MEET OUR
TEAM.
Students vs. Pandemics at LA is an interdisciplinary group of UCLA undergraduate and graduate students aiming to make a positive impact on health and overall wellness during times of crisis. Our three primary goals are to improve transparency and communication, build community at UCLA, and identify needs and innovate solutions.
MEET OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM.
Chantal Barksdale
President, Co-Founder
Winnie Liu
Internal Chair
Apsara Chopra
Recruitment Chair
Evan Patel
Financial Chair
Lauren Kim
Publicity Chair
MEET OUR
TEAM.
Students vs. Pandemics at LA is an interdisciplinary group of UCLA undergraduate and graduate students aiming to make a positive impact on health and overall wellness during times of crisis. Our three primary goals are to improve transparency and communication, build community at UCLA, and identify needs and innovate solutions.
MEET OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM.
Chantal Barksdale
President, Co-Founder
Winnie Liu
Internal Chair
Apsara Chopra
Recruitment Chair
Evan Patel
Financial Chair
Lauren Kim
Publicity Chair
SvP@Berkeley Founders
Co-Founder
Kathleen Navas
kathleennavas@berkeley.edu
Kathleen is a rising senior at UC Berkeley double majoring in MCB: Immunology and Data Science. She has spent two years conducting microbiology research in UC Berkeley Professor Daniel Portnoy’s lab, investigating isoprenoid precursors and iron sulfur clusters in Listeria monocytogenes. Now, she is in New York City working on two computational biology projects in Quaid Morris’s Lab with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Long term, she hopes to promote scientific communication and personalizing medicine.
Kathleen will be earning her B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley in May 2021.
Co-Founder
Sami Morse
samijmorse@gmail.com
Sami is a recent graduate from UC Berkeley, and has tried to spend his four years at Cal supporting the East Bay community, founding the nonprofit organization Project Scientific Coat Initiative for Future Innovators and establishing various community outreach programs as President with California Ice Hockey. Currently, Sami is working as a Medical Technician at Allergy and Asthma Associates.
Long term, he hopes to become a Medical Doctor that focuses on community outreach and attempts to address the social determinants of health.
Sami earned his B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology form the University of California, Berkeley in May 2020.
Co-Founder
John Seo
john.admiral.seo@berkeley.edu
John is a rising sophomore at UC Berkeley majoring in Psychology and minoring in Chemistry. He has spent two years working at a nonprofit organization based in Orange County as Community Outreach Program Coordinator, Health Educator, and Tobacco Prevention Project Research Assistant. Now, he is in where he is Berkeley continuing his studies while serving on the Peer Review Board and Independent Hearing Board as a member of the Division of Student Affairs.
Long term, he hopes to improve scientific literacy and recognize social inequality.
John will be earning his B.A. in Psychology and Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in May 2023.
MORE ABOUT US!
In the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic Kathleen Navas knew that she needed to make a difference. She recruited two of her peers, Sami Morse and John Seo, seeking to establish a Berkeley chapter of Students vs. Pandemics with the intentions of addressing the holes in Berkeley's pandemic response and advocating for underserved communities in the East Bay. As a group, they recruited students from all walks of life, and are trying to make a substantive difference in such an uncertain time.
COMMITTEE SETUP
Students vs. Pandemics at Berkeley is a committee-based organization. We have established 5 committees, each with specific focus areas, leadership groups, and impacts. Descriptions of these committees have been outlined below. You can check out our ongoing projects on SvP@Cal's main page.
Mental Health Committee
The mental health committee is dedicated to providing mental health support during a time of such isolation, uncertainty, and grief. Our projects include guiding self-care exercises, establishing social connections, and doing mental health outreach.
Resources Spreadsheet Committee
Students vs. Pandemics at Berkeley's resources spreadsheet team works to compile invaluable resources for the general public. Its goal is to make important information, such as policy rundowns, therapy scheduling, and COVID-19 testing locations, easily accessible.
Supporting Vulnerable Populations Committee
Our supporting vulnerable populations committee was created to help serve the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our team works to find opportunities to reach out to local organizations and find ways we can contribute, like providing tutors for East Bay schools or advocating for individuals who are houseless.
Contact Tracing Committee
The contact tracing committee is finding ways to effectively track down individuals who have come into contact with positive cases at UC Berkeley, and provide a "heat map" on campus to let students know safer locations. Ultimately, this committee's efforts will help UC Berkeley stop the spread.