Hometown:

Los Angeles. Frequently mistaken as being from the Bay Area.

Why UCLA?

I love the range of experiences on campus. Most people know UCLA for our high-visibility programs, but I appreciate the tiny intimate moments… an concert performed in the Early Music studio by the Danish royal family organist who was vacationing in California, a lecture on generational racism after apartheid given by the first Black chancellor of the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa, collections of antique glass eyeballs tucked away in the Biomedical Library, etc. My parents also met here (in the Music department), so the campus holds a special familiarity for me.

Favorite Spots in L.A.:

Botanical gardens, taco trucks, tide pools, the Museum of Jurassic Technology, the Magic Castle, tiny neighborhood markets, Kilcoyne Lilac Farm, UCLA Sunset Rec family pool in the summer.

Favorite Movies:

My all time favorite is U.H.F. Runner-ups include The Ref, Tombstone, The Big Lebowski, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Princess Mononoke.

Favorite TV Shows:

Nature documentaries, Ted Lasso, Lupin

Favorite Food:

Anything soupy/stewy: pho, daal, ramen, cioppino, boeuf bourguignon, etc. Also desserts that are not-too-sweet.

Favorite Music:

Nine Inch Nails, Toots and the Maytals, Sam Cooke, Julieta Venegas, Dieselboy, Led Zeppelin

Favorite Books:

Calvin and Hobbes, My Grandmother’s Hands, The Art of War, Decolonizing Non-Violent Communication, The Handyman

Favorite Podcasts:

Getting Curious with Jonathan van Ness, TILT Parenting, The College Essay Guy, The ALP with Ken Anselment, Huberman Lab

Favorite Quote:

“You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can drip and it can crash. Become like water my friend.” – Bruce Lee