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CAMPOS Leadership

Mary Lou de Leon Siantz
Mary Lou de Leon siantz

CAMPOS Founding Faculty Director, Emeritus

Mary Lou de Leon Siantz is a professor emeritus at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis and founding director of the Center for the Advancement of Multicultural Perspectives on Science (CAMPOS). She is nationally recognized for her interdisciplinary efforts to prepare health and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals in leadership and policy, as well as internationally respected for her research in migrant population health.

Mariel Vazquez

CAMPOS Faculty Director; CAMPOS Faculty Scholar (2014-15 Cohort)
mariel@math.ucdavis.edu

Mariel VazquezProfessor Vazquez holds a joint appointment in the Department of Mathematics (College of Letters and Sciences) and the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics (College of Biological Sciences). Her research lies at the interface of mathematics, polymer physics, and molecular biology. She specialize in the application of topological tools to study DNA. Her work is currently focused on two lines of inquiry: (1) DNA Topology: the mechanism of site-specific recombination, topoisomerase action, and the packing of chromosomes in human cells and viral capsids; using mathematical tools including know theory, low-dimensional topology, and Monte Carlo simulations; and (2) Chromosomal Aberrations and Cancer: analysis of cancer genomic data and mechanisms of repair pathways; using biophysical models, graph theory, and topological data analysis.

Dr. Vazquez takes over from Founding Director, Dr. Mary Lou de Leon Siantz, professor emeritus at the Betty Irene More School of Nursing at UC Davis Health.

Read more about Dr. Vazquez's work here: "Discovering Curiosity: The Tangled Fate of Math and Biology with Professor Mariel Vazquez"

Sophie Barbu

CAMPOS Assistant Director; ENHANCE Program Coordinator
sjbarbu@ucdavis.edu

Sophie Barbu

Barbu leads the program’s data research, collection and analysis, and internal program evaluation, publication/dissemination of project research results, and federal reporting. In 2020, I joined the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, where I work with DEI to develop tools, strengthen internal and external communications, coordinate grants and fundraising efforts, and perform technical writing. In 2017, I was nominated and selected for the competitive University of California Women’s Initiative for Professional Development award. I’ve been a member of the Status of Women at Davis Administrative Advisory Committee (SWADAAC) since 2015 and currently serve as a co-Vice Chair (2020-2021).

Thomas O'Donnell

Principal Analyst
twodonnell@ucdavis.edu

Tom O'Donnell

Tom first started working on diversity and inclusion issues at UC Davis in May 2015 when he was recruited to a be graduate student researcher on the Chancellor's Strategic Initiative for Diversity and Inclusion Task Force that culminated with the publication of a comprehensive report in 2017 and the creation of the Vice Chancellor's Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. He currently works as a part-time analyst in that office providing policy research and project management. Tom also designed and maintains the office's website.

Tom is also a part-time instructor at Sierra College where he teaches classes on American women's history and the survey courses in American history.

He received is Ph.D. in history from UC Davis in 2018.

Rosa Deniz

Program/Policy Analyst
rdeniz@ucdavis.edu

Rosa Deniz was first hired under a one-year contract to serve as the Executive Assistant to the AVC-AD and to support the CAMPOS, CAMPSSAH faculty directors. Prior to joining UC Davis, Rosa worked at University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law for 16 years as a Law Clerk and the latter five years she was the Legal Coordinator at the legal clinics. Previously, Rosa also worked for three years at a private law firm as an Executive Assistant/Paralegal.