Staff Spotlights

This is the space where UCB staff share how they've navigated job and career changes on campus. Feel free to reach out to people with listed e-mails if you have any follow up questions or want to do an informational interview. 

Want to see someone's UCB career changes featured in a written interview (including your own)? E-mail grow@berkeley.edu and we'll take it from there.

Kelly Ball's Journey

Kelly's Journey - Recognizing Your Accumulated Value and Knowledge to Navigate Imposter Syndrome. E-mail Kelly (kaball@berkeley.edu) to follow up about her story.

Chrissy Galli: Upskilling and Transcending Limits in Higher Education

Like many professionals, Associate Director of Recreational Sports Chrissy Galli’s nonlinear professional journey is marked by peaks and valleys. In this feature, Chrissy shares tips and tricks about upskilling strengths and transcending limits.  You can contact her at cgalli@berkeley.edu for a follow-up

Clarity White’s Career Journey

Clarity has worked in higher education, studied Human Resources, worked in HR, committed to HR in a university setting. Learn about her journey and please feel free to contact her at clarityw@berkeley.edu

Janene Martinez's Journey

Janene Martinez is the Assistant Director of Graduate Student Services within the Department of Economics. They’ve been a part of the UC Berkeley community for 12 years. To set-up an informational interview e-mail jcarolm@berkeley.edu or connect on LinkedIn.

Navigating the Workplace as People of Color and Their Allies

Jessica De Anda is a Student Experience Specialist in the Evening and Weekend MBA Program Office. Her post focuses on the role of race within the workplace for both people of color and allies. To follow up with her about this article e-mail jdeanda@berkeley.edu or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Sunil Chacko's Career Growth

Read more about Sunil Chacko's career journey in Cal Dining, where he currently is the Assistant Director of Commodities and Purchasing. To set-up an informational interview e-mail schacko@berkeley.edu.

Ashley Villanueva's Career Lattice

Ashley Villanueva is the Marketing Manager within the Coleman Fung Institute for Engineering Leadership. They’ve been a part of the UC Berkeley community for 7 years. To set-up an informational interview, email ashvillanueva@berkeley.edu or connect on LinkedIn.

April Irwin Photo

April Irwin's Career Trajectory

April Irwin is the Administrative Manager within Research, Teaching, and Learning. To follow up with her about this feature e-mail agirwin@berkeley.edu or connect with her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-geffre-irwin-8bb4aa34/

Rebecca Sablo photo

Rebecca Sablo's Career Journey

Rebecca Sablo is the Associate Registrar for Academic Planning and Records within the Office of the Registrar. To follow up with her about this feature e-mail rsablo@berkeley.edu or connect with her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccasablo.

Susan Cass' Career Moves

Learn how Susan has navigated an 18 year career at UCB in various units. Connect with Susan on LinkedIn to follow up with her about her career.

judy smithson

Judy Smithson's UCB Career Journey

Read about how Judy Smithson made the change from the Department of Environmental Science and Management to eventually joining the School of Public Health within UC Berkeley. Email Judy (jsmithson@berkeley.edu) to follow up with her about this article.

Elizabeth Wilcox's Journey

Read about how Elizabeth took major risks in order to make the jump between careers within UC Berkeley. Email Elizabeth (ewilcox@berkeley.edu) to follow up with her about this article.

Shirley Salanio's Career Learnings

Learn about how Shirley strives to keep growing as a professional as the Director for Graduate Matters within the Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences Department. Email Shirley (shirleysalanio@berkeley.edu) to follow up with her about this article.

Sandra Richmond

Sandy Richmond's Journey

Read about how Sandy paved her path through the History department as an Administrative Assistant to becoming the Director of Administration within the African American Studies/Ethnic Studies/Gender & Women’s Studies Cluster. Email Sandy (sandyjbr@berkeley.edu) to follow up with her about this article.

Lauryn Holloway's UCB Learnings

Read about how Lauryn made the journey from an undergraduate work-study student eventually to becoming the Director of Compliance, Financial Aid within Intercollegiate Athletics. Email Lauryn (lauryn.holloway@berkeley.edu) to follow up with her about this article.

Robert Jittrikawiphol

Robert Jittrikawiphol's Transition

Read about how Robert seized the opportunity to advance along the corporate lattice and made the jump from advising to finance. Email Robert (rjittri@berkeley.edu) to follow up with him about this article.

Omar Ramirez

Omar Ramirez's Route

Find out how Omar made the transition within numerous departments at UC Berkeley over 15 years, in order to have a positive impact on the student experience. Email Omar (oramirez@berkeley.edu) to follow up with him about this article.

Caitlin Appert-Nguyen

Caitlin Appert-Nguyen's Career

Read about how Caitlin made the jump from the comfort of her familiar work environment to a completely new role at the School of Information. Email Caitlin (caitlinmarie@berkeley.edu) to follow up with her about this article.

Adam Berke

Adam Berke's Career Growth

Learn about how Adam paved his path in his 10 years working at UCB and his advice for managing strained work relationships and listening as a key to success. Email Adam (a_berke@berkeley.edu) to follow up about this article.

Rajelin Escondo's Success

Read about Rajelin's journey through UC Berkeley as the Assistant Director at the Multicultural Community Center. Email Rajelin (rajelin@berkeley.edu) to follow up with her about this article.

Rosanne Lurie's Approach

Find out how Rosanne became the Director QB3-Berkeley through taking initiative outside of day-to-day responsibilities.

Rebecca Andersen

Rebecca Andersen's Ascendance

Read about Rebecca Andersen's journey through the many departments of UC Berkeley. To connect with Rebecca about this article, e-mail rander@berkeley.edu.

Bill Allison

Bill Allison Reflects on Managing Change

Find out how Bill Allison determines a need for change and how to make a case for it. E-mail Bill (cto@berkeley.edu) to follow up about his story.

Andrea Lambert

Andrea Lambert's Journey

Find out how Andrea Lambert has navigated her career from Student Services to the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost. Email Andrea (andrealambert@berkeley.edu) to follow up about her journey.

Portrait Photo of Desi Gallardo

Desi Gallardo's Story

Desi Gallardo made the leap from one career to another at UC Berkeley. Find out how she cast aside self-doubt and strengthened her career. Email Desi (dgallardo@berkeley.edu) to follow up about her journey.

James Dudek

James Dudek's Journey

James has seen it all and done it all at Berkeley in his 30 years here - find out what motivates him to keep growing as a professional on campus. Click the title to read more. E-mail James (jdudek@berkeley.edu) to follow up about his story.

Priya Sarran-Persad

Priya Sarran-Persad's Story

Priya has only been at Berkeley for one year, but has already advanced her career by finding out what plays to her skills. Click the title to read more. E-mail Priya (psarran@berkeley.edu) to follow up about her story.

Beth Hoch Leven photo

Beth Hoch Leven's Way

Learn how Beth switched positions and schools to advance her career at Berkeley. Click the title to read more. Email Beth (leven@berkeley.edu) to follow up about her story.

Sunny Lee Photo

Sunny Lee's Path

Sunny has had many transitions to navigate on campus during her career - find out her secrets to making it work for her. Click the title to read more. Email Sunny (sunnylee@berkeley.edu) to follow up about her story.

Sharon Daraphonhdeth's Promotion

Find out how Sharon went from an interim position to a permanent director. Click the title to read more. E-mail Sharon (sdara@berkeley.edu) to follow up about her story.

Ryan Sessler's Success

Ryan credits his connections for helping him switch jobs in a little over two years. Click the title to read more. E-mail Ryan (ryansessler@berkeley.edu) to follow up about about his story.

Victor Sánchez's Approach

Victor became a supervisor using the corporate lattice model. Click the title to find out how. E-mail Victor (victor.sanchez@berkeley.edu) to follow up about his story.

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