Chang joins VP’s office as deputy chief of staff
Aimee Chang has joined UC ANR as deputy chief of staff to the vice president, working with Kathy Eftekhari, who is chief of staff to the vice president and was recently named interim associate vice president of Administrative Services.
Chang will help back-fill some of Eftekhari’s duties during UC ANR’s organizational transition. She will be taking on a variety of projects related to the transition and providing other critical support.
Chang has served at the University of California in a variety of administrative and leadership roles for 20 years. She has worked on the UCLA and Berkeley campuses and served in the Academic Affairs division at UCOP for six years.
Her unique background includes over 10 years serving as a museum curator and educator at university art museums, including the Hammer Museum (UCLA), The Blanton (University of Texas at Austin), and BAMPFA (UC Berkeley). She most recently served as the director of divisional programs in the Arts and Humanities Dean’s office at UC Berkeley with a focus on arts related projects, faculty fellowship programs and research, and graduate student yield.
“She is very familiar with our UC policies, processes and protocols and will be an excellent resource in this role,” Eftekhari said.
Chang holds a bachelor’s degree in world literature and cultural studies from UC Santa Cruz and a master’s degree in art education from the University of Texas at Austin.
Chang is located at UC Office of the President in Oakland and can be reached at aimee.chang@ucop.edu.
Champlin joins Strategic Communications
Caroline Champlin joined Strategic Communications on May 19. As a science communication specialist covering Southern California, she will help UC experts share their knowledge with Californians via digital, audio and video media.
Before joining UC ANR, she led communications for the UC Davis Wild Energy Center, a research group studying the intersection of renewable energy and biodiversity.
Champlin started her career reporting for local and national public radio outlets, including KQED, LAist and Marketplace. After that, she spent stints bushwacking as a field surveyor tracking mountain beavers in Point Reyes and desert tortoises in the Mojave.
Champlin earned bachelor’s degrees in conservation and resource studies and rhetoric at UC Berkeley, while serving as news director for KALX, the campus radio station.
Champlin, who grew up in Pasadena, lives in Los Angeles and is based at the UC South Coast Research and Extension Center in Irvine. She can be reached at cchamplin@ucanr.edu and on Bluesky at @cchamplin.bsky.social.
Hackler joins California Institute for Water Resources
Darrene Hackler joined UC ANR on March 17 as a project scientist in California Institute for Water Resources. She will be managing the Water and Workforce Initiative.
Hackler is conducting investigative research and outreach to understand program models for watershed-based education and workforce programs across the country, which can help identify the types of models that can be implemented in California to promote watershed health and economic development.
Prior to joining UC ANR, Hackler served as an executive director of UC Davis Office of Research, vice president of the International Economic Development Council, a senior fellow at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, and an associate professor at George Mason University.
Hackler brings economic development expertise in economic equity and inclusive growth, entrepreneurship and small business, innovation and broadband. She has assisted local and regional government officials, as well as large and small economic development, nonprofit organizations and foundations with policy analysis, strategic plans, incentives analysis and technical assistance. Her clients have included universities, think tanks, foundations, governments and funding agencies.
She earned a Ph.D. in political science and economics at Claremont Graduate University, a master’s degree in public policy at Claremont Graduate University and a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics at College of Idaho.
Hackler is based at the ANR building in Davis and can be reached at dhackler@ucanr.edu. You can find her on LinkedIn and and on BlueSky with the handle of @dhackler.
Kahla Wallace joined Human Resources on May 12 as an academic human resources analyst II.
Wallace brings over 10 years of experience in various positions at UC Davis. Prior to joining UC, she worked at the Yolo County Farm Bureau as the irrigated lands regulatory program coordinator, where she was able to work closely with the community she loves.
Wallace is located at the ANR building in Davis and can be reached at (530) 750-1200 ext. 1889 and kahwallace@ucanr.edu.
Shea named NPI project policy analyst
Molly Shea began as a project policy analyst with the Nutrition Policy Institute on May 8. She first joined NPI in October 2024 as a survey worker doing data collection.
In her new role, Shea will work on evaluating the California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP) and California's Universal School Meals Program.
“Through my work, I hope to support nutrition policies and programs that make health more accessible to all,” she said.
Outside of her college years in Washington, D.C., Shea has lived in the Bay Area her whole life. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in public health from George Washington University, she earned a master of public health degree from UC Berkeley.
Prior to joining NPI, Shea worked in program management for youth development programs, and in local government on community engagement and health equity projects.
She also has experience in advocating for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known as CalFresh in California. Her research interests include evaluating food and nutrition policy, health education, food waste, and nutrition education programs.
“I am motivated by my own connection to food, health and the environment – as well as my commitment to supporting healthy and happy communities,” Shea said.
Shea can be reached at mshea@ucanr.edu.
Velednitsky joins 4-H in Contra Costa and Alameda counties
Stepha Velednitsky (she/they) joined UC ANR on May 5 as the 4-H youth advisor in Contra Costa and Alameda counties. She will collaborate with community partners to develop and promote culturally relevant college and career readiness programming for youth in the East Bay.
Velednitsky's 15 years of experience working with youth in school gardens, kitchens, outdoor education settings and university classrooms informs her commitment to strengthening communities by supporting young people in finding their paths. Her master’s and doctoral studies in geography sparked her passion for community-engaged research, and she is excited to advance best practices in culturally relevant youth programming in partnership with local organizations.
Previously, Velednitsky worked in the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Extension Positive Youth Development Institute. There, she supported educators and community members in identifying culturally relevant teaching materials through a participatory process, while also providing professional development training to support inclusive environments for youth and adults.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental justice studies from UC San Diego, and then a master’s degree in geography from UW-Madison.
Velednitsky – who grew up in Santa Clara County and is shaped by the years she has spent living in Oakland, San Diego and Madison, Wisconsin – is excited to be back in the Bay Area and looks forward to connecting with her new colleagues.
Velednitsky is based in the UCCE Contra Costa County office in Concord and can be reached at velednitsky@ucanr.edu. You can find her on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/stephavelednitsky.