2021-2022 Executive Board
Geneva Vogelheim, Co-President
Department: Health Policy and Management
Degree: MPH
Hometown: Fairfax, CA
Career/Research Interests: Racial equity, cost effectiveness, pharmaceutical economics, Medicaid… the list keeps getting longer the longer I’m here!
Thoughts on Remote Instruction: Mixed.
Fun Fact: My last name means “birdhome” in German!
Email: gvogelheim@gmail.com
Joana (JoJo) Fernandez, Co-President
Department: Community Health Sciences
Degree: MPH & MSW
Hometown: Rio Rancho, NM
Career/Research Interests: I am interested in mental health program planning, implementation, and evaluation. Relatedly, I have a strong interest in the intersection of physical health and behavioral health, and how clinical practices/operations can be improved to best serve patients and decrease health inequities.
Thoughts on Remote Instruction: I can’t change the situation, so I focus on the positives of sleeping in a little longer and more comfortably drinking/eating during class.
Fun Fact: In 8th grade, I tied for first place in The Spanish National Spelling Bee. After an hour and half, the judges ran out of words, so they decided that we could both win.
Email: jjiiff@g.ucla.edu
Kathleen Kane, Vice President of Community Engagement
Department: Health Policy and Management
Degree: MPH
Hometown: Half Moon Bay, CA
Career/Research Interests: Healthcare finance and cost-effectiveness analysis, Medicare and Medicaid, health in all policies, drug user health.
Thoughts on Remote Instruction: It’s tough! I have to keep my camera off more than I’d like so I can fidget as much as my brain needs to stay engaged. Kudos to professors, TAs, and colleagues for making the change as smooth as possible!
Fun Fact: My dream job is working at the Kaiser Family Foundation! In an alternate universe, I would choose to be a physical therapist.
Email: kathkane@gmail.com
Lorena Espinoza, Vice President of Finance
Department: Health Policy and Management
Degree: MPH
Hometown: Escondido, CA
Career/Research Interests: Healthcare project management, quality outcomes analysis, food law.
Thoughts on Remote Instruction: I love it!
Fun Fact: The Eagles are one of my favorite musical artists!
Email: lorenaannette1@g.ucla.edu
Seungmi Sara Kim, Vice President of Internal Affairs
Department: Epidemiology
Degree: MPH
Hometown: Torrance, California
Career/Research Interests: Women’s health, mental health, tobacco use.
Thoughts on Remote Instruction: Studying with my puppy!
Fun Fact: I can cook Korean food.
Email: seungsarakim@g.ucla.edu
Didi Ikeji, Vice President of Social
Department: Community Health Sciences
Degree: MPH
Hometown: Ann Arbor, MI
Career/Research Interests: My career interests are to work at the intersection of health management, healthy equity, and community based organizations. My research interests are the biopsychosocial effects of stress due to racism, geriatric health literacy, mycology, health equity, and the integrated care model. I am also interested in health education and reproductive health.
Thoughts on Remote Instruction: Being able to sit in bed during class in my sweatpants is a dream come true.
Fun Fact: I speak 3 languages and want to be able to speak 5 by the time I’m 30!
Email: dikeji@g.ucla.edu
Kayleigh Coughlin, Vice President of Student Affairs
Department: Health Policy and Management
Degree: MPH
Hometown: Twentynine Palms, CA
Career/Research Interests: Healthcare operations, healthcare consulting, health systems analysis.
Thoughts on Remote Instruction: I’m used to it now! I was in my junior year of undergrad when we first transitioned to remote instruction.
Fun Fact: I’m a double Bruin!
Email: kcoughlin@g.ucla.edu
Becca Woofter, Survey Committee Co-Chair
Department: Community Health Sciences
Degree: PhD
Hometown: Hendersonville, NC
Career/Research Interests: I study the health of pregnant and birthing people, especially people of color and immigrants. My work includes topics such as contraceptive use, birth outcomes, sexual violence, perinatal healthcare access and quality of care, and the impact of policy as a form of structural racism.
Thoughts on Remote Instruction: The best part of remote instruction is spending all day with my dog, Cosi!
Fun Fact: I love hiking and have visited 5 National Parks since moving to California!
Email: rwoofter@ucla.edu
Talia Panadero, Advocacy Committee Co-Chair
Department: Epidemiology
Degree: MPH
Hometown: Rocklin, CA
Career/Research Interests: Social epidemiology, mental health/wellbeing, health access, immigrant/refugee health, health policy.
Thoughts on Remote Instruction: I find it really difficult to learn and get to know my cohort in remote instruction, but I get to go running between classes and not having to commute can be nice.
Fun Fact: My cat constantly steals my kitchen sponge so I have to hide it from her.
Email: taliapan23@g.ucla.edu
Firooz Kabir, Advocacy Committee Co-Chair
Department: Health Policy and Management
Degree: MPH
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Career/Research Interests: N/A.
Thoughts on Remote Instruction: N/A
Fun Fact: N/A
Email: fnkabir@g.ucla.edu
Cinthia Leon Lazcano, VP of Communications
Department: Community Health Sciences
Degree: MPH
Hometown: Albuquerque, NM
Career/Research Interests: The intersections between immigrant and refugee health, sexual and reproductive health, mental health, and achieving justice for underserved communities.
Thoughts on Remote Instruction: Love it and hate it at the same time! Zoom fatigue is real but I appreciate being able to learn safely from the comfort of my home.
Fun Fact: I love collecting vinyl records and visiting record shops.
Email: cinleon@g.ucla.edu