⭐️ Presented by Status of Women at Davis Administrative Advisory Committee (SWADAAC)
⭐️ Sponsored by the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures and the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Inclusivity and Visibility Support and Mentoring

Registration is now available at https://forms.gle/KLJMK1qS4pp8xqNT8

Questions? Please contact swadaac-summit@ucdavis.edu

OPEN TO ALL

Panels

Panel 1: Inclusivity and Visibility

Inclusivity and Visibility: Where and how are women leaders and influencers visible and included within leadership structures on the UC Davis campuses?  What professional structures and systems can we advocate for to help all women feel that their contribution to the campus is valued and visible? 

Panelists:

• Joshua Hori, Accessible Technology Coordinator for IET/ATS, DIAAC member
• Dr. Rashmi Verma, Assistant Health Science Clinical Professor, SDAAC member
• Dr. Colleen Clancy, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Personnel, UC Davis Health

Panel 2: Support and Mentoring

Support and Mentoring: What support systems exist for women on the UC Davis campuses and within the UC system?  What types of mentors have supported our women leaders on campus, in the UC system, and throughout their careers?  What can we do to advocate for more and better support for women across the campuses?

Panelists:

• Caila Menefee, FQHC Program Manager, UC Davis Health
• Dr. Kristin Kiesel, Associate Professor of Teaching of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Davis
• Tammy Kenber, Chief Human Resources Officer, UC Davis and UC Davis Health

Speaker Bios

 

Gary S. May, Chancellor, UC Davis

Chancellor Gary S. May is a highly engaged leader with a passion for helping others succeed. He believes success is best judged by how we enhance the lives of others.

Throughout his career, he’s championed diversity, equity and inclusion in both higher education and the workplace. He developed nationally recognized programs that attract, mentor and retain underrepresented groups in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math. In 2015, President Obama honored him with the Presidential Award for Excellence in STEM Mentoring.

May earned his master’s and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering and computer science at UC Berkeley. He was inducted to the National Academy of Engineering in 2018. In 2020, May was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences under the classification of “educational and academic leadership.” In 2021, May was awarded a Lifetime Mentor Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and an honorary doctorate from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

A prominent voice in higher education, May is a Commissioner of the Council on Competitiveness and other national committees.

His vision as UC Davis’ seventh chancellor is to lead the university to new heights in academic excellence, inclusion, public service and upward mobility for students from all backgrounds.

 

Renetta G. Tull, Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, UC Davis

Renetta Garrison Tull is the University of California Davis' inaugural Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), which houses Academic Diversity, the Office of Campus Community Relations, four centers, and Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (DEI within the medical school, nursing school and health center). She formerly served as Associate Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives at UMBC and as a Director for the University System of Maryland. In past roles at UMBC, Tull served as either Co-PI or PI on AGEP, ADVANCE, and LSAMP proposals.  At Davis, she is PI of the PROMISE Engineering Institute.  Her degrees in electrical engineering and speech science are from Howard University and Northwestern University, and she has had faculty roles at UW-Madison, University of Maryland College Park, UMBC.

Dr. Tull is on the Chief Diversity Officers Council for the University of California, and she is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UC Davis.  An international speaker on global diversity in STEM, Dr. Tull was a Global Engineering Deans Council/Airbus Diversity Award Finalist and received the ABET Claire L. Felbinger Award for Diversity, and the Student Platform for Engineering Education Development Global Mentoring Award. She was part of the consensus committee for the National Academies’ “Impact of COVID-19 on the Careers of Women in Academic STEMM” and is part of the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES) community. Her research interests in Humanitarian Engineering continue through sharing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 

Joshua Hori, Accessible Technology Coordinator, Academic Technology Services (ATS), UC Davis

Joshua Hori serves as the Accessible Technology Coordinator for Academic Technology Services at the University of California, Davis, where he is dedicated to making technology accessible for all, especially focusing on faculty and staff. Drawing from his personal experiences with ADHD, Joshua brings a deep understanding of the importance of inclusive technology environments.

In his role, Joshua leads efforts to improve the accessibility of digital resources across the campus, working closely with academic and administrative units. His expertise in technology and accessibility standards helps UC Davis exceed compliance and best practices in creating an inclusive digital environment.

Joshua is also a respected voice in accessible technology, sharing his knowledge and personal insights through workshops and speaking engagements. His work not only enhances the UC Davis community but also contributes to broader advancements in accessible technology in higher education.

Through his commitment and advocacy, Joshua Hori exemplifies how personal experiences can inspire meaningful change, making him a key figure in promoting a more inclusive and effective academic community at UC Davis.

Dr. Rashmi Verma, Assistant Health Science Clinical Professor, SDAAC member

What brought you to UC Davis Health? Sacramento was a place my family wanted to settle permanently and retire; UC Davis is the institution I always respected.
A little something about you: My family and I had been planning to settle in Sacramento for many years and now we can say that we are happy to be in Sacramento.
SDAAC participation: I love to participate in staff diversity through SDAAC and SWADAAC, to help with awareness of issues that have disproportionately impacted women’s careers, and hopefully help in developing strategies to mitigate these issues. I am myself a woman from diverse background, so I understand and I have experienced some of these issues firsthand, so my goal is to help.

 

Dr. Colleen Clancy, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Personnel, UC Davis Health

Colleen E. Clancy is Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Personnel and a professor in the departments of Physiology and Membrane Biology and Pharmacology.

The Office of Academic Personnel oversees the processing of all UC Davis School of Medicine and Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing academic personnel actions. Its purview also includes personnel-related activities such as academic recruitment, appointment, merit and promotion review, faculty development, sabbatical leaves, Health Sciences Compensation Plan salary administration, diversity programs, employee and labor relations, and conflict management.
 
Clancy has served as chair of a UC System-wide Committee on Affirmative Action and Diversity, chair of the Compensation Advisory Committee at the UC Davis School of Medicine, and a member of the school’s faculty salary equity task force. She is an alumna of the 2015-16 class for the national Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program and was awarded the 2014 Dean’s Excellence in Mentoring Award in the area of Research at the UC Davis School of Medicine. Clancy was also the recipient of the 2018 Deans’ Team Award for Excellence in the area of Research, the 2018-19 Chancellor’s Achievement Award for Diversity and Community in the Academic Senate Category, and the 2018-19 Chancellor’s Achievement Award for Diversity and Community in the Special Recognition Category (team award). She also received the 2020 UC Davis School of Medicine Research Award.
 
Clancy has authored more than 100 published works. She serves as associate editor for the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Clinical Electrophysiology, and is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of General Physiology, the advisory board of the National Biomedical Computation Resource, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Multiscale Modeling Consortium, and the Heart Rhythm Society Fellowship Subcommittee. Additionally, she engages in peer review for dozens of national and international granting agencies and journals. Clancy oversees a multidisciplinary team of junior and senior investigators, which are funded by multiple NIH programs to support computational modeling and simulation of physiological systems research.

Caila Menefee, FQHC Program Manager, UC Davis Health

Caila Jones-Menefee is an objective driven leader that delivers quantifiable impact and outstanding results through process improvement and strategy development. Caila maintains an organized approach, clarity of purpose, and goal orientation in rapidly changing environments.

In her current role at UC Davis Health, she facilitates partnerships between UC Davis Health and Federally Qualified Health Centers to offer Northern California’s most vulnerable populations access to UC Davis Health’s nationally renowned clinical resources.

After decades within the non-profit sector as a project manager, fund development professional, and trusted process advisor to executive leaders, she began The Jones Collaborative. The community development agency is a vehicle to leverage the talents of her exceptional colleagues to help mission-aligned initiatives do business better. In 2022, Caila expanded The Jones Collaborative to include campaign management and served as the Campaign Manager for Assemblywoman Lori D. Wilson.  Caila recently joined the board of the California Black Health Network.

Caila is a native San Franciscan, who earned her undergraduate Business Administration degree from San Francisco State University and her master’s degree in organizational leadership from Saint Mary’s College.

Dr. Kristin Kiesel, Associate Professor of Teaching of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Davis

Kristin Kiesel is an Associate Professor of Teaching in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Davis and the co-director of the department’s Diversity in Research, Education, and Career Training (DIRECT) program. Her research focuses on the economics of information,  consumer and strategic firm behavior with a particular emphasis on conducting retail experiments. She has analyzed the impact of various labeling regulations and marketing strategies on consumer perceptions and purchasing choices. She has also evaluated the effects of more restrictive policy approaches, such as bans and taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages. Her research has been published in top field journals, and she has co-authored several book chapters. Kristin has previously led large-scale consulting projects, completed government and industry reports, and served on advisory boards for local and national initiatives. 

First and foremost, however, Kristin is strongly committed to her students and excellence in both undergraduate and graduate education. What she has learned from serving students from diverse socio-economic, racial, and cultural backgrounds has not only made her a more effective teacher and mentor but also continues to enhance her pedagogy and discipline-specific research. 

Tammy Kenber, Chief Human Resources Officer, UC Davis and UC Davis Health

With over 30 years of experience in Human Resources, in both public and private sector, Tammy Kenber currently serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Human Resources Officer for UC Davis/UC Davis Health. Prior to UC Davis, she served as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources for the California State University (CSU) system, providing HR oversight, leadership, and guidance to the system's twenty-three campuses. Tammy has extensive knowledge and a successful track record in dealing with complex employment issues in the higher education environment. She holds multiple professional certifications in HR, Payroll, Benefits, Interest-Based Bargaining, and Change Management. Tammy holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in human resources/organizational development from Drexel University. She also has a green belt in Lean Six Sigma/6S and has previously served on the Board of Directors for both CUPA-HR NorCal and CalSHRM. Tammy is experienced in both state and federal employment, as well as the California State Education Code and Title 5. Her specific areas of expertise include benefits, payroll, class/compensation, talent acquisition, contract negotiations/ language interpretation, EEO/TIX/ DHR/WB Compliance, and HRIS.

Prior to working at the CSU system level, Tammy served as the Associate Vice President for Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer for one of CSU’s twenty-three campuses – Sonoma State University, located just north of San Francisco. While there, she oversaw General Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Recruiting, Labor/Employee Relations, Class/Compensation, Learning/Development, Workers’ Compensation and Compliance (Title IX, Discrimination, Harassment, Retaliation and Whistleblower). Prior to working at Sonoma, Tammy oversaw HR for Sierra Joint Community College District located in the Sierra Foothills with its main campus located in Rocklin, and three additional campuses in Roseville, Grass Valley, and Tahoe/Truckee. The district served over 25,000 students in Northern California. During her tenure at Sierra, she was instrumental in the district’s implementation of a new integrated ERP system, the deployment of an online employee self-service portal, a district-wide document-imaging system, and the successful renewal of three collective bargaining agreements. She also served as both President and Vice President of the N14 CHRO Council for community colleges, as well as a board member for the community college system’s employee benefits trust, which funds retiree healthcare.

Prior to Sierra, Tammy worked for the California Department of Development Services, Sutter Health, and ADP. Tammy has a solid HR background in both private and public sector across three industries – healthcare, high tech, and higher education. She has a reputation for being fair and collaborative as well as being passionate about people, believing every employee has intrinsic value and the ability to contribute. Her leadership style is open, service-oriented, and developmental. She’s a creative problem solver whose sense of humor, genuine appreciation for people, and resourcefulness in finding cost-effective solutions have helped her to succeed and forge solid, long-lasting, positive relationships. Tammy lives in Northern California with her husband, Dan. Her youngest daughter, Sydney, attends San Francisco State. Her oldest daughter, Mariah, a graduate of UC Davis, works for the State of California in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her favorite places are the Big Island of Hawaii and Sea Ranch, which is located on California’s north coast.