Meet the Staff

Staff

Picture of Catelyn Bridges

Catelyn Bridges

  • CCAMPIS Student Parent Mentor GSR

Catelyn is a current doctoral student in the Horticulture and Agronomy Graduate Group. She serves as the CCAMPIS Student Parent Mentor and is also a student parent herself. She is excited to support the CCAMPIS Scholars and the TRC. 

Photo of Tracy Thomas

Tracy Thomas (She/They)

  • Community Counselor, UC Davis Student Health and Counseling Services (position shared with the TRC, VSC, and WRRC)
Office Hours:
To schedule a virtual or in-person appointment with Tracy, please email her at tthomas@ucdavis.edu. She is available Monday - Thursday and is accepting appointments starting at 8:00 a.m. with the last offering at 5:30 p.m.
Marissa Weiss

Marissa Weiss, Ph.D. (She/They)

  • Transfer Retention Specialist
Office Hours:
Marissa is on campus Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays; and is working remotely on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Marissa offers support and advocacy for reentry students (ages 25 and older, with children, married/partnered, returning from a break in school, caregiving for adult family members).  

Student Assistants

Picture of Ellah

Ellah Allen

  • Peer Advisor, 2023-2024

Hi, my name is Ellah Allen and I am a third year transfer student with a major in Psychology. I transferred from Solano Community College in Fairfield, CA. I am also a Pre-Med student and hope to pursue a career in the medical field after my time at UC Davis. My future goal is to become a person who can provide utmost care and diligence to my patients. I would love to work with women and children and further advocate for their rights and education.

Campus involvement: Currently I am involved in an on campus ministry called Davis Christian Fellowship. I also have had the opportunity to be involved in a student run clinic called Clínica Tepati that provides free healthcare for the underserved Latino communities in Sacramento. The global learning hub has become a frequent place for me as I plan to study abroad in the Summer of 2023 to Ghana. There I will volunteer at a local Pediatric hospital for 5 weeks learning about the increased rate of childhood morbidity. Along with the TRC, I hope to get more involved within campus this upcoming year.

Hobbies: My hobbies include going on walks, painting, and watching movies. I consider myself a foodie and love to try different foods any chance I get. My favorite food is sushi and I love a good bagel. Reading and writing are some of my go to activities that I wish I could do more of, now with my busy schedule. But hanging out with friends and family also makes me the happiest.

Advice for Transfer/Reentry Students: A piece of advice I would like to share is to continue to be yourself and be open to new possibilities. Coming to a university with many different people and cultures will be eye opening within itself but in this you will find who you really are. You will be amazed at the growth you may see in yourself by meeting new people, making new friends, and creating new habits. You can accomplish big things with the person you are today and you don't have to change to do that. Embrace the challenges of being a new student and be open to new experiences and indifferences, it's what will make you a better you ;).

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Joyan Cyrus

  • Peer Advisor, 2023-2024

I am a senior student studying Psychology and Sociology, with a goal of becoming a research social psychologist to make a meaningful contribution to the scientific community and positively impact the common good.

Campus Involvement: I am a McNair Scholar and the program has been a vital support and resource for my academic research. It has equipped me with essential skills for pursuing my honors thesis and independent research projects, positioning me as a competitive candidate for doctoral studies.

Hobbies: I enjoy exploring Golden Age Hollywood and Krzysztof Kieslowski films. I find inspiration in the work of authors like Barrington Moore Jr., Simone de Beauvoir, W.E.B. Du Bois, Howard Zinn, Daniel Dennett, and Zadie Smith. I also appreciate hiking, exploring various herbal teas, and engaging in meaningful conversations.

Advice for Transfer/Reentry Students: In my opinion, exploring and utilizing campus resources is the first step towards securing and enhancing your academic and personal achievements.

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Subhiksha (Suba) Kanchadapu

  • Peer Advisor, 2023-2024

I am Subhiksha (Suba) Kanchadapu. I am a senior majoring in Computer science and psychology at UC Davis. I transferred from Diablo Valley College in the Fall of 2021.

Campus involvement: My drive to attain a sense of belonging has enabled me to participate in several on-campus programs. I have been involved in the University Honors Program, Regents Scholars Society, AvenueE, Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society, and EQUIP. Previously, I was also a part of the Center for Leadership Learning and earned a leadership certificate in 2022. Recently, I finished my time as a mentor for the Global Ambassador Mentorship Program. Starting Fall, I will also work as the student outreach ambassador for the Transfer Opportunity Program at UC Davis.

Hobbies: I enjoy watching Korean dramas, listening to K-pop, spending time with family and friends, window shopping, and exploring food.

Advice for Transfer/Reentry Students: I advise students to ask questions and reach out to campus resources without hesitation! Also, I suggest getting involved in various campus programs as much as possible. The huge campus environment can be intimidating, so finding your community can help you gain a sense of belonging.

Picture of Juliene with her children Lucas and Luna

Juliene Obusan

  • Reentry Peer Advisor, 2023-2024

I’m a third-year Global Disease Biology Major but I have been at UC Davis since my Freshman year in 2014. I took a long break to start a family and returned to school in Fall 2022 as a reentry and student parent.

Campus Involvement: I am an Emergency Medicine Research Associate at the UC Davis Medical Center helping screen patients and enroll them in ongoing research conducted by UC Davis. I am very passionate about Emergency medicine and am also a registered EMT and an alumni of the UC Davis Fire Department EMT program.

Hobbies: I enjoy the great outdoors, and my hobbies include hiking, camping, and landscape photography. I also recently started doing more portrait photography in my free time.

Advice for Transfer/Reentry Students: My advice for Transfer and Reentry students is to seek out different resources available on campus early on. There are plenty of resources and people to help you succeed in any path you choose to take but it’s up to you to make the most out of it. Remember that there’s a great community of advisors and peer advisors behind you to support and cheer you on.