Grad Alumni Ambassadors

Grad Alumni Ambassadors

Grad Alumni Ambassadors are UNLV graduate degree holders who work with the Graduate College to help represent the graduate alumni body. Goals include building a strong graduate alumni community; working with the Graduate College to extend mentorship and professional development opportunities to current students; and strengthening ties between the Graduate College, alumni, and our broader community members.

Maria Aladjova

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Maria was recruited to join the UNLV Rebels Volleyball team. While at UNLV, she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Master’s of Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Maria was awarded the UNLV Graduate College Medallion for serving as a graduate ambassador representing the UNLV Graduate College in addition to obtaining mentorship and teaching certificates. Maria also completed the Post-…

Omar Anderson

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Omar Anderson is an IT auditor and digital accelerator at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and has experience working on Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) and Information Technology General Controls (ITGCs) audits across the banking, capital markets, and health industries. Omar moved to Las Vegas from Los Angeles in 2016 and pursued and completed his master’s degree at UNLV in Management Information Systems (MIS…

Kavita Batra, PhD, MPH, BDS, FRSPH

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Kavita Batra, Ph.D., MPH, BDS, FRSPH, is an assistant professor and senior medical research biostatistician with the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV. She provides statistical and research training to faculty, residents, fellows, and medical students within the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV. Additionally, she collaborates with other schools across campus to perform…

Bree Boppre

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Breanna Boppre, Ph.D. was the first to graduate from UNLV's Criminology and Criminal Justice doctoral program in 2018. She was recognized as an Outstanding Graduate from UNLV. She is now an assistant professor of criminal justice at Wichita State University in Kansas. Her research examines correctional policies, women and youth system-involvement, and the impacts of incarceration on families. Her…

Celeste Calkins

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Celeste is an institutional research data analyst in the Office of Decision Support at UNLV. One of the primary aims of her role is to collaborate on research projects that have institutional implications, resulting in solutions to support the success of students, faculty, and staff, and that further the institutional mission. Celeste began her time at UNLV in fall 2014, moving to Las Vegas from…

Denise Cook

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Cook is a survey statistician with the U.S. Census Bureau in Washington, DC. In her current role, she facilitated the development of over 142, 2020 Decennial Census reports. In addition to certificates in nonprofit management, public management, teaching, and research; she is a statistician by training and received a B.A. from California State University, Sacramento earning the…

Patrick Daleiden

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Patrick is a 2020 Ph.D. graduate from the UNLV Department of Computer Science. During his six years at UNLV he worked as a graduate assistant in Andreas Stefik’s Software Development and Media Lab. His research work included developing accessible software libraries for the blind and visually impaired community, running human subjects trials on how people write software (particularly for high…

Jessica DeBerardinis

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Jessica DeBerardinis currently works for Ultramet as a research engineer and at California State University - Los Angeles as an instructor. She has experience in materials analysis, including refractory metals, ceramics, and biological tissues, and enjoys designing material solutions for extreme and unique environments. She completed her Ph.D. at UNLV in mechanical engineering, winning Best…

Katelyn DiBenedetto, Ph.D.

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Katelyn DiBenedetto is a research analyst at the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP),where she is a member of the policy research team. Her research interests include college access and affordability and federal higher education policy. Prior to joining IHEP, DiBenedetto was a postdoctoral scholar with UNLV's Graduate College. As a postdoc, she had the opportunity to help build,…

Christine Draper, Ph.D.

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Christine Draper is an Instructional Designer in the Office of Online Education. Prior to joining UNLV Christine was an Associate Professor of Education at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA from 2007-2017 where she supervised field placements and taught courses in teacher education, literacy, children’s and young adult literature, literature and writing, integrated curriculum, and…

Jeff Eggleston

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Jeff Eggleston is an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Texas at El Paso, joining the department in fall 2018. Eggleston completed his Ph.D. at UNLV in interdisciplinary health sciences, with a focus in biomechanics. Eggleston’s primary research interest include lower extremity function during locomotor activities in individuals with chronic disorders…

Jason Frank

Senior Academic Eligibility Specialist for Men's Soccer and Women's Swimming and Diving

Jason Frank joined the student-athlete academic services team in October 2022. Frank returns to UNLV, where he earned his master’s degree in 2008, following experiences in student-athlete academic support at the University of Wyoming, University of South Florida, Grand Canyon University, and Chicago State University. In 2021-2022, Frank served as associate athletic director for student services…

Natasha Garcia

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Natasha was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV. She graduated from UNLV in fall 2017 with her bachelor’s in accounting and graduated in spring 2020 with her master’s in accounting. Natasha currently holds a position as an accountant at the Public Education Foundation and has experience in hospitality and non-profit accounting. Throughout the year Natasha has worked with UNLV DECA and Nevada DECA,…

Yulia Gavrilova

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Yulia Gavrilova is a clinical psychology research faculty in the College of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina where she conducts clinical research and provides clinical services for child and adult patients who are admitted to acute care medical emergency department and Level 1 trauma center for the treatment of traumatic physical injuries. Gavrilova graduated from UNLV with a…

Ivan Ivanov

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Bulgarian born clarinetist Ivan Ivanov studied at the Sofia State Academy of Music "Pancho Vladigerov" and finished his bachelor's degree with distinctions. In 2004 Mr. Ivanov became a permanent member of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra and worked with such conductors as Sir Neville Marriner, Jean Bernard Pommier, Rossen Milanov, Shungo Moriyama, Heinz Hellberg, and others. In addition to his…

Johanna Adlam

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Johanna E. Adlam is a postdoctoral scholar in the Center for Health Disparities Research in the School of Public Health as well as a part-time instructor in the Honors College at UNLV. Adlam has over 10 years of experience conducting interdisciplinary research studies and leading diverse research teams at the academic and health system level. As a social and behavioral health researcher, her work…

Anthony Jordan

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Anthony Jordan is a Professor of Government at Central Texas College. Upon taking the position in Fall 2018, he has taught Federal Government and Texas Government. He also serves as Chapter Advisor for the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. In these roles he mentors both traditional and non- traditional college students and aids in the developing of their professional skills. He believes…

Erdogan Kaya, M.S.

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Kaya is an assistant professor of education in the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University. He has a Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction and teaches methods courses. He received his MS degree in computer science and engineering and holds a BS degree in chemical engineering. He coached robotics teams and was awarded several grants that promote Science, Technology,…

Jake Livengood

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Jake has worked in higher education since 2002 as an instructor, career advisor, and administrator at a variety of colleges and universities around the U.S., including MIT, Boston University, Loyola Chicago, and UNLV. He received the MIT Infinite Mile Award for Innovation and Creativity for developing and facilitating improv comedy workshops to help with training and professional development. He…

Joy A. McKenna

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Joy A. McKenna is a postdoctoral researcher in the Microbiology and Immunology department at Stanford University School of Medicine. Her research focuses on how bacterial pathogens, such as Salmonella and Shigella, interact with our cells to cause disease. During her time at UNLV, McKenna earned both her B.S. and Ph.D. in Biology. Her dissertation focused on understanding how virulence genes are…

Michael Moncrieff

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Michael Moncrieff is a postdoctoral researcher in social sciences at the Law Faculty of the University of Geneva, Department of Public International Law and International Organization. He is in charge of the empirical dimensions and field research of the project ‘Preventing and Combating Terrorism and Violent Extremism: Towards a Legal-Empirical Approach’. He specializes on the sociopolitical and…

Rafael Oganesyan, Ph.D.

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Rafael Oganesyan is the Director at the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR). Prior to his current role, Rafael served as OUR’s Program Manager and helped create the multitude of research resources offered to students. His higher education career path began as a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Graduate College, where he helped manage certificates and programs offered by the Grad Academy. Rafael is…

Caitlin J. Saladino, Ph.D.

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Caitlin J. Saladino serves as the Director of Strategic Development at The Lincy Institute and Brookings Mountain West. The Lincy Institute is a public policy think tank organized to conduct and support research improving health, education, economic development, governance, non-profits, and social services in Nevada. Brookings Mountain West is a partnership between UNLV and the…

Surbhi Sharma

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Dr. Surbhi Sharma received her Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology in 2018, which was followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Oh Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Personalized Medicine, UNLV. During her stay at UNLV, she was actively engaged in research, scholarship, and creative activities. As an active member of the Graduate and Professional Students Association, both as a Council member and as…

Marta Soligo, Ph.D.

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Marta Soligo, Ph.D., is the Director of Tourism Research at the UNLV Office of Economic Development. She is the academic lead for the UNLV Tourism Development, Diversification, and Resiliency Initiative, a project that aims at diversifying Las Vegas’ tourism economy and its beneficiaries. In particular, the initiative centers around cultural, sports, and medical tourism in Southern Nevada, with a…

Kazi Tamaddun

Grad Alumni Ambassador

Kazi Tamaddun is a researcher in engineering systems, environmental sciences, and data analytics - currently working as a postdoctoral research associate in the Resilient Urban Water Systems project under the Environmental Resilience Institute's Water Future Initiative at the University of Virginia. With a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in civil and environmental engineering from UNLV and a post-graduate degree…

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