Dean's Office

Academic Leadership

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  Kit Pogliano, Ph.D.

  Dean

  kpogliano@ucsd.edu

  858-534-4281

  Request a meeting with Dean Pogliano

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  Andrew Chisholm, Ph.D.

  Associate Dean

  adchisholm@ucsd.edu

  858-246-1783

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  James Nieh, Ph.D.

  Associate Dean

  jnieh@ucsd.edu

  858-246-4914

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  Jim Wilhelm, Ph.D.

  Director of Undergraduate Education

  jwilhelm@ucsd.edu

  858-534-9601

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  Gentry Patrick, Ph.D.

  Director of Mentorship and Diversity

  gpatrick@ucsd.edu

  858-534-4838

  As Director of Mentorship and Diversity, Dr. Patrick drives efforts to bridge the Division and UC San Diego campus to the San Diego community, build collaborative partnerships with key community partners, improve upon diversity among students and faculty on campus, and create a more inclusive environment within the Division of Biological Sciences.

Administrative Staff

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  John C. Bauer

  Assistant Dean and Executive Officer

  jcbauer@ucsd.edu

  858-534-8202

  Responsible for budgetary and fiscal matters, space planning, and analysis and policy development; consults on academic personnel policy, divisional safety program, capital planning, and divisional administrative questions and organizational issues.
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  Melanie Ridenour

  Senior Academic Personnel Analyst

  mridenour@ucsd.edu

  858-534-1967

  Serves as academic personnel point of contact for the division; reviews and analyzes all academic personnel actions; provides counsel to the Dean, Section Chairs, faculty and staff regarding current, proposed and new academic personnel policies, procedures and practices.  Melanie also coordinates endowed chair appointments and works on various special projects.
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  Cheyenne Cross

  Assistant Academic Personnel Analyst

  ccross@ucsd.edu

  858-246-4847

  Cheyenne assists the Senior Personnel Analyst in the review and analysis of academic personnel actions, and provides support with various special projects .

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  Alex Tea

  Dean’s Office Executive Assistant

  altea@ucsd.edu

  858-534-4281

  Alex provides direct support for the Dean, assists the Dean with the operations of the Dean's Office, and coordinates Dean's Office meetings and activities.
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  Victoria Berdin

  Administrative and Events Coordinator

  vberdin@ucsd.edu

  858-822-4622

  Victoria provides general front desk and administrative support for the Dean’s Office and coordinates a variety of special events and programs.

External Relations / Communications / Development Staff

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  Mario Aguilera

  Director of Communications

  maguilera@ucsd.edu

  858-822-5148

  Serves as the communications director for Biological Sciences; publicizes research and other features of the division through news releases, articles, interviews, videos, and social media.
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  Christopher Sickels

  Senior Director of Development

  csickels@ucsd.edu

  858-246-5705

  Chris serves as the lead philanthropic gift officer for Biological Sciences, providing leadership, management, and overall program strategy in planning, coordinating, and implementing fundraising activities for the Dean, Faculty Members, volunteers, and other key collaborative partners for the Division. His mission is to build a comprehensive development program that will engage local, regional, national, and international donors and alumni to actively participate in personalized partnerships that will further the mission and strategic goals of the Division to best serve our students and maximize our broad impact in society.
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  Martha Leon

  Director of Development

  mleon@ucsd.edu

  858-761-1058

  Martha serves as a philanthropic gift officer for the Division of Biological Sciences, working closely to develop strong relationships with the campus community and the greater San Diego Area. Martha has a passion for educational fundraising and utilizing exciting strategies to engage and align our supporters' interests to the mission of the Division of Biological Science.

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  Kaitlyn Heiskell

  Development Coordinator

  kheiskell@ucsd.edu

  As the development coordinator for the Division of Biological Sciences, Kaitlyn works with the philanthropic gift officers to implement cultivation, fundraising, and donor relations programs, events, and activities that support the mission and goals of the division.
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  Sarah R. Turner

  Director of Alumni Engagement

  sturner@ucsd.edu

  858-534-5635

  Sarah's goal is to cultivate and sustain meaningful connections with Biological Sciences' valued alumni both locally and regionally through programming, in-person visits, events, and activities. Her mission is to bring value to alumni by providing opportunities for them to re-connect to UC San Diego and the Division of Biological Sciences.
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  Melissa Hoon

  Director of Corporate Relations and Professional Development

  mhoon@ucsd.edu

  858-822-3586

  Melissa supports the Division's Co-Op Program and Corporate Affiliates Program (BioCAP) by engaging students, alumni, and industry partners in an effort to expand a diverse and robust talent pipeline. She also teaches career exploratory and communications courses that focus on soft skills to support students' professional development and career success.