Congratulations on Reaching This Very Special Milestone in Your Life

TU

56^thAnnual

COMMENCEMENT

TH

56

B r i l l i a n t F u t u r e

Juris Doctor Degrees
MAY 8

Doctor of Medicine Degrees
JUNE 5

Baccalaureate, Master’s and Doctoral Degrees
JUNE 12

Table of Contents

2021 Commencement Schedule of Ceremonies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Chancellor’s Award of Distinction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Message from the Chancellor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Message from the Vice Chancellor, Student Aﬀairs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Messages & Ceremonies

Claire Trevor School of the Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 School of Biological Sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 The Paul Merage School of Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 School of Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The Henry Samueli School of Engineering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences. . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
School of Medicine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Program in Public Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
School of Humanities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences. . . . . . . 16 School of Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 School of Physical Sciences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 School of Social Ecology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 School of Social Sciences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Graduate Division. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

List of Graduates

Advanced Degree Candidates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Undergraduate Degree Candidates
Claire Trevor School of the Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 School of Biological Sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 The Paul Merage School of Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 School of Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 The Henry Samueli School of Engineering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 School of Humanities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences. . . . . . . .51 Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 School of Physical Sciences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Program in Public Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 School of Social Ecology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 School of Social Sciences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Honors and Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 UCI Alumni Association. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 University of California Regents & Chancellors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 The UCI Mace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90

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2021 Commencement Schedule of Ceremonies

Saturday, May 8 Saturday, June 5 Saturday, June 12

9:30 a.m. 4:30 ^p.m.
9 ^a.m.

School of Law School of Medicine University-wide Virtual Ceremony

Receptions

Receptions begin at 9:30 a.m. following the virtual ceremony.

Claire Trevor School of the Arts School of Biological Sciences
The Paul Merage School of Business
School of Education
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering
Graduate Hooding – Ph.D., D.N.P & M.F.A. degrees Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences
School of Humanities
Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences
School of Physical Sciences School of Social Ecology School of Social Sciences

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Chancellor’s Award of Distinction

The Chancellor’s Award of Distinction acknowledges the University of California, Irvine’s most outstanding graduating seniors Awarded by the UC Irvine Alumni Association, these students represent exceptional academic achievement, and a commitment to cutting-edge research, leadership and service to UCI Selected by a committee of alumni, recipients can be identiﬁed by the blue and gold shoulder cord worn with their commencement regalia

Ali Al-Hakeem

Yifeng Huang

Zhiqi Rong

The Paul Merage School of Business Program in Public Health
Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences
The Paul Merage School of Business Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences
School of Physical Sciences

Agatha Sahra Augustynski

School of Biological Sciences
School of Social Sciences

Saad Iqbal

School of Social Ecology

Cesar Manuel Rosales Jr.

Jennifer Christina Bell

School of Humanities

Annette Pimpisa Ketsiri

Taleen Christina Sarkissian

Henry Samueli School of Engineering

Nadine Ben Romdhane

Nyree Khachikyan

Adrianna Carolina Burton

Nandhana Sathish

Christine Ji-Young Kim

School of Humanities School of Social Sciences

Karyssa Alyson Courey

Aparna Rajesh Shakkarwar

School of Education School of Social Sciences

Isabelle Lee

Sabrina Turallo Dela Roca

Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing

Shih Yu Lee
Claire Christine Simmons
Tri Ngoc Dong

Claire Trevor School of the Arts
School of Pharmacy &

Pharmaceutical Sciences

Sarah Jiamei Li

Shelby Leigh Smith

Alessandra Katrina Flaherty

School of Humanities School of Physical Sciences

Bailey Erika Spelman

Claire Trevor School of the Arts School of Education

Katherine Renee Medel Lingle

Aileen Jeanette Fletcher

Uyen Thanh Mai

Program in Public Health

Katherine Grace Teixeira

Samantha Phyllis Gille

School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences

Kai S. Malloy

Manuel Teran

Claire Louise Goldes

Claire Trevor School of the Arts School of Social Ecology

Bethany Abigail Urbano

Irene Morales

School of Education School of Social Ecology

Joe Christopher Gonzales

Katia Lorena Necoechea Madriz

Isabel Villalpando

Insiya Farhan Gunja

Thanh Hoang Nguyen

School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences

Brooke Elizabeth Waechtler

School of Biological Sciences School of Physical Sciences

Emily Noel Ha

Program in Public Health School of Social Sciences

Daniel Everardo Palafox

Michelle Rafaela Heredia

Sarah Wang

Program in Public Health

Victoria Tuong-Vi Pham
Audrey Isis Hernandez Peterson

Claire Trevor School of the Arts School of Social Sciences

Kaylie Elizabeth Wong

Steve Huy Dinh Phan

School of Biological Sciences School of Social Sciences

Calvin YiChih Xu

Mary Lei Hu

The Paul Merage School of Business Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences

Zoe Annelise Portnoﬀ

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Nuodi Zhang

Message from the Chancellor

Dear Class of 2021:

Congratulations on reaching this very special milestone in your life Today, as we celebrate the University of California, Irvine’s 56th commencement, enjoy the pride, nostalgia, and excitement of the moment As you participate in these time-honored graduation rites, which although performed remotely have not lost any of their meaning or importance, I encourage you to remember that you did not achieve this success alone or in a vacuum Please take the time to thank the family, friends, and mentors who have supported and shepherded you through this journey

All of us are extremely proud of your accomplishments and the contributions you have made to UCI and our community I am even more excited, though, by what lies ahead for you, as you enter the world enabled, empowered, and inspired to succeed in whatever endeavors you choose to pursue

Today, as you join the proud alumni of UCI, you become part of a family of graduates who are leaders, innovators, and teachers who make a diﬀerence in our global community Please come back and visit us, update us with news on your careers, and stay in touch through the Alumni Association Wherever the future leads you, you will always be remembered at UCI

Fiat Lux,

Howard Gillman

Chancellor

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Message from the Vice Chancellor, Student Aﬀairs

Dear Class of 2021 Graduates:

On behalf of the Division of Student Aﬀairs, I would like to congratulate you and your family on this amazing accomplishment

You are now a UCI graduate and now join the ranks of close to 200,000 alumni from across the world You should be proud of all that you have accomplished during your time at UCI, especially during an unprecedented global pandemic My sincere hope is that you have taken the past years to learn more about yourself, your community, and your academic major College is truly a transformative time in one’s life and I am sure you have taken everything you have learned during your collegiate time to transform not only yourself, but also

the world

As you close this chapter in your life, take some time and thank your family and friends for their support Your graduation from UCI is a reﬂection of their love and support for you through this time I hope that you will remember your time at UCI fondly, and I hope you will tell the story of how your life was changed from being here You are an Anteater for life and we could not be more proud to have you as one of our proud alumni

Zot, Zot, Zot!

Willie L. Banks Jr., Ph.D.

Vice Chancellor, Student Aﬀairs

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Dear 2021 Claire Trevor School of the Arts graduate,

Though no one asked you to do it, you’re graduating from UCI and CTSA with the unique distinction of having weathered COVID-19 for the entire year Your resilience and passion have been an inspiration to those of us who remain behind – we will remember you and your accomplishments with special amazement and delight

But this has hardly been a “lost year” – you’ve created art objects and experiences of enduring value, all the more so because of the conditions in which you’ve been working You’ve been the very center of the amazing CTSA experience, and now, as we emerge from COVID-19 and you emerge from CTSA, you become one of tomorrow’s creative leaders in and for the arts, a voice for the vital role the arts will play in our emerging, complicated world You’ve been forced to explore new ways to make your art, honed and broadened your skills with us, but of course it’s just a beginning Our hope and expectation are the adversity you’ve faced in the last period has given you even more of the critical and creative tools you’ll need to achieve your highest aspirations in the next chapters of your life as an artist

As dean, I’ve been bursting with pride as I’ve reported on the skills you’ve developed and the accomplishments you’ve achieved All of us at CTSA send special thanks your parents and family, your friends, and your other mentors for the vital contributions they have made to your success at UCI, before and during COVID-19 And a special thanks to those alumni and others whose partnerships with CTSA, and with you, have provided support for the programs and facilities that have contributed to your success at UCI

We hope that you will continue to be a part of our lives at UCI, that you’ll keep in touch with your department and with others with whom you’ve worked And we’re eager to see how you emerge from your experience with us into the world of the arts

About Claire Trevor

While millions knew Claire Trevor

All very best wishes for your brilliant future!

(1910-2000) as one of America’s most distinguished actors, those closer to her knew her as a person deeply devoted to her family, as well as a passionate advocate for the arts and arts education

Stephen Barker, Ph.D.

Dean, Claire Trevor School of the Arts

The Claire Trevor School of the Arts at the University of California, Irvine is proud to be entrusted with Claire Trevor’s legacy and honors her spirit by embracing the values she believed in and practiced throughout her life

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Dear Class of 2021,

Congratulations on your Commencement from UC Irvine and the School of Biological Sciences Through hard work, determination, courage and resilience, you have completed one of the most arduous undergraduate programs on the campus with the added challenge of a global pandemic and a remote learning environment Now you are well-trained and positioned to achieve great things in your future endeavors

Today, your hard work and accomplishments at UCI BioSci are being lauded with a virtual Commencement celebration From tomorrow onward, as one of our thousands of BioSci alumni, please remember what you have achieved, what you have learned here about science and technology, and apply it well You will ﬁnd that UCI has helped prepare you for your future, whatever opportunities and challenges it holds

As you embark on the next phase of your lives, I encourage you to reﬂect proudly on your time here Remember my prediction about your future: YOU can be a game-changer for good on our planet

I urge you to stay committed to conquering your fears, attaining your goals and to stay connected with the school as your life’s journey continues That way we can always support you, participate in your successes, and provide you with the opportunity to inspire the generations of students who will follow in your footsteps through UCI BioSci

Best wishes,

Frank M. LaFerla, Ph.D.

Dean and Chancellor’s Professor School of Biological Sciences

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The Paul Merage School of Business

Dear Class of 2021,

On behalf of our faculty and staﬀ, I oﬀer my enthusiastic congratulations on this momentous achievement You are about to embark on a host of exciting new opportunities after completing a business degree during one of the most challenging times in history Together you thrived in the face of many obstacles, and for that you have my admiration and

respect

This year the UCI Paul Merage School of Business is graduating over 900 current and future business leaders, including those from our undergraduate business majors, our three MBA programs (Full-Time MBA, Fully Employed MBA and Executive MBA), our four Specialty Master’s programs (Professional Accountancy, Finance, Business Analytics and Innovation & Entrepreneurship) and our Doctoral Program

Together you represent the future of business on the global stage—and we are proud of playing a role in the development of leaders that are prepared to lead through disruption, drive innovation and promote inclusivity and respect for others It is our goal to continue to combine the academic strengths, diversity and best traditions of the University of California with the cutting-edge, entrepreneurial spirit of Orange County in the heart of Southern California’s Tech Coast

We thank you for your contributions to the School during your time here Remember that on commencement day you do not simply receive a diploma and a degree – you gain access to the thriving Merage School alumni network with us and consider returning one day to share your new insights and experiences

Ian O. Williamson, Ph.D.

Dean, The Paul Merage School of Business

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School of Education

To the School of Education Class of 2021,

It is a privilege to congratulate you on your successful commencement from the School of Education and the University of California, Irvine By completing one of our programs – the Doctor of Philosophy in Education, Master of Arts in Teaching, Bachelor of Arts in Education Sciences or CalTeach – you are prepared to make a diﬀerence in the lives of others through contributions to formal and informal

education

The concepts and competencies you have mastered in your program will always be fundamental in building and preserving an educated citizenry This is particularly true during times of crises; as our country faces novel challenges, our public health, economic vitality, social welfare, and democratic political system are tested Today, you take a giant step toward becoming our society’s next generation of

leaders

The knowledge and skills you have developed will be invaluable in contributing to education through outstanding research, policy, curriculum, pedagogy, and advocacy Some of you will apply key educational principles in classrooms, out-of-school programs and community life Others will conduct critical research for creating and implementing policy changes Still others will design software and technologies for learning I am grateful for your commitment to improving education for all, and look forward to seeing the positive impact you all create

In the years ahead, you will be well served to remember the lessons learned in your studies at UCI You have learned to recognize the role of persistence, grit and resiliency in overcoming challenges in both educational processes and life You understand that education and human development are lifelong journeys that do not end upon graduation, but rather must continue to be nourished and cultivated in your daily lives Great educators are strong learners I am conﬁdent that you will continue to grow, change, and learn to meet the challenges of tomorrow

Congratulations to you and to the families of all our graduates, and best wishes for great success in your future endeavors

Richard Arum, Ph.D.

Dean and Professor, School of Education

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The Henry Samueli School of Engineering

Dear Samueli School Class of 2021,

First and foremost, congratulations on this important milestone! You have not only made it through an extremely competitive admissions process, but have also met the challenges of our highly rigorous academic program to earn your degree from UCI’s Samueli School of Engineering

Your Anteater engineering class is unique in that you have prevailed over unprecedented diﬃculties brought on by the pandemic The completion of your engineering degree is a testament to your resilience, as well as your agility, hard work and fortitude I have no doubt that your experience at UCI will provide you with the knowledge, skills and leadership that you will need to impact and beneﬁt society in countless

ways

Unfortunately, we cannot celebrate your achievements in person this year But I want you to know that we are very proud of you and have every conﬁdence in your continued success As you move forward in your career, I encourage you to do the following: maintain our values and dedication to excellence and lifelong learning, commit to truth and fairness, and remember to embrace diversity and individual diﬀerences As the newest graduating class of the Samueli School, I hope you stay connected through our Engineering Alumni Society, as well as the UCI Alumni