Admissions, Outreach, and Diversity

Michele Johnson (she/her)

Director, Admissions, Outreach and Diversity; Systemwide Director, UC LEADS
michele.johnson@graddiv.ucsb.edu 

• Admissions policy lead and policy changes

• Department-paid application fees

• Systems access

• Outreach and recruitment advice and funding

• Outreach and recruitment reporting, presentations, and web and print materials

• Summer research programs director

• UC-HBCU Initiative Grant program and Fellow support

• Retention programming for new graduate students from diverse backgrounds

Admissions

Mallarie Stevens (she/her)

Associate Director, Admissions
mallarie.stevens@graddiv.ucsb.edu

• Admissions policy liaison for Graduate Program Advisors (GPAs)

• Exceptions to admissions policies

• Application fee payments; Perm number assignments

• Deferrals

• Decision processing

• Five-Year Combined Degree Programs (bachelor’s/master’s)

• Education Abroad Program (EAP) inquiries, Joint Program Processing, and other special programs (e.g. Fulbright, non-degree)

• Application processing procedure changes (including eApp and App Review enhancement requests)

• Program requirement updates

• Reporting/data

Kristina Melsheimer (she/her/ella)

Graduate Admissions Analyst
kristina.melsheimer@graddiv.ucsb.edu

• Department Staff Trainings on policies and procedures

• Decision processing on admit processing questions

• GPA calculations

• Transcript evaluation

• Accreditation verification

• English language exams/exemptions

• Exception requests

• Provisional admissions

• Webpage updates

Outreach and Diversity Initiatives

Karen van Gool (she/her)

Assistant Director, Outreach
karen.vangool@graddiv.ucsb.edu

• UCSB UC LEADS coordinator

• Academic Research Consortium coordinator

• Prospective student outreach and recruitment

• Fee waiver requests and approvals

Dr. Ana Guerrero (she/her/ella)

Coordinator, Diversity Initiative & UC LEADS Systemwide
Ana.Guerrero@graddiv.ucsb.edu

• Graduate Scholars Program (GSP) coordinator

• GSP scholar recruitment, matching, communication and surveying

• GSP mentor recruitment, selection, matching, training, communication and surveying

• Annual survey and program analysis

• Website and promotional materials

• Tracks spending for GSP budget

• Works with the UC LEADS systemwide team to organize the annual symposium and maintain systemwide communication and reporting

• Works with the UC LEADS systemwide team to organize the annual symposium

• Maintains UC LEADS systemwide communication and reporting

Dr. Carlos Nash (he/him)

Graduate Student Life Officer
cnash@ucsb.edu 

• Provides guidance to prospective graduate students on academic preparation, admissions processes, and program selection aligned with their goals.

• Supports graduate diversity efforts through recruitment activities, academic programming, and mentoring opportunities.

• Develops community-building programs that enhance graduate student engagement, belonging, and connections across diverse populations.

• Collaborates with campus partners, including Student Affairs and the Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Equity, and inclusion, to help ensure graduate student needs are communicated and considered.

• Advise GSA Executive Board on programming, policies, and graduate student issues

• Signator of GSA expenditures