Janay Williams
Janay Williams is a first-year J.D. candidate at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law. She graduated from UCLA in 2016 with a Bachelors of Science in Biology. Throughout her undergraduate career at UCLA, Janay served as the Chairperson of the Afrikan Student Union, and was a director in the USAC office of President, External Vice President, and Academic Affairs Commission. Prior to joining ASUCLA BOD, she served as both a graduate and undergraduate student representative for the UCLA Student Fee Advisory Committee. More recently, Janay also acted as a first-year representative for the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and is currently the Alumni Relations Coordinator for BLSA. Janay is a Keker, Van Nest, and Peters 2020 Diversity Scholar, UCLA Graduate Student Opportunity Fellow, Class of 2018 Scholarship Recipient, and spent her first summer after law school as a legal intern at Apple, Inc. Prior to law school, she spent two years working as a public high school biology and chemistry teacher in Southern California, which motivated her to pursue a legal career focusing on technology and business. Janay is excited to bring her passion for UCLA students, and her experience as a law student to the ASUCLA Board of Directors in her two-year appointment.
Jazz Kiang
Jazz Kiang is a Ph.D. student in the Higher Education & Organizational Change program at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. For over seven years, Jazz has served on and chaired numerous campus and UC-wide committees, including UCLA’s Student Fee Advisory Committee and the UC Council on Student Fees. Through working groups and other appointed roles, Jazz has advised members of the UC Board of Regents, leaders of the Academic Senate, and administrators of both UCLA and the UC Office of the President regarding budgetary planning, student services, and diversity initiatives.
With a coalition of students, faculty, and administrators in 2014, Jazz spearheaded the final campaign to implement UCLA’s undergraduate Diversity Requirement—a curricular change passed by the Academic Senate that required three decades of student advocacy. In 2016, Jazz co-authored the Social Justice Referendum—a student fee ballot measure approved by undergraduates that generates $2.5 million+ annually for student services at UCLA.
Jazz’s current research explores how public universities are financed and governed, with a specific focus on how students design tuition/fee policies to generate revenue for initiatives they deem important. A “triple Bruin,” Jazz previously received both his M.A. in Higher Education & Organizational Change and B.A. in Asian American Studies from UCLA.
Zeyna Faucette
I am rising third-year student pursuing a degree in African American Studies with a minor in Public Affairs.
Throughout my time at UCLA I have been involved in the Afrikan Student Union, serving as the CoDirector of Internal Public Relations, the Academic Affairs Commission serving as the CoDirector of Access and Equity, and worked for UCLA Athletics and the Black Community Center.
I am extremely passionate about providing resources to all students to ensure their success at UCLA and to make sure student voices are heard and taken seriously.
Janay Williams
Janay Williams is a first-year J.D. candidate at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law. She graduated from UCLA in 2016 with a Bachelors of Science in Biology. Throughout her undergraduate career at UCLA, Janay served as the Chairperson of the Afrikan Student Union, and was a director in the USAC office of President, External Vice President, and Academic Affairs Commission. Prior to joining ASUCLA BOD, she served as both a graduate and undergraduate student representative for the UCLA Student Fee Advisory Committee. More recently, Janay also acted as a first-year representative for the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and is currently the Alumni Relations Coordinator for BLSA. Janay is a Keker, Van Nest, and Peters 2020 Diversity Scholar, UCLA Graduate Student Opportunity Fellow, Class of 2018 Scholarship Recipient, and spent her first summer after law school as a legal intern at Apple, Inc. Prior to law school, she spent two years working as a public high school biology and chemistry teacher in Southern California, which motivated her to pursue a legal career focusing on technology and business. Janay is excited to bring her passion for UCLA students, and her experience as a law student to the ASUCLA Board of Directors in her two-year appointment.
Jazz Kiang
Jazz Kiang is a Ph.D. student in the Higher Education & Organizational Change program at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. For over seven years, Jazz has served on and chaired numerous campus and UC-wide committees, including UCLA’s Student Fee Advisory Committee and the UC Council on Student Fees. Through working groups and other appointed roles, Jazz has advised members of the UC Board of Regents, leaders of the Academic Senate, and administrators of both UCLA and the UC Office of the President regarding budgetary planning, student services, and diversity initiatives.
With a coalition of students, faculty, and administrators in 2014, Jazz spearheaded the final campaign to implement UCLA’s undergraduate Diversity Requirement—a curricular change passed by the Academic Senate that required three decades of student advocacy. In 2016, Jazz co-authored the Social Justice Referendum—a student fee ballot measure approved by undergraduates that generates $2.5 million+ annually for student services at UCLA.
Jazz’s current research explores how public universities are financed and governed, with a specific focus on how students design tuition/fee policies to generate revenue for initiatives they deem important. A “triple Bruin,” Jazz previously received both his M.A. in Higher Education & Organizational Change and B.A. in Asian American Studies from UCLA.
Zeyna Faucette
I am rising third-year student pursuing a degree in African American Studies with a minor in Public Affairs.
Throughout my time at UCLA I have been involved in the Afrikan Student Union, serving as the CoDirector of Internal Public Relations, the Academic Affairs Commission serving as the CoDirector of Access and Equity, and worked for UCLA Athletics and the Black Community Center.
I am extremely passionate about providing resources to all students to ensure their success at UCLA and to make sure student voices are heard and taken seriously.
Arsh Gupta
As the Student Advocacy Partnership Director in USAC, Arsh resolved operational and financial issues facing student clubs and organizations by facilitating funding literacy workshops. In OCHC, as the first elected National Communications Coordinator, he strengthened UCLA’s network and relations on regional and national levels and increased representation on those platforms. Through these experiences, he has been able to better understand the system of shared governance and realize the stake that students and student voices hold in such spaces.
As the Vice President for HART, he had the opportunity to improve mental health accessibility and in a similar vein, as a Board member, hopes to advance ASUCLA’s position as a leader of change by emphasizing the importance of social responsibility. He will also be serving as a Resident Assistant with UCLA Residential Life this year.
Arsh is passionate about increasing accessibility and envisions fostering a greater engagement across all constituents of ASUCLA during his term on the Board of Directors. He strongly believes that the organization’s autonomy and student representation are its greatest strengths and is excited to use his experience in increasing ASUCLA’s presence on campus and strengthening its various business partnerships.
Steven Moran
Steven is a 4th year PhD Student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research focuses on designing mixed-signal neuromorphic computing architectures for accelerating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) computation. Steven has previously served as the President of the Engineering Graduate Student Association (EGSA), the Chair of the IEEE EDS/EPS Joint Student Chapter at UCLA, and is currently serving as the Vice-President of the Electrical & Computer Engineering Graduate and PostDoc Society (ECEGAPS) at UCLA.
Steven also earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Electrical & Computer Engineering at UCLA and was a recipient of the UCLA Electrical Engineering Department Fellowship in 2016. Throughout his tenure as a student at UCLA, he has been heavily involved in a large number of student organizations including EGSA, GradSWE, GSA Forum, ECEGAPS, Building Engineers and Mentors (BEAM), and various mentorship programs.
Frank Wada
Frank Wada entered the student affairs professional over 20 years ago for one purpose: to help students successfully achieve their personal and professional higher education goals. He arrived at UCLA in 2011 to serve as the University Registrar and added Executive Director Responsibilities in 2014. Previously, Frank has held campus leadership roles at UC Davis, San José State University, and Menlo College. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and sociology from San José State University, a master’s degree in education from UCLA, and is in progress to finish a doctorate degree in education from UC Davis.
Arsh Gupta
As the Student Advocacy Partnership Director in USAC, Arsh resolved operational and financial issues facing student clubs and organizations by facilitating funding literacy workshops. In OCHC, as the first elected National Communications Coordinator, he strengthened UCLA’s network and relations on regional and national levels and increased representation on those platforms. Through these experiences, he has been able to better understand the system of shared governance and realize the stake that students and student voices hold in such spaces.
As the Vice President for HART, he had the opportunity to improve mental health accessibility and in a similar vein, as a Board member, hopes to advance ASUCLA’s position as a leader of change by emphasizing the importance of social responsibility. He will also be serving as a Resident Assistant with UCLA Residential Life this year.
Arsh is passionate about increasing accessibility and envisions fostering a greater engagement across all constituents of ASUCLA during his term on the Board of Directors. He strongly believes that the organization’s autonomy and student representation are its greatest strengths and is excited to use his experience in increasing ASUCLA’s presence on campus and strengthening its various business partnerships.
Steven Moran
Steven is a 4th year PhD Student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research focuses on designing mixed-signal neuromorphic computing architectures for accelerating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) computation. Steven has previously served as the President of the Engineering Graduate Student Association (EGSA), the Chair of the IEEE EDS/EPS Joint Student Chapter at UCLA, and is currently serving as the Vice-President of the Electrical & Computer Engineering Graduate and PostDoc Society (ECEGAPS) at UCLA.
Steven also earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Electrical & Computer Engineering at UCLA and was a recipient of the UCLA Electrical Engineering Department Fellowship in 2016. Throughout his tenure as a student at UCLA, he has been heavily involved in a large number of student organizations including EGSA, GradSWE, GSA Forum, ECEGAPS, Building Engineers and Mentors (BEAM), and various mentorship programs.
Frank Wada
Frank Wada entered the student affairs professional over 20 years ago for one purpose: to help students successfully achieve their personal and professional higher education goals. He arrived at UCLA in 2011 to serve as the University Registrar and added Executive Director Responsibilities in 2014. Previously, Frank has held campus leadership roles at UC Davis, San José State University, and Menlo College. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and sociology from San José State University, a master’s degree in education from UCLA, and is in progress to finish a doctorate degree in education from UC Davis.
Wudia Kamara
Wudia Kamara (she/her/hers) is a rising third year pursuing a double major in Economics and International Development Studies. She values student community engagement and thus, has had the honor of being a part of diverse spaces on campus.
As a Bruin Resource Center Student Leadership Board Member,Wudia engaged with fellow student leaders in discussing advocacy points for improved and equitable resources for the diverse community of students represented within the center, especially for students that have been historically marginalized. In the UCLA Academic Senate, she served as the General Education and Governance Committee Student Representative, through which she was able to present student perspectives on improving the UCLA General Education (GE) Curriculum, as well as reviewing GE courses. Most importantly, through her role as a tutor, team leader and mentor at BruinCorps, Wudia has had the opportunity to mentor elementary and middle school students in Los Angeles Title 1 Schoolsto help explore their academic potential and gain awareness about higher educational resources.
hese experiences among several others have cultivated Wudia’s passion for student advocacy and community care, which she is excited to further through her role as a first year on the ASUCLA Board of Directors.
Selina Martin
Selina comes to UCLA with almost 15 years at the University of Iowa, where she most recently served as University Controller. Prior to her experience in Higher Education, Selina worked in finance & accounting at Michael Foods (Minneapolis) and Pearson Education (Iowa City). As University Controller, she was a member of the Big 10 Controllers group and actively engaged with NACUBO & CACUBO (National/Central Association of College & University Business Officers).
Selina is a proud American immigrant who was born in Bangladesh and moved to the United States at the age of seven. Her values and work ethic have been shaped by her parents who prioritized education above all else. Selina earned her BS in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin, her MBA from the University of Minnesota and is a CMA (Certified Management Accountant). She and her husband Michael have two sons in college – Russell, a graduate student at Stanford and Elliott, a junior at the University of Iowa. For the last three years, Selina has served on the board of the UI Center for Human Rights and she is a strong supporter of local and national charities & foundations. Selina’s active support of her community makes her uniquely suited for UCLA and our mission of education, research and public service.
As Controller, Selina will provide leadership, direction and management of UCLA’s financial accounting and controls functions. She will work to establish controls, processes, policies, and procedures, and will work closely with me, UCLA leadership and UC leadership as appropriate.
Megan Vergel del Dios
Megan served as the Financial Coordinator for the Pilipino Recruitment and Enrichment Program, where she volunteered for outreach events for students in Historic Filipinotown. She is Samahang Pilipino’s Financial Coordinator for the 2021-2022 year after learning about her identity through the Pilipinx Leadership Internship Program, where she also learned about the history of marginalized students at UCLA and saw the empowerment and passion that comes with advocating for these students. She was also a staff member for the USAC Internal Vice President office, where she coordinated professional development workshops and resources for the student body.
These spaces have allowed Megan to grow and serve the communities she holds close to her heart, and she hopes to continue to do the same through her position on the ASUCLA Board of Directors. She is passionate about community empowerment and is humbly excited to uplift student voices and advocate for their needs during her time on Board.
Wudia Kamara
Wudia Kamara (she/her/hers) is a rising third year pursuing a double major in Economics and International Development Studies. She values student community engagement and thus, has had the honor of being a part of diverse spaces on campus.
As a Bruin Resource Center Student Leadership Board Member,Wudia engaged with fellow student leaders in discussing advocacy points for improved and equitable resources for the diverse community of students represented within the center, especially for students that have been historically marginalized. In the UCLA Academic Senate, she served as the General Education and Governance Committee Student Representative, through which she was able to present student perspectives on improving the UCLA General Education (GE) Curriculum, as well as reviewing GE courses. Most importantly, through her role as a tutor, team leader and mentor at BruinCorps, Wudia has had the opportunity to mentor elementary and middle school students in Los Angeles Title 1 Schoolsto help explore their academic potential and gain awareness about higher educational resources.
hese experiences among several others have cultivated Wudia’s passion for student advocacy and community care, which she is excited to further through her role as a first year on the ASUCLA Board of Directors.
Selina Martin
Selina comes to UCLA with almost 15 years at the University of Iowa, where she most recently served as University Controller. Prior to her experience in Higher Education, Selina worked in finance & accounting at Michael Foods (Minneapolis) and Pearson Education (Iowa City). As University Controller, she was a member of the Big 10 Controllers group and actively engaged with NACUBO & CACUBO (National/Central Association of College & University Business Officers).
Selina is a proud American immigrant who was born in Bangladesh and moved to the United States at the age of seven. Her values and work ethic have been shaped by her parents who prioritized education above all else. Selina earned her BS in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin, her MBA from the University of Minnesota and is a CMA (Certified Management Accountant). She and her husband Michael have two sons in college – Russell, a graduate student at Stanford and Elliott, a junior at the University of Iowa. For the last three years, Selina has served on the board of the UI Center for Human Rights and she is a strong supporter of local and national charities & foundations. Selina’s active support of her community makes her uniquely suited for UCLA and our mission of education, research and public service.
As Controller, Selina will provide leadership, direction and management of UCLA’s financial accounting and controls functions. She will work to establish controls, processes, policies, and procedures, and will work closely with me, UCLA leadership and UC leadership as appropriate.
Megan Vergel del Dios
Megan served as the Financial Coordinator for the Pilipino Recruitment and Enrichment Program, where she volunteered for outreach events for students in Historic Filipinotown. She is Samahang Pilipino’s Financial Coordinator for the 2021-2022 year after learning about her identity through the Pilipinx Leadership Internship Program, where she also learned about the history of marginalized students at UCLA and saw the empowerment and passion that comes with advocating for these students. She was also a staff member for the USAC Internal Vice President office, where she coordinated professional development workshops and resources for the student body.
These spaces have allowed Megan to grow and serve the communities she holds close to her heart, and she hopes to continue to do the same through her position on the ASUCLA Board of Directors. She is passionate about community empowerment and is humbly excited to uplift student voices and advocate for their needs during her time on Board.
Avanidhar (Subra) Subrahmanyam
Professor of Finance Avanidhar (Subra) Subrahmanyam (Ph.D. ’90) is an expert in stock market activity and behavioral finance. He is known for his pathbreaking research in the use of psychological principles to explain stock price movements and has published numerous articles in leading peer-reviewed finance and economics journals.
Appearing frequently in the media, Subrahmanyam is consulted for his expertise on the superior performance of value stocks and the phenomenon of stock market momentum to analyze spikes in gasoline prices, herd-like behavior around Apple stock, uncertainty in everyday use of the bitcoin crypto-currency and the effects of war on the stock market.
Subrahmanyam’s current research interests range from the relationship between the trading environment of a firm’s stock and the firm’s cost of capital to behavioral theories for asset price behavior and empirical determinants of the cross-section of equity returns. “We need to accept that humans are governed by a number of non-rational considerations,” he says in relation to investing behaviors. “An investor may be reluctant to admit an erroneous investment decision, which may prevent correction of over-heated stock market valuations. Academic research has indicated to investors that irrational investing can cause a significant loss of wealth.”
Subrahmanyam has served as a consultant to the Nasdaq Stock Market, the National Stock Exchange in Mumbai, India, San Jose Mercury News and Irwin/McGraw-Hill. He is a UCLA Anderson Inspirational 100 alumnus.
A founding editor of the Journal of Financial Markets, Subrahmanyam previously served as associate editor of the Review of Financial Studies and the Journal of Finance. He is a member of the National Bureau of Economic Research’s Working Research Group on Market Microstructure.
His scholarly efforts have been recognized with best paper awards at the Western Finance Association meetings and the International Conference of Finance in Taiwan, and he was honored with the Smith Breeden Prize for the best paper published in the Journal of Finance (1999). His documentation of market liquidity led to a number of studies analyzing why trading costs fluctuate over time and earned him the Fama-DFA prize for the best paper on investments published in the Journal of Financial Economics (2000).
Felicia Graham
Felicia is a Ph.D. student in Social Science & Comparative Education at UCLA’s School of Education & Information Studies, where her scholarship and teaching focus on Civics Education and Engagement, and Global Decolonizing Curriculum movements in LA and beyond. Prior to joining UCLA Felicia taught Global Studies to high school youth in Los Angeles. She has also worked with the International Rescue Committee’s refugee resettlement and preschool program in San Diego, and as a residential counselor for foster youth at Seneca Center in San Francisco.
Her current research aims to engage youth in a social, political, and economic critique of Social Science curricular standards in California, and to become engaged advocates for a culturally, historically and politically responsive education based on human dignity and earthly respect, and rooted in the practice of love. Felicia received her Master’s degree in Global and International Studies from UC Santa Barbara and she received her BA in Political Science and History from UC San Diego.
Johnathan Franklin
Johnathan Franklin is a Los Angeles native heading into his 6th season for the Los Angeles Rams as the Director of Social Justice and Football Development. Franklin describes his role as using the power of football as a platform to address education inequities, youth justice and reassure that all community members can rise to prosperity while providing hope where it does not exist and maintaining it where it does.
Franklin is currently enrolled in the Stanford-NFL League of Leaders Program at Stanford Graduate School of Business. This executive program currently focuses on leadership development, strategic project development, business acumen, and design thinking. Franklin also serves as a Greater Conejo Valley Chamber Board Member, and in 2019 was selected as a recipient for the Conejo Valley 40 under 40 award. Franklin was also recently named the 2020 UCLA Alumnus of the Year.
Since 2018, Franklin has partnered with United States Congressman Tony Cardenas hosting Manufacturing Speaking Tours for over 1,000 community members and manufacturing companies within the San Fernando Valley to bring awareness and progression to the current job field. Franklin has also joined United States Senator Alex Padilla to host Voter Registration Tours at several high schools in Southern California to encourage high school students to register to vote.
In 2018, Franklin co-hosted with Jim Hill live on CBS for all the Rams Pre-Season NFL Games in 2018 and joined the Post-Game CBS segment for Superbowl 53. Franklin is a Southern California Leadership Networking Class graduate created through the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Through this class, Franklin expanded his understanding of the increasingly complex and dynamic sectors of Los Angeles through Law and Government. Prior to joining the Los Angeles Rams, Franklin worked at the University of Notre Dame in Student Welfare and Development. Before Notre Dame, Franklin had a short stint in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers and served in a rotational program after retirement. Franklin attended UCLA, where he majored in political science, graduated in honors, and became a recipient of UCLA Chancellor’s Marshall Award. Franklin interned with former Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa and was invited to be the keynote speaker at the Los Angeles Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast during Villaraigosa’s final term. Franklin also had a standout athletic career at UCLA – he still leads the Bruins in all-purpose and career rushing yards, along with having the 7th most career rushing yards in Pac 12 history.
Avanidhar (Subra) Subrahmanyam
Professor of Finance Avanidhar (Subra) Subrahmanyam (Ph.D. ’90) is an expert in stock market activity and behavioral finance. He is known for his pathbreaking research in the use of psychological principles to explain stock price movements and has published numerous articles in leading peer-reviewed finance and economics journals.
Appearing frequently in the media, Subrahmanyam is consulted for his expertise on the superior performance of value stocks and the phenomenon of stock market momentum to analyze spikes in gasoline prices, herd-like behavior around Apple stock, uncertainty in everyday use of the bitcoin crypto-currency and the effects of war on the stock market.
Subrahmanyam’s current research interests range from the relationship between the trading environment of a firm’s stock and the firm’s cost of capital to behavioral theories for asset price behavior and empirical determinants of the cross-section of equity returns. “We need to accept that humans are governed by a number of non-rational considerations,” he says in relation to investing behaviors. “An investor may be reluctant to admit an erroneous investment decision, which may prevent correction of over-heated stock market valuations. Academic research has indicated to investors that irrational investing can cause a significant loss of wealth.”
Subrahmanyam has served as a consultant to the Nasdaq Stock Market, the National Stock Exchange in Mumbai, India, San Jose Mercury News and Irwin/McGraw-Hill. He is a UCLA Anderson Inspirational 100 alumnus.
A founding editor of the Journal of Financial Markets, Subrahmanyam previously served as associate editor of the Review of Financial Studies and the Journal of Finance. He is a member of the National Bureau of Economic Research’s Working Research Group on Market Microstructure.
His scholarly efforts have been recognized with best paper awards at the Western Finance Association meetings and the International Conference of Finance in Taiwan, and he was honored with the Smith Breeden Prize for the best paper published in the Journal of Finance (1999). His documentation of market liquidity led to a number of studies analyzing why trading costs fluctuate over time and earned him the Fama-DFA prize for the best paper on investments published in the Journal of Financial Economics (2000).
Felicia Graham
Felicia is a Ph.D. student in Social Science & Comparative Education at UCLA’s School of Education & Information Studies, where her scholarship and teaching focus on Civics Education and Engagement, and Global Decolonizing Curriculum movements in LA and beyond. Prior to joining UCLA Felicia taught Global Studies to high school youth in Los Angeles. She has also worked with the International Rescue Committee’s refugee resettlement and preschool program in San Diego, and as a residential counselor for foster youth at Seneca Center in San Francisco.
Her current research aims to engage youth in a social, political, and economic critique of Social Science curricular standards in California, and to become engaged advocates for a culturally, historically and politically responsive education based on human dignity and earthly respect, and rooted in the practice of love. Felicia received her Master’s degree in Global and International Studies from UC Santa Barbara and she received her BA in Political Science and History from UC San Diego.
Johnathan Franklin
Johnathan Franklin is a Los Angeles native heading into his 6th season for the Los Angeles Rams as the Director of Social Justice and Football Development. Franklin describes his role as using the power of football as a platform to address education inequities, youth justice and reassure that all community members can rise to prosperity while providing hope where it does not exist and maintaining it where it does.
Franklin is currently enrolled in the Stanford-NFL League of Leaders Program at Stanford Graduate School of Business. This executive program currently focuses on leadership development, strategic project development, business acumen, and design thinking. Franklin also serves as a Greater Conejo Valley Chamber Board Member, and in 2019 was selected as a recipient for the Conejo Valley 40 under 40 award. Franklin was also recently named the 2020 UCLA Alumnus of the Year.
Since 2018, Franklin has partnered with United States Congressman Tony Cardenas hosting Manufacturing Speaking Tours for over 1,000 community members and manufacturing companies within the San Fernando Valley to bring awareness and progression to the current job field. Franklin has also joined United States Senator Alex Padilla to host Voter Registration Tours at several high schools in Southern California to encourage high school students to register to vote.
In 2018, Franklin co-hosted with Jim Hill live on CBS for all the Rams Pre-Season NFL Games in 2018 and joined the Post-Game CBS segment for Superbowl 53. Franklin is a Southern California Leadership Networking Class graduate created through the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Through this class, Franklin expanded his understanding of the increasingly complex and dynamic sectors of Los Angeles through Law and Government. Prior to joining the Los Angeles Rams, Franklin worked at the University of Notre Dame in Student Welfare and Development. Before Notre Dame, Franklin had a short stint in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers and served in a rotational program after retirement. Franklin attended UCLA, where he majored in political science, graduated in honors, and became a recipient of UCLA Chancellor’s Marshall Award. Franklin interned with former Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa and was invited to be the keynote speaker at the Los Angeles Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast during Villaraigosa’s final term. Franklin also had a standout athletic career at UCLA – he still leads the Bruins in all-purpose and career rushing yards, along with having the 7th most career rushing yards in Pac 12 history.
Octavio Navarro
Octavio Navarro is a veteran bilingual automotive executive with national and international experience. He has extensive experience in marketing/advertising, media relations, strategic planning and integrated marketing.
Octavio is currently the Senior Diversity marketing manager for Kia America where he oversees multicultural marketing. Prior to joining Kia, Octavio was the CMO of Autoproyecto, the largest Spanish-language automotive website in the United States. He has also worked for Hill+Knowlton Strategies and Ford Motor Company.
Octavio holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan (1996) and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Chicano Studies from UCLA (1994).
He has a passion for cars, motorcycles, electronics, movies, and his family. He currently lives in Eastvale, CA.
He hopes to bring his 23 years of experience working for fortune 500 companies to the Associated Students of UCLA.
Pouria Abbassi, P.E.
Pouria Abbassi has been the CEO of large companies in three distinct industries – hospitality, health care, and higher education. In each capacity, he has led organizations through business and cultural transformations to unprecedented results while giving back to the communities they serve.
In 2018, Pouria rejoined his alma mater as the CEO and Executive Director of the Associated Students UCLA (ASUCLA), the largest organization of its kind in the world. Pouria leverages his executive experience and his passion for “all things Bruin” to work with the ASUCLA Board of Directors, its 1,800+ family of employees, campus partners, and other stakeholders. In doing so, Pouria leads ASUCLA to serve the student body through a multifaceted set of businesses and on-campus services and extend the UCLA brand globally through operations in over 100 countries. Pouria has previously led four mental and behavioral health companies amid health care reforms (ACA) through 17 facilities as the President of the Phoenix Houses of California, Inc. (PHC). Prior to PHC, he was the CEO of Los Angeles Convention Center, leading the sports and entertainment district’s unprecedented development and revitalization of Downtown LA’s South Park area. In prior capacities, Pouria has led teams in project engineering, debt financing, financial modeling, environmental analysis, and information technology implementation. He also has done research and published in the areas of cryogenics and high-temperature superconductivity.
A registered mechanical engineer in the State of California and a graduate of UCLA School of Engineering and UCLA Anderson School of Management/Executive Management program, Pouria sits on various boards, including the Los Angeles Business Council, Providence Hospital Foundation Board of Governors, Beyond Vision Music Foundation, PAAIA/IA 100, and the Norooz Celebration Foundation. He also works with various other community organizations, including PARS Equality Center, KCIS, and Farhang Foundation. Pouria is also an active member of the Pacific Council on International Policy and is engaged with various policy and think tank groups at local and national levels. Pouria frequently gives presentations on leadership to student groups and mentors young professionals in their careers. Among more than 30 community, business, and service awards, Pouria has also been awarded the 2020 Ellis Island Medal of Honor, in recognition of his contributions towards the betterment of all the communities he has served throughout his distinguished career. Pouria lives in Los Angeles with his wife, whom he met when they were both studying at UCLA, and their two children.
Johnathan Franklin
Johnathan Franklin is a Los Angeles native heading into his 6th season for the Los Angeles Rams as the Director of Social Justice and Football Development. Franklin describes his role as using the power of football as a platform to address education inequities, youth justice and reassure that all community members can rise to prosperity while providing hope where it does not exist and maintaining it where it does.
Franklin is currently enrolled in the Stanford-NFL League of Leaders Program at Stanford Graduate School of Business. This executive program currently focuses on leadership development, strategic project development, business acumen, and design thinking. Franklin also serves as a Greater Conejo Valley Chamber Board Member, and in 2019 was selected as a recipient for the Conejo Valley 40 under 40 award. Franklin was also recently named the 2020 UCLA Alumnus of the Year.
Since 2018, Franklin has partnered with United States Congressman Tony Cardenas hosting Manufacturing Speaking Tours for over 1,000 community members and manufacturing companies within the San Fernando Valley to bring awareness and progression to the current job field. Franklin has also joined United States Senator Alex Padilla to host Voter Registration Tours at several high schools in Southern California to encourage high school students to register to vote.
In 2018, Franklin co-hosted with Jim Hill live on CBS for all the Rams Pre-Season NFL Games in 2018 and joined the Post-Game CBS segment for Superbowl 53. Franklin is a Southern California Leadership Networking Class graduate created through the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Through this class, Franklin expanded his understanding of the increasingly complex and dynamic sectors of Los Angeles through Law and Government. Prior to joining the Los Angeles Rams, Franklin worked at the University of Notre Dame in Student Welfare and Development. Before Notre Dame, Franklin had a short stint in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers and served in a rotational program after retirement. Franklin attended UCLA, where he majored in political science, graduated in honors, and became a recipient of UCLA Chancellor’s Marshall Award. Franklin interned with former Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa and was invited to be the keynote speaker at the Los Angeles Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast during Villaraigosa’s final term. Franklin also had a standout athletic career at UCLA – he still leads the Bruins in all-purpose and career rushing yards, along with having the 7th most career rushing yards in Pac 12 history.
Pouria Abbassi, P.E.
Pouria Abbassi has been the CEO of large companies in three distinct industries – hospitality, health care, and higher education. In each capacity, he has led organizations through business and cultural transformations to unprecedented results while giving back to the communities they serve.
In 2018, Pouria rejoined his alma mater as the CEO and Executive Director of the Associated Students UCLA (ASUCLA), the largest organization of its kind in the world. Pouria leverages his executive experience and his passion for “all things Bruin” to work with the ASUCLA Board of Directors, its 1,800+ family of employees, campus partners, and other stakeholders. In doing so, Pouria leads ASUCLA to serve the student body through a multifaceted set of businesses and on-campus services and extend the UCLA brand globally through operations in over 100 countries. Pouria has previously led four mental and behavioral health companies amid health care reforms (ACA) through 17 facilities as the President of the Phoenix Houses of California, Inc. (PHC). Prior to PHC, he was the CEO of Los Angeles Convention Center, leading the sports and entertainment district’s unprecedented development and revitalization of Downtown LA’s South Park area. In prior capacities, Pouria has led teams in project engineering, debt financing, financial modeling, environmental analysis, and information technology implementation. He also has done research and published in the areas of cryogenics and high-temperature superconductivity.
A registered mechanical engineer in the State of California and a graduate of UCLA School of Engineering and UCLA Anderson School of Management/Executive Management program, Pouria sits on various boards, including the Los Angeles Business Council, Providence Hospital Foundation Board of Governors, Beyond Vision Music Foundation, PAAIA/IA 100, and the Norooz Celebration Foundation. He also works with various other community organizations, including PARS Equality Center, KCIS, and Farhang Foundation. Pouria is also an active member of the Pacific Council on International Policy and is engaged with various policy and think tank groups at local and national levels. Pouria frequently gives presentations on leadership to student groups and mentors young professionals in their careers. Among more than 30 community, business, and service awards, Pouria has also been awarded the 2020 Ellis Island Medal of Honor, in recognition of his contributions towards the betterment of all the communities he has served throughout his distinguished career. Pouria lives in Los Angeles with his wife, whom he met when they were both studying at UCLA, and their two children.