Official Blog | UCGPC

On January 20th, UCGPC, in partnership with Federal Government Relations (FGR) at the UC Office of the President, launched a two-month, systemwide advocacy campaign to elevate the voices of graduate and professional students across all 10 UC campuses.

10 Graduate Student Advocates (one on each UC campus) will spend the next two months gathering testimonials from graduate students about:

• The importance of their research, teaching, and studies,
• The real-world impacts of their work on the UC and the nation,
• And what is at stake if harmful federal policies undermine graduate education, research funding, and academic freedom.

These testimonials will be used for communications and advocacy purposes, including meetings between FGR staff and lawmakers on Capitol Hill, to ensure federal decision-makers understand what the UC, and the nation, stand to lose if graduate research and education are weakened.

This initiative aligns with the broader “Speak Up for Science” and “Stand Up for the UC” efforts to defend public higher education by showcasing:

• the diversity of UC graduate students;
• the excellence and impact of their research;
• the competence and commitment they bring to solving society’s most pressing challenges.

Over the next two months, the Graduate Student Advocates will:

• collect written and video testimonials from graduate students on their campuses;
• highlight how federal policy decisions directly affect research, education, and innovation;
• help connect campus-level experiences to national policy debates.

Interested in Sharing Your Story?

Are you a UC graduate or professional student whose research, teaching, or studies could be impacted by federal policy?

We want to hear from you:

• Reach out to your campus Graduate Student Advocate
• Or contact UCGPC (treasurer@ucgpc501c3.org), and we will connect you with your campus advocate.

Your testimonial can help ensure that lawmakers understand why investing in graduate education and research is essential, for the UC, for California, and for the country.

Meet the Graduate Student Advocates

Below are the Graduate Student Advocates representing each UC campus. They will be your point of contact for sharing testimonials and learning more about the campaign on your campus.

UC Berkeley

Daniel Gonzalez
PhD student – Mathematical logic

My name is Daniel Gonzalez, and I am a researcher in mathematical logic at UC Berkeley. My research includes finding when a mathematical statement is provable or disprovable, and how proofs relate to the complexity of solving problems. Over the past year I have become more involved in advocating for graduate student researchers, especially international researchers, through our Union and most recently this campaign.

UC Davis

My name is Sophie Green and I’m a third-year Ph.D. student in Political Science at UC Davis. My research focuses on state and local politics with a focus on policy and intergovernmental relations. Prior to graduate school, I was involved in advocacy work with a non-profit organization and a political campaign. I’m excited to bring my skills to this campaign to help elevate graduate student voices and experiences.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sophiegreensd 

I’m Onwodi Ifejeokwu, a 4th year PhD student in the department of Anatomy & Neurobiology at UCI School of Medicine. My research focus is neuroimmunology, specifically looking at mechanisms underlying immune related adverse events and mitigation strategies. My passion for pursuing a career in research has led me to found a grassroots effort to advocate for underrepresented minorities in academia and strongly advocate for improving the overall quality of life for cancer survivors. As someone who has personally been affected by the ongoing budget cuts, I am incredibly excited to provide a voice for so many of us on campus who have felt helpless during this time.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/onwodi-ifejeokwu-916a84a5/

Instagram: @onvvodi

Jocelyn Rodriguez
PhD candidate – Molecular Biology

My name is Jocelyn Diane Rodriguez (she/hers), I am a 5th year PhD candidate in the Molecular Biology Interdepartmental Program researching lung cancer metabolism at UCLA David Geffen’s School of Medicine under the mentorship of Dr. David Shackelford. I am passionate about science advocacy, science communication and building community and inclusive spaces for all students. I am excited to be part of the “Stand up for UC” Campaign to advocate for the needs of students on our campus and across the UCs and amplifying student voices.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelyndrodr/

UC Merced

Mohit Saraswat
PhD student – Chemistry

My name is Mohit Saraswat and I am a graduate student at UC Merced conducting research in material science, where I focus on nanofluidic separations. My background includes advocacy work on systemwide initiatives for graduate and professional students, which has strengthened my commitment to elevating student voices. I am passionate about joining this campaign because I want to help ensure that federal funding and policies reflect the real needs of researchers and scholars across the UC system, and to build community engagement that drives meaningful change.

UC Riverside

Daisy R. Herrera
PhD student – Public History

I am a PhD student in the Public History program at UC Riverside. A historian focusing on the 20th century labor and social experiences of subaltern communities in the Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, advocacy and representation is extremely important to me as a scholar. I combine my experience from the 2022 UC-wide academic worker strike, my exposure as the graduate student representative for the campus’ Hispanic Serving Institution committee, and oral history skills to the project. I am excited to locate graduate students whose intersectional experiences across personal backgrounds and disciplines not only tell a story of diversity of our campus but can help shed light on the policies hindering our educational journeys and research commitments to our communities.

UC San Diego

Talia Baddour
PhD candidate – Bioengineering

I am a fifth-year Bioengineering PhD student at UCSD. My research primarily focuses on sex differences in heart disease, and my previous advocacy efforts have centered on bringing women and other gender minorities to the forefront of bioengineering. As a student advocate, I am excited to highlight the importance of continuing to fund women’s health researchers like myself who are advancing health equity.LinkedIn: Talia-baddour

UC San Francisco

Sneha Rao
Phd candidate – Developmental and Stem Cell Biology

I am a PhD candidate in the Developmental and Stem Cell Biology program at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) studying how the embryo prepares for implantation in the uterus. My policy interests center on reproductive health equity and building adaptable frameworks to regulate emerging stem cell and gene editing technologies. I am also passionate about expanding science policy and communication opportunities for trainees to encourage advocacy and civic engagement at a variety of levels. As a leader of the Science Policy Group at UCSF, I have helped develop the first science policy course offered to PhD students at UCSF, advocate for research funding in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., and organize events on bioethics, community engagement, and science communication. As part of the UCGPC Student Advocates campaign, I am excited to continue bridging the gap between researchers and policymakers by uplifting the voices of researchers across UC and highlighting the impact of their vital work.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sneharaodev/

UC Santa Barbara

Akira Swan
M.A. student – Global Studies

Akira Swan (she/her) is originally from San Diego, and earned dual bachelors from UC Santa Cruz. Her interdisciplinary background in legal studies and politics has informed her interest in racial capitalism, abolitionist and decolonial theory, carceral states, law and society, and social movements. Akira has worked in University development at UC San Diego, where she witnessed first hand the impact of federal funding cuts. She is excited to work with UCGPC towards this campaign.

UC Santa Cruz

Alex Stokes
PhD candidate – Education

Alex Stokes is a fourth year PhD candidate in the Education department at UC Santa Cruz. Her work focuses on supporting the ways of teaching, learning, and knowing that marginalized communities are already practicing. She has a background in comparative and international education, and is involved in tenant and union organizing on UCSC’s campus. She looks forward to highlighting the richness of the experiences and work of her graduate student colleagues through this UCGPC campaign. She hopes this work will contribute to shaping a different world for her children.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandralgstokes/