20 Years: Alumni Career Day

Friday, November 17, 2023

Time: 8:30am - 2:00pm

Location: UC Merced, Conference Center - Ballroom

The event is a one-day conference that showcases career pathways of our graduate student alumni. Presenters will share their journey to their professional career, discuss their current role and provide advice to our current students & postdoctoral scholars. This is a great opportunity to learn frrom UC Merced graduate student alumni in both academic and non-academic careers.

Register Here by Friday, November 10, 2023.

Event Schedule:

Speaker Information:

Dr. Kristynn Sullivan, Program Development Director for Central California Alliance for Health (CCAH), holds a PhD in Quantitative Psychology from the University of California, Merced. Her career in public health began at the Merced County Department of Public Health (MCDPH), where she served as an epidemiologist and Accreditation Coordinator, using her quantitative expertise to write the county’s first Community Health Assessment. After MCDPH became accredited in 2019, she became a Department Manager, overseeing COVID-19 operations (inclusive of surveillance, case investigation, outbreak management, testing, vaccination, and stakeholder engagement), epidemiology, communicable diseases and emergency preparedness. In April 2023, she assumed the role of Program Development Director at CCAH, poised to leverage her expertise in research and program development to drive equitable strategic initiatives that address critical healthcare needs in the region.

Dr. Simranjit Grewal is a 2nd year postdoctoral appointee from 1874 working on electrochromic, thermochromics, and electrochemical detection systems. She earned both her Ph.D. and masters at the University of California, Merced in Materials & Biomaterials Science and Engineering. As part of her dissertation she studied energy storage and conversion devices for space applications at NASA in the department of nanoparticles and materials science as a graduate fellow. She received her bachelors in biological sciences with a concentration in genetics, economics with a topic focus in renewable technologies, and physics at Stanislaus State.

Dr. Boe Mendewala is a full-time, tenure-track professor of physics at Los Medanos College in the Contra Costa Community College district. Boe graduated with her PhD in Physics from UC Merced in 2020, and worked as a full-time adjunct professor of physics at Mills College before accepting her role at LMC. Besides teaching physics and astronomy, she is also working on developing a new co-ed athletic program at LMC for ultimate frisbee. As one of the first recipients of DACA in 2012, Boe's career path from the undergraduate level has been completed entirely through DACA, during which she has lobbied for DACA continuation and pathways to citizenship for young undocumented Americans. At LMC, Boe continues to advocate for support for undocumented students on and off campus. When she isn't working with students, her hobbies include crocheting, video games, painting and playing ultimate.

Dr. Tessa Provins is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh.  She earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Merced in 2018. Dr. Provin's primary research interests focus on the design of American political institutions, particularly legislatures, and the value of certain features of institutional designs to actors such as members, parties, and constituents. Her work focuses on the effects of legislative rules and the structure of legislatures on political party strategies and member voting behavior.  As a member of the Choctaw Nation, she also has working research projects investigating the differing legislative structures of Native American Tribal Councils and their effect on intra-tribal, inter-tribal, and government relationships and policy outcomes. Her work is published in the Journal of Politics, the Journal of Public Policy,  and Political Research Quarterly, among others. Her teaching interests include both American politics, race politics, gender politics and quantitative methods.  

Passionate about the realms of robotics engineering, education, and community empowerment, Jose Luis Susa Rincón serves as a R&D Project Manager at Siemens USA. In this pivotal role, he directs his expertise towards the advancement of autonomous machines, artificial intelligence, and robotics. His responsibilities encompass overseeing various internal initiatives dedicated to pioneering cutting-edge technologies in robotics for manufacturing, along with spearheading projects funded by the United States Government through the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute (ARM).

With a breadth of experience extending to diverse domains, Jose Luis has successfully managed projects spanning educational robotics, as well as hardware and software development. In addition to his impactful role at Siemens, he assumes the role of Chief Financial Officer at SEEN, a 501c3 organization committed to fostering empowerment through equitable and representative STEAM education, as well as championing Environmental Justice. Simultaneously, he serves as the Chief Executive Officer of SEEDS, a dynamic startup offering consultancy services in California and the San Joaquin Valley.

At SEEDS, Jose Luis endeavors to make a lasting impact by providing comprehensive solutions in community education (from K-16 to adults), community engagement and advisory services, economic input-output models, data visualization, socioenvironmental analysis, and various other essential topics. His commitment to driving positive change through a multifaceted approach reflects his dedication to shaping a more informed, educated, and empowered society.

For more information or questions about this event please contact us at graduateresources@ucmerced.edu.