Skip to main content

Staff and Appointments

Learn more about the Undergraduate Research Hub's leadership and staff members.

Director

  • David Artis, PhD

    David Artis, PhD

    Dean of Undergraduate Research Advancement

    David Artis, PhD came to the Undergraduate Research  Hub (formerly known as Academic Enrichment Programs or AEP) in November 2000, from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. There he had served as a faculty member, graduate school administrator and Director of Academic Services in the School of Public Health.

    At UC San Diego, he has overseen steady growth in the number of the Undergraduate Research Hub (URH) programs and services, including coordinating more scholarship opportunities for students in all fields, increased participation in URH-sponsored undergraduate research conferences, and more collaborative program efforts with other campus units. Dr. Artis is a graduate of Yale and Stanford.

    Make an appointment with Dr. Artis: contact Julie Kim juk055@ucsd.edu

Assistant Director

  • Sophia Tsai Neri, PhD

    Sophia Tsai Neri, PhD

    Assistant Director

    Sophia Tsai Neri has coordinated multiple programs within the Undergraduate Research Hub (URH). She has experience guiding student-mentor matching, coordinating research scholarships, supporting underrepresented populations, and helping students get more out of their research programs at UC San Diego. She received her PhD from the University of Southern California (USC) in molecular biology doing x-ray crystallography, and her Bachelor of Science at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) studying cybernetics with an emphasis on bioinformatics. Prior to coming to UC San Diego, she was a postdoctoral scholar at UCLA.

    E-mail: stsai@ucsd.edu

    Phone: 858-534-9014

    Make an appointment: calendly.com/stsai-ucsd

Staff

  • Thomas K. Brown, PhD

    Thomas K. Brown, PhD

    McNair Program Coordinator

    Thomas K. Brown has been coordinating the McNair Program since December of 2005. He has earned advanced degrees in chemistry (CPhil, Caltech) and anthropology (PhD, UCSD). In his role as McNair Program coordinator, he helps students find research placements with UC San Diego faculty. The McNair Program is a preparatory program for traditionally under-represented students (first-generation college students from low-income households and those from under-represented ethnic groups) who want to earn a PhD in any field.

    E-mail: tkbrown@ucsd.edu

    Make an appointment: calendly.com/tkbrown/15min

     

  • Julie Kim

    Julie Kim

    Office Manager

    Julie works with Dr. Artis and the URH team to maintain office efficiency and reliable support for operations. She is a graduate from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and received her undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary arts. Her studio practice focuses on researching relational art and different categories of aesthetics. During her time at SAIC, she worked with students to develop community programs and foster engaging environments across campus. 

    Email: juk055@ucsd.edu

  • Kirsten Kung, PhD

    Kirsten Kung, PhD

    Research Programs Coordinator
    UC Scholars, Mentor Liaison

    Kirsten Kung, PhD, works with a number of students through the Undergraduate Research Hub (URH). She has extensive experience coordinating multiple year research programs and helping students experience opportunities outside of the classroom. She is particularly interested in issues related to mentoring, engaged learning, and research ethics. Dr. Kung received her PhD from the Ohio State University in social psychology with minors in health psychology and quantitative psychology. Prior to coming to UC San Diego, she was a faculty member at the University of Houston.

    E-mail: kkung@ucsd.edu

  • Daniel Movahed

    Daniel Movahed

    TRELS Program Coordinator

    In his role, Daniel manages the TRELS Program and collaborates with the undergraduate colleges at UC San Diego. He earned his business administration degree from CSU Fullerton. During his time at CSU Fullerton, he worked at the university’s Outreach, Recruitment and Orientation department. Prior to coming to UC San Diego, he worked at National University as an advisor in the Admissions department.

     Email: dmovahed@ucsd.edu

     Make an appointment: Daniel's appointment calendar

  • profile placeholder image

    TBA

    STEMM Community Coordinator
    NACME, RSRI, MEDS

     

    E-mail: TBA

    Make an appointment: Please contact ugresearch@ucsd.edu for any questions regarding the programs above.

  • profile placeholder image

    TBA

    Faculty Mentor Program (FMP) and McNair Program Assistant Coordinator

  • profile placeholder image

    TBA

    Research Scholarships Coordinator
    URS, Prestigious Scholarships

     

    TBA

  • Elizabeth Vazquez

    Elizabeth Vazquez

    Transfer Research and Involvement Coordinator

    Elizabeth is the Research and Involvement Coordinator for the Triton Transfer Hub and a liaison between Transfer Student Success and the Undergraduate Research Hub. In her role, the goal is to connect incoming and current transfer students to a wide variety of opportunities offered at UC San Diego such as research, internships, study abroad, volunteer work, and entrepreneurship opportunities. She is passionate about assisting the transfer student community at UC San Diego feel included on campus. A transfer student herself, Elizabeth transferred from community college to UC Santa Barbara where she earned her BA and earned her master’s in postsecondary educational leadership and student affairs from San Diego State University.

    Email: e6vazquez@ucsd.edu

    Make an appointment: Elizabeth's Appointment Calendar

Student Assistants

  • Madison Clark

    Madison Clark

    Madi is a student office assistant at the Undergraduate Research Hub. Madi is from northern Virginia and began working for the URH in April of 2023. She is a pre-med neurobiology major with plans to become a psychiatrist. Her free time is spent watching movies, hanging out with friends, reading, and listening to music. 
  • Miranda Viveros

    Miranda Viveros

    Miranda is a student office assistant at the Undergraduate Research Hub. She is from Orange, California, and began working at the Hub in May 2024. She is a second-year Cognitive Science major in Revelle College. She likes to read, play guitar, paint, and spend time with her friends in her free time.

Undergraduate Research Hub

  • Undergraduate Research Hub

    Undergraduate Research Hub

    Have a question, but you aren't sure who to contact? Email the Undergraduate Research Hub at ugresearch@ucsd.edu and someone will help you!

     

    Quick link to this page: https://bit.ly/URHstaff