, community relations, business development, communications, and event design, event production, and event management.
Alice Villatoro
Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Public Health, Santa Clara University
Dr. Alice Villatoro is a mental health disparities researcher with training in health services, psychiatric epidemiology, and medical sociology. Her research is centered on health equity and studying populations that have been historically underrepresented in public health research. Her research is interdisciplinary in that she fuses theory driven-basic research with an applied population health orientation to understand the ways in which structural, social, cultural, and psychological factors shape mental health care disparities in Latinx communities and other diverse populations. She is currently working on 3 collaborative research projects: Latinx Wellness Study, Texas Stigma Study, and Media Consumption & Health Communication Behaviors among Latinx Populations. She teaches Biostats for Public Health and Evidence-Based Public Health courses at SCU.
Amelia Fuller
Ph.D., Professor & Department Chair of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Santa Clara University
Dr. Amelia Fuller has been an SCU faculty since 2008 in the Chemistry & Biochemistry department and currently serves as the chair. Her specialty is in organic and bioinorganic chemistry. Her research aims to develop new methods for the synthesis and structural analysis of organic peptidomimetic-molecules for potential application as diagnostic agent, sensors, and therapeutics. She is interested in making molecules that are useful tools to probe biological processes. Bioorganic chemistry allows her to work on small molecule synthesis, but also to make use of those molecules in relevant biological contexts. She teaches organic chemistry and medicinal chemistry here at SCU.
Chris Danek
CEO, Bessel.co
Chris Danek, CEO of Bessel, is an entrepreneur and life sciences industry veteran. Chris believes in empowering technical teams. He helps them speed time-to-market with agile teamwork and human-centered design while using advanced technology like artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing, and digital engineering. Bessel clients and Powered by Bessel startups are located nationwide.
Chris is a visiting professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, a leading Hispanic-serving research university that has adopted the Bessel Origin program in its Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. Chris is also a visiting professor at the W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation at UTEP.
Chris was co-founder and CEO of AtheroMed (now Philips AtheroMed), and before that was V.P. R&D of Asthmatx (Boston Scientific). Chris is an advisor to the Santa Clara University Healthcare Innovation and Design Lab. He has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, an M.B.A. with a concentration in finance from the Wharton School - University of Pennsylvania, and is an inventor of over 85 U.S. patents.
Eva Blanco Masias
Vice President for Enrollment Management, Santa Clara University
Eva Blanco Masias is a nationally recognized leader in higher education and serves as Vice President for Enrollment Management at Santa Clara University. She is responsible for the undergraduate enrollment of the University and provides strategic leadership to the offices of undergraduate admissions, financial aid, and SCU enrollment services. Eva’s passion for college admissions and educational access stems from her personal journey, beginning in Los Angeles, where she grew up as the daughter of immigrants, all the way to her matriculation at Yale University. She’s earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Yale, a master’s degree in education administration from Santa Clara University, and a certificate in enrollment management leadership from the University of Southern California. Prior to joining Santa Clara University, Eva worked in various leadership positions in the Latinx/Latin American media industry for ten years. She is actively involved in nonprofit educational organizations, including serving as a trustee of The Foundation for Hispanic Education and chair of the California Private College Alliance. Eva’s extensive civic involvement also includes being a member of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund’s Silicon Valley Advisory Council, past president of the National Catholic College Admission Association, advisory committee member for the California College Guidance Initiative (CaliforniaColleges.edu), and past chair of the Yale Latino Alumni Association.
Guadalupe Sanchez
Outreach Specialist, Scout from the University of California
Guadalupe is a dedicated educator with a passion for promoting access to college readiness. As an Outreach Specialist for UC Scout, she plays a vital role in collaborating with school districts and educators across California to ensure that students have the necessary resources to pursue a four-year degree. With over 7 years of experience in higher education, Guadalupe's journey began in college admissions at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Her early exposure to the higher education landscape sparked her enthusiasm for helping students find the right path towards their academic goals. Guadalupe continued her higher education journey at Radford University in Virginia. There, she oversaw the university's multicultural recruitment efforts, emphasizing diversity and inclusion. Guadalupe earned her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and completed her Master of Arts at St. Bonaventure University in upstate New York. During this time, she also had the unique opportunity to enrich her knowledge at Oxford University in the UK, gaining a global perspective on education. Guadalupe's experiences have strengthened her belief in the power of education to transform lives and drive positive change.
Howard Chan
Education Program Manager, Biocom California Institute
Howard Chan is a dedicated educator and advocate for STEAM and life science education. As the Biocom California Institute Education Program Manager, he develops and implements programs to inspire the next generation of innovators. With a background as a former classroom teacher and engineer, he connects students with the wonders of the life science and engineering industry. Howard's commitment to education continues to shape the future of STEAM, empowering students to pursue their passions and make a positive impact. Howard holds a MS Education degree from National University and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Santa Clara University.
J Aggabao
Associate Athletic Director, Sports Performance, Santa Clara University
Aggabao is in his second year as Santa Clara’s associate athletic director for sports performance. Aggabao (AG-ah-bow), who was hired in January 2021, oversees all aspects of the strength and conditioning program for the school’s 20 sports.
He most recently served as the senior manager of football performance at Sports Academy (formerly the Mamba Sports Academy) where he oversaw all aspects of performance for the Elite Football programs, including the NFL Combine/Draft prep, NFL offseason, and special projects such as Bishop Alemany Football Strength & Conditioning.
Aggabao served as the head strength and conditioning coach for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League from 2017-18. The team earned the 2017 Grey Cup Championship. From 2013-17, he was a strength and conditioning coach for the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams.
A native of Talofofo, Guam, Aggabao holds a bachelor of science in kinesiology, majoring in movement studies, from Washington State. He went on to earn a master’s of science in exercise physiology from Illinois State.
He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist through the National Strength & Conditioning Association. He also holds certifications through USA Weightlifting and Reflexive Performance Reset.
A U.S. Navy Veteran, serving from 2002-07, Aggabao emigrated from Guam to the United States at age 7.
Jaclyn Lee
Associate Athletic Director, Sports Medicine, Santa Clara University
Jaclyn Lee is in her 10th season with Santa Clara Sports Medicine, including second as an Assistant Director of Athletics.She serves as the primary medical contact for women's rowing and beach volleyball. Lee, who oversees numerous administrative duties in the Sports Medicine Department, was promoted to Assistant AD in November 2020.
A native of San Jose, California, she became Athletic Training Certified (ATC) following graduation from Loyola Marymount University in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in athletic training. Lee came to Santa Clara in July 2012, after two years as an assistant athletic trainer at San Jose State University, where she earned her master's degree in kinesiology earlier in 2012. As a two-year graduate assistant for the Spartans, she was the primary athletic trainer for the women’s basketball program.
At both San Jose State and LMU, Lee gained valuable teaching experience in kinesiology and natural sciences. She has served as Adjunct Faculty at San Jose State in the Kinesiology Department and serves as an ATEP Preceptor to students in the undergraduate athletic training program. She is a Certified Kinesio Tape Practitioner (KT1, KT2, KT3), Tecnica Gavilan Certified, Myofascial Decompression Practitioner, NATA BOC Athletic Training Certified and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through NSCA.
Lee graduated from Presentation High School. She and her husband, Kellen, have a son, Colton, and a daughter Dawson.
Jesús Rocha
Officer, The Coalition of Professional Translators and Interpreters of California
Jesús, a first-generation graduate, holds a BA with a major in Biology from the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC). At UCSC, he tutored Spanish for Spanish speakers and also worked at multiple local elementary and high schools in Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties through the Mini-Corp Migrant Teacher Assistant Program. While at Mini-Corp, Jesús worked and tutored migrant students in different subjects. Through a sponsored UCSC internship in 1992, he volunteered at an urgent care medical clinic in Salinas CA, where different multi-specialty MD’s used him as an interpreter and that’s where he fell in love with interpreting. Soon after graduating in 1993, Jesús started an interpreting agency (JR Interpreting, Inc.) serving the Limited English Proficient (LEP) communities in Northern, Central, and Southern CA.
Jesús then became a certified medical interpreter in 1994, an administrative hearing interpreter in 2002, then acquired the State of California Court Interpreter certification in 2013, and is currently working towards becoming Federally certified. He has interpreted at a Spanish local radio station addressing workers’ compensation-related issues and concerns. His interpreting travels have taken him as far as México City to interpret at the México City Shriner Hospital’s Board of Directors Meeting.
Jesús served as an officer and steering committee member for The Coalition of Professional Translators and Interpreters of California (CoPTIC) to achieve an exemption from AB5 for all professional interpreters and translators in California. His objective is to inspire the new generations and create a sense of self-pride in being multicultural and bilingual.
Jose Arreola
Peer Support Specialist, Alum Rock Counseling Center
Jose Arreola started his professional mental health career in 2020 as a Peer Support Specialist with Alum Rock Counseling Center. Before providing peer support services, Jose was a part of the first and second cohort Youth Advisory Group for allcove where he provided feedback on the design of the center and operations. His first position as peer support was for the allcove center, and now provides services at the Downtown Youth Wellness Center.
Juan Blanco
Research Scientist - Biotech Industry, Various Biotech Companies
Juan Blanco has worked extensively in preclinical R&D for various biotech companies in Silicon Valley, including FivePrime Therapeutics, Catalyst Biosciences, StemCentrx. He has been involved in several areas of research including Autoimmune Disorders, Hemophilia and Oncology. The majority of Juan’s industry experience has been in the space of Cancer Therapeutics, where he has an extensive background in PDX model development, characterization of tumor tissues and efficacy testing of novel compounds. Juan transferred from Santa Monica College to Santa Clara University and received a BS in Combined Science. He enjoys mountain biking, DJing and mezcal tasting.
Kelsey Mittelman
Peer Support Specialist, Alum Rock Counseling Center
Kelsey has been a peer specialist at Allcove Palo Alto since October 2022. Kelsey has a passion for mental health as it intersects with other marginalized identities, specifically neurodiversity and queerness/transness.
Korin Wheeler
Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Santa Clara University
Dr. Korin Wheeler has been an SCU faculty since 2009 in the Chemistry & Biochemistry department. Her specialty is in biochemistry, nanomaterials, and bioinorganic chemistry. Her research is on investigations of the environmental and human health implications of Nanomaterials. Specifically, use biochemical and proteomic approaches to understand the interactions of nanoparticles with biomolecules. She continues to showcase her interests by teaching at the undergraduate level biochemistry, bioinorganic chemistry, and advanced chemical lab courses here at SCU.
Lisa Sellers
CEO, Vector Labs
Lisa V. Sellers, PhD, CEO of Vector Laboratories, is an innovative and impactful leader with a truly unique approach to leading teams. She has deep expertise in running global life science tools businesses, developing new business strategies, and demonstrating excellent execution by leveraging her leadership style to harness the value of talent. She has more than 20 years of experience at companies such as 10x Genomics, Applied Biosystems, Life Technologies, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. As CEO of Vector Laboratories, Lisa drives the company’s expansion and business strategies and continually seeks unmet market opportunities. She is also passionate about mentoring teams, fostering inclusion, and prioritizing a people-first work environment. Lisa has created an inclusive organization where accomplishments are recognized and celebrated. Outside of her CEO duties, she encourages STEM participation by girls and young women through community activism and personal connections. Lisa is focused on giving back and recognizes the importance of molding tomorrow’s leaders.
Lorenzo Gamboa
Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Outreach in Undergraduate Admission, Santa Clara University
Lorenzo is originally from a very small town with eight graduating seniors in his public high school class. Coming from a close-knit community, he is familiar with the assumptions and fears one may have when considering leaving town for college. Reflecting on his own journey of college, he aspires to clarify the daunting experience for other first-generation students that he once faced himself. Lorenzo has over ten years of experience in college advising and currently oversees new initiatives such as Latinx Leadership Incubator.
Marco Vazquez
Public Health Intern, Santa Clara University '24
Marco Vazquez is a first-generation senior student here at Santa Clara University, originally from Los Angeles. He is currently majoring in Public Health on the Health Science emphasis, with a Biology minor and maintaining focus on the Pre-PA track with a specialty in emergency medicine. His experiences range from community health internship to first responder as an EMT!
Margarita Blanco
Registered Nurse, BSN
Margarita Blanco has been a Registered Nurse for 13 years. She currently serves as a Nurse Consultant for a non-profit organization in Los Angeles, where she monitors the health and safety of intellectually and developmentally disabled adults living in residential care facilities. She assists caregivers and clients by providing advocacy, coordinating care, facilitating healthcare access, developing care plans, and offering health education and training. Her professional experience includes acute care, specifically within a cardiac care and progressive care unit. Guided by a strong aspiration to grow as a practitioner, leader, educator, and mentor, Margarita aims to enhance health literacy and deliver more holistic, culturally responsive, and linguistically appropriate medical and mental health services to underserved communities.
Margarita took an interest in health from playing sports and pursued her passion by obtaining a BA in Human Biodynamics from UC Berkeley. Her academic journey led to an ASN from El Camino College, and a BSN from the University of Alabama. Prior to her nursing career, she engaged in various roles in social services, education, and healthcare. This fall she will begin an accelerated master’s degree in Kinesiology- Integrative Wellness at Point Loma Nazarene University and pursue advanced training and certification in health coaching and lifestyle medicine. After her master’s, she plans to continue her nursing education and pursue a terminal nursing degree, DNP-NP (doctor of nursing practice- nurse practitioner).
Melba Mathew
Therapist in Residence, Santa Clara University
Melba Mathew is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, serving as one of the Counselors in Residence for students living on campus. Melba is an SCU Alumna (Class of 2012) and attained a B.S. in Economics with a minor in Public Health. After spending some time in the corporate tech world putting her Santa Clara business school education to use, she went on to realize her passion for public health, the world, and inner peace, by training to become a psychotherapist. Melba augmented her formal education with an M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, and gained experience in a private practice aimed at working with underserved populations, as well as an agency serving families with children on the autism spectrum. Melba is regarded in her communities as an advocate and educator for relational and mental health, as well as a go-getter. She is keen on approaching the challenges of our time with an understanding of ecosystems, economic realities, and the need for empathy and compassion.
Nic Meola
Peer Support Specialist, Alum Rock Counseling Center
Nic Meola is a certified peer support specialist who obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology in 2022 from UC Santa Cruz. Inspired by the intersection of music and mental health, Nic teaches grounding and mindfulness techniques via guitar lessons to teens and young adults. In addition to conducting community outreach, Nic is experienced in hosting a variety of creative art workshops for youth such as tie-dye and crochet. Nic hopes to continue his education at SJSU and become a licensed clinical social worker.
Prashanth Asuri
Ph.D., Associate Professor of Bioengineering, Santa Clara University
Dr. Prashanth Asuri joined the Bioengineering faculty at Santa Clara University in Fall 2011 after holding research positions in academia and industry. Dr. Asuri earned his Ph.D. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and M.B.A. with a focus on Leading Innovative Organizations from Santa Clara University. His research efforts focus on the design and development of biomaterial-based in vitro platforms to understand complex in vivo phenomena, and he has published over 50 journal articles, conference proceedings, and book chapters. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on topics related to biomaterials, tissue engineering, and healthcare innovation. Dr. Asuri also serves as the Director of School of Engineering's Healthcare Innovation and Design Program that partners with industry to empower students to discover, innovate, and address complex challenges within healthcare.
Preet Sahota
DDS, Smile Matters
Born and raised in India, Preet migrated to the States in 1991, eventually becoming a citizen. Her passion for dentistry bloomed late, since the early years involved many terrifying trips to the Army Dentists in India. While her sweet tooth introduced her to dentistry, the interest didn’t take root until later. To date her favorite compliment is “You are really like a doctor (not a dentist)!”
Becoming the “Physician of the mouth” is the culmination of lifelong learning and particularly that of learning the art of connecting the dots. She brings to her practice a unique mix of eastern influences and western training. She earned her Doctorate in Dental Surgery (D.D.S) from University of the Pacific’s Arthur D. Dugoni School of Dentistry and also holds a Doctorate (B.D.S) accredited by Kuvempu University in Karnataka, India. She has practiced dentistry in the Bay Area since 2002, with the inception of Smile Matters, her private practice, in June, 2007. She has trained, at LVI ( Las Vegas Institute ) in Neuromuscular Dentistry, Sleep Disordered Breathing, Sleep Apnea and much more. ( 2003 – to present ), to stay at the leading edge of progressive dentistry. While she chose to be a “General” dentist, Dr. Sahota’s practice is very unique with technologies and treatments that may seem revolutionary to those who haven’t seen a dentist in a while. She considers herself blessed to share her life with her husband, Mac Sahota, a physicist by training and their lovely daughter. Free time is directed towards her interests in all things science and art.
Reymundo Espinoza
MPH, Chief Executive Officer, Gardner Family Health Network
Mr. Espinoza was raised in the small desert town of Coachella, California, where farming was the predominant industry. Upon graduation from Coachella Valley High School, he attended Stanford University and received a BA in Political Science, and received his Masters from the University of California at Berkeley, School of Public Health, specializing in Hospital Administration, in 1975. Throughout Mr. Espinoza’s career, he worked with various non-profit and for-profit institutions throughout California and a limited amount of time in Phoenix, Arizona. Mr. Espinoza’s experience includes working in hospitals, planning agencies, hospital associations, and providing administrative and oversight activities in hospital based clinics and freestanding outpatient clinics.
Mr. Espinoza has been administratively involved in community health centers for over 35 years and is currently the Chief Executive Officer for Gardner Family Health Network, Inc. d.b.a. Gardner Health Services (GHS). GHS maintains 10 sites in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties of which 7 are outpatient health centers along with a Healthcare to the Homeless Program that operates two clinic mobile units. GHS provides a comprehensive array of services to include medical (Adult, Pediatric and OB/GYN), Dental, Optometry, Pharmacy, Behavioral Health services for both the low to moderate and chronically mentally ill population, health education, nutritional services through the Women, Infants and Children’s program, comprehensive services targeting patients with complex needs, and health care to the homeless services. Of the 46,000+ patients/clients, 90% are at 150% of poverty (family of 4 making $56,000) of which over 12,000 have no insurance coverage.
Mr. Espinoza is a Co-Founder of the California Primary Care Association, Board Member and Co-Founder of the Community Health Partnership of Santa Clara, and Member of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC).
Sarah Hays
MPH & MA, Professor of Public Health, Santa Clara University
Dr. Sarah Hays is the Director of Internships for the College of Arts and Sciences and is a quarterly adjunct lecturer in the Public Health department. Joining the faculty in 2015 Sarah’s classes focus on supporting public health majors as they explore their current academic and professional interests. Through values assessments, research, and in person experiences, including volunteering and internships, students are able to discover the many possibilities of a career in public health.
Sarah is an alum of the Master of Arts in Counseling program in the School of Education & Counseling Psychology, holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Benedictine University and recently began her doctoral studies in the School of Education & Counseling Psychology in the summer of 2022, pursuing a Doctorate in Education (EdD) in social justice leadership, with a focus in higher education.
Shá Duncan Smith
Vice President for Inclusive Excellence, Santa Clara University
Shá provides strategic direction for access, inclusion, belonging, diversity, and equity policies and initiatives for students, faculty and staff at Santa Clara University. Previously, Shá has held a variety of progressively responsible leadership roles at Swarthmore College, University of Michigan, and the University of Southern California Race and Equity Center.
Shá has over 20 years of experience developing and implementing strategic plans and initiatives to promote diverse, equitable and inclusive cultures for students, faculty and staff. She has collaborated as a thought, strategy and action partner with higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations and Fortune 100 companies to assess, evaluate and reimagine strategic initiatives, organizational cultures and structures, programs and initiatives, and assessment processes.
Shá’s continued commitment to anchoring diversity, equity and inclusion at the heart of organizational change and culture is demonstrated in her work in developing training and learning modules to build intercultural capacity and critical consciousness within organizations.
Shá is completing her doctorate in higher education management at University of Pennsylvania. She holds both a master’s of social work and a bachelor of arts in sociology from University of Michigan.
She spent her formative years in Michigan and most recently, moved from the Philadelphia area. Currently, Shá resides in Santa Clara with her partner Tony and four children.
Sheila Yuter
Ph.D., Adjunct Professor of Public Health, Santa Clara University
Dr. Sheila Yuter's area of scholarship is in applying complexity theory to better understand how organizations work and the influence informal groups have on formal hierarchies of power and authority. She has held senior management positions in a wide variety of health and hospital systems where her work involves leading teams in strategic decision making in the context of state and federal health policy. This has ranged from improving communication between primary care and mental health providers resulting in better patient care to setting performance standards for community-based organizations to assure clients receive consistently high-quality care. She is engaged in implementing programs that address the intersection of the organizations and systems that deliver health care and their relationship to community health. She currently teaches a wide range of public health and sociology courses here at SCU.
Shelby Jennett
Healthcare Ethics Intern, Santa Clara University
Shelby Jennett is a senior neuroscience major and philosophy minor from Sunnyvale, California. Shelby currently does research with Dr. Erick Ramirez at SCU surrounding the ethics of representational intersectionality, autonomy, and sexual harassment in virtual reality. She also does polymer chemistry research in Dr. Eric Tillman’s lab and is an organic chemistry lab TA. Driven by a desire to address inequities in women’s healthcare, Shelby hopes to pursue a career in medicine that is focused on women’s healthcare and reproductive justice. Shelby has really enjoyed developing her ethical thinking skills, learn how physicians incorporate ethics into their daily practice, and gain insight on current ethical issues in healthcare. She is eager to dive deeper into healthcare ethics next year as the Honzel fellow for the healthcare ethics internship.
Sonja Mackenzie
DrPH, Associate Professor & Department Chair of Public Health, Santa Clara University
Dr. Sonja Mackenzie's scholarship lies at the intersections of public health and sociological inquiry to analyze and intervene in social and structural inequities in health among racial/ethnic and sexual and gender minorities. Her current projects include analyses of patterns in transnational reproductive technologies and LGBTQ kinship, and health social movements from HIV to Covid-19. She teaches public health courses at SCU including Community Health, Structural Racism, and Race, Class, Gender.
Sreeja Malladi
Healthcare Innovation Intern, Santa Clara University
Sreeja is currently pursuing an M.S in Computer Engineering at Santa Clara University. As a graduate student researcher, she contributes to projects related to healthcare that bridge the gap between technology and the medical field. Through this work, she applies her skills in data analytics, machine learning, and medical image analysis. Sreeja aspires to leverage her expertise to drive innovations that positively impact healthcare outcomes.
Tyler Webster
Associate Athletic Director, Counseling & Sport Psychology, Santa Clara University
Dr. Tyler Webster is in her second year as the assistant athletic director for counseling and sport psychology at Santa Clara. Webster is a licensed clinical psychologist in California with advanced training and experience in working with athletes.
Webster entered UCLA as a basketball player and earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and another in American literature and culture. She went on to Pepperdine University where she earned a Juris Doctorate, a Master's in alternative dispute resolution, and a Master's in psychology.
Webster then returned to the Bay Area to develop a sports consulting company to serve local athletes. She earned her doctoral degree in clinical psychology (Psy.D.) at the California School of Professional Psychology in San Francisco. While in school, Webster’s dissertation (“No Pain, No Gain: American football players’ attitudes towards help-seeking and barriers to mental health service utilization) focused on unearthing barriers to mental health service utilization in a collegiate athletic population.
Webster's clinical interests include athletic culture and working with student-athletes, men’s issues, stigma and shame, anxiety, depression, and suicidality. Additionally, she is interested in ways people make and find meaning in their lives, and dimensions of culture which inform the development of identity.
Webster is also listed in the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s Mental Health Registry to serve Team USA athletes. She is a Bay Area native and graduated from Menlo School in Atherton. Webster and her husband, Matt, have two children, Patrick and Nora.
Veronica Gamboa
LMFT, Chief Operating Officer, Alum Rock Counseling Center
Veronica Gamboa, LMFT has a M.A. in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Latino Counseling from Santa Clara University and Licensed as a Marriage Family Therapist since 2008. Veronica has over 15 years’ experience working in the mental health arena and over 7 years leading and building programs serving the underserved community. Veronica has extensive experience working with a culturally and linguistically diverse client population and is passionate about fighting stigma surrounding mental health. Veronica believes that collaboration is key in ensuring that the underserved communities have the support they need to access mental health.
Violeta Barroso
M.D., Family Medicine, Kaiser Permanente
Dr. Barroso was born in Mexico and grew up in King City, California. She completed her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences at Stanford University and again attended Stanford for her Medical School training. While attending medical school she also completed a Fellowship in Leadership in Health Disparities with additional coursework at the Stanford schools of Business and Law. She completed her residency training in Family Medicine at the Kaiser Vallejo Hospitals and Clinics.
Dr. Barroso now works as a community-based physician in Watsonville California, practicing full spectrum Family Medicine as part of the Permanente Medical Group. She cares for the needs of entire families while working to eliminate health disparities in medical care.
In her free time, Dr. Barroso volunteers with organizations that support the entry of under-represented students into the physician workforce.
Winsor Kinkade
Winsor is honored to be part of the ALAS team as a Community Mental Health Clinician. Winsor’s work is particularly invested in the intersection of art, resistance, post-traumatic community restoration and healing, our bodies' innate wisdom, connection to the land and animal kin, and collective liberation through increased access to social resources and mental health.