February 18, 2025

lascala-agadir

Equality opinion

UC San Diego Goes to Washington

Washington

Image by Erik Jepsen/University Communications

College alumni tapped to provide in the Biden administration

Five University of California San Diego alumni have been nominated or appointed to positions inside of President Joe Biden’s administration, incorporating to a extensive list of university alumni and faculty leaders who have served the country in high-level roles. In addition, one particular alum was tapped to provide as element of an agency evaluation crew for the Biden-Harris transition.

These UC San Diego-connected folks will be involved in the new President’s administration in a variety of ways, implementing Biden’s agenda and driving groundbreaking effects in sectors ranging from education to finance. Some of these significant positions contain freshly produced roles on the Countrywide Stability Council and at the Business of Science and Technology Coverage, as well as the No. 2 posture in the Office of Education. By their operate, every single alum will engage in a very important element in endeavours ranging from controlling the nation’s marriage with Asian countries to defending the rights of folks and entities from illegal discrimination.

“Decisions manufactured at these degrees travel significant improve for our overall country and can impact world wide policies for a long time,” said UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “These 6 Tritons are translating analysis, analytical and collaboration techniques uncovered at UC San Diego into successful paths of civic engagement. Wanting via a lens of fairness, they are collecting information and facts from diverse methods and utilizing inclusive decision-making to tackle the most pressing issues of our time.”

As of March 4, listed here is a record of UC San Diego alumni who have been chosen to serve in the new governing administration:

Stephanie Akpa

Stephanie Akpa B.A. ‘06, Political Science

Appointed senior advisor for the Place of work of Civil Legal rights at the U.S Division of Well being and Human Products and services

Prior to signing up for the U.S. Office of Overall health and Human Products and services, Stephanie Akpa served as chief counsel to Senator Elizabeth Warren, exactly where she led a huge-ranging portfolio that integrated civil legal rights, prison justice, anti-corruption and immigration challenges. Akpa formerly worked as a wellbeing insurance coverage expert at Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and as an Equivalent Justice Performs Fellow and employees attorney at the Authorized Help Society of the District of Columbia. At Authorized Aid, she led a project targeted on making sure obtain to health and fitness treatment for low-profits African American communities in D.C. Akpa was a McNair Scholar at UC San Diego and acquired a Juris Doctorate from Yale Regulation College.


Kurt Campbell

Kurt Campbell B.A. ‘80, Unique Challenge Major

Appointed to the newly established job of coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs at the Nationwide Stability Council

Kurt M. Campbell has been appointed to provide as “Asia Tsar,” President Biden’s coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs on the Countrywide Stability Council. Campbell not long ago served as chairman and chief executive officer of The Asia Team, LLC, a strategic advisory and funds administration team specializing in the dynamic Asia Pacific region. He is also co-founder of the Center for a New American Safety assume tank. From 2009 to 2013, he served as the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, the place he is commonly credited as a crucial architect of the “pivot to Asia.” In 2013, he obtained the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Services Award—the nation’s greatest diplomatic honor.


David Marchick

David Marchick B.A. ‘88, Background

Appointed as main working officer of the U.S. Intercontinental Enhancement Finance Corporation

Longtime UC San Diego Foundation Board Member David Marchick has been appointed to provide as main working officer of the U.S. Worldwide Improvement Finance Corporation (DFC). In this job, he manages company insurance policies, oversees small business operations and coordinates approach and priorities. Marchick previously served as director of the Centre for Presidential Changeover, wherever he worked with the Biden changeover workforce on changeover setting up efforts. He put in 12 years as managing director of The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s most significant investment corporations. He also served in the Clinton Administration, with positions such as deputy assistant secretary of condition for transportation affairs, deputy assistant secretary for trade policy at the State Division and principal deputy assistant secretary of commerce for trade advancement.


Cindy Marten

Cindy Marten M.A. ’95, Education Experiments

Nominated deputy secretary of the Division of Training

Cindy Marten has been nominated for the 2nd-maximum posture in the Department of Training: deputy secretary. Considering that 2013, she has served as superintendent of the San Diego Unified Faculty District, getting been unanimously chosen by the district’s Board of Education. In that function, she directed implementation of the district’s Eyesight 2020 initiative, committing to a meaningful graduation for all college students with the district obtaining the best graduation fee amid significant-town districts in California and the speediest reading through growth of massive city districts nationwide in 2019. “Work tricky. Be form. Desire significant! No excuses,” is Marten’s mantra. Prior to turning into superintendent, she was a classroom teacher for 17 several years.


Alondra Nelson

Alondra Nelson B.A. ’94, Anthropology

Appointed to the newly developed function of deputy director for science and culture at the Business of Science and Engineering Coverage

Alondra Nelson, an specialist and acclaimed creator in the intersection of science, coverage and social inequality, has been named deputy director for science and culture in the Office environment of Science and Technologies Coverage at the White Household. She was earlier the president of the Social Science Analysis Council and Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Sophisticated Analyze in Princeton. She is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Culture, and the National Academy of Medication, and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, amid other roles. She gained her undergraduate diploma at UC San Diego, where by she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.


Melody Gonzales

Melody Gonzales B.A. ‘02, Communication

Served on the company evaluate group for the U.S. Business of Staff Management

Melody Gonzales recently served on the Biden-Harris changeover staff as a member of the company evaluation crew for the U.S. Workplace of Staff Administration. A previous congressional employees member to then-Congressman Xavier Becerra and appointee at the U.S. Section of Labor and Office environment of Personnel Administration in President Barack Obama’s Administration, she is now senior advisor for Latino advocacy at the Nationwide Education and learning Affiliation. Through her numerous roles in the union, nonprofit, campaign and federal sectors, much of her get the job done has been centered on empowering and advancing numerous and frequently marginalized communities. She is also the founder of Hope and Electricity Techniques, an executive management and occupation coaching business enterprise.