Job Shadow Program Testimonials

Matthew Lima

Biological science major, class of 2022

Shadowed: Dr. Allison Brashear, dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine

A couple weeks ago, I had the amazing opportunity to meet with Dr. Allison Brashear, Dean of @ucdavismedschool through the #ucdavisjobshadow program!
I was able to discuss one on one with Dean Brashear about what her goals are for the UC Davis School of Medicine going forward, how to manage personal and professional life, and what we believe the future looks like for medicine. See post.

Yasmine Avila

Managerial economics major, class of 2020

Shadowed: Christine Lovely, chief human resources officer

This quarter, I had the great opportunity to job shadow UC Davis’ chief human resources officer, Christine Lovely. Throughout this experience, I supported a talent acquisition team with job descriptions, sourcing strategies and advertisement methods. As well as seeing the Employee Life Cycle, I was able to join the compensation department on a phone call with the whole UC System to enhance our classification system and wage and salary program. See post.

Brenton Cai

Sustainable environmental design major, class of 2023

Shadowed: Kelly Ratliff, vice chancellor for finance, operations and administration

In November, I was fortunate enough to job shadow Kelly Ratliff, the vice chancellor of Finance, Operations and Administration for UC Davis. Kelly was a very kind and understanding leader, and managed to always pay attention to how others thought of the situation before making her final judgments about the problem. It was really enjoyable seeing how closely she worked with the people she was talking to during her meetings, and how she seemed to keep the atmosphere of the room light even if the problem that was being dealt with was very serious. See full post.

Vasudha Chugh

Communications and biochemistry majors, class of 2020

Shadowed: Dana Topousis, chief marketing and communications officer

Recently, I had the privilege to shadow Dana Topousis, our chief marketing and communications officer at UC Davis. I got to see and learn the everyday workings of the Strategic Communications department and learned about the leadership values and work ethic involved. I also got to sit on the chancellor's leadership council meeting, and it was interesting to learn about the campus initiatives taken and the collective effort that is vital for the success of the university. See full post.

Elizabeth von Klan

Clinical nutrition major, class of 2019

Shadowed: Ken Burtis, faculty adviser to the chancellor and provost

This quarter, I was given the opportunity to participate in Chancellor May’s Leadership Job Shadow Program! As someone who has worked in multiple departments around Davis — Dining Services, Student Affairs and Assessment, and Occupational Health and Safety Services — I wanted one last look at how the leadership of UC Davis coordinate all of these departments efficiently. I shadowed Ken Burtis, faculty adviser to the chancellor and provost. I also spent time during my shadow with Ralph Hexter, provost and executive vice chancellor. I spent the afternoon getting a behind-the-scenes look at the development of the Teaching and Learning Complex, which will soon facilitate more classroom spaces, in addition to an innovative active learning space. See full post.

Rosalina Burton

Human development major, class of 2021

Shadowed: Prasant Mohapatra, vice chancellor of research

Have you ever felt like everything was falling into place? That somehow the stars aligned in a way that prepared you for your destiny? That is how I felt when I was chosen to shadow Prasant Mohapatra, vice chancellor of research at UC Davis. I am studying human development with the plan to obtain my Ph.D. so that I can research adversity, increasing the success rates for those who have experienced adversity. During my time with Vice Chancellor Mohapatra, I was able to get a behind-the-scenes look at the day-to-day operations at the UC Davis Office of Research. Vice Chancellor Mohapatra oversees a great deal, from every research proposal to each and every animal on campus. Yes, even the hundreds of mice. Sitting in on meetings that covered expansion projects, budgeting, project management and even HR decisions like raises and promotions was intriguing, to say the least. Even still, he seemed to keep a cool head and moved through every meeting without skipping a beat. I wondered how he did it, and he answered, "Delegation." The most important lesson I learned during my time shadowing Vice Chancellor Mohapatra was that being a leader is not about knowing every single thing that takes place or being able to balance as many hats as possible — that's micromanaging. Being a leader is surrounding yourself with other leaders. It's recognizing the strengths in others and utilizing that to reach a common goal. Leadership is trusting your team to make the right decisions that support the mission and vision you have set out for them.

Tatiana Perkins

Political science major, class of 2021

Shadowed: Gary S. May, chancellor

As a first-year transfer student, the transition to UC Davis has been overwhelming; but with only two years to accomplish my goals I decided to apply to any open opportunities. I was lucky enough to be chosen as a shadow for Chancellor Gary May in my first quarter. During our day together I was able to sit in on his Leadership Council meeting with other campus administrators. This meeting opened my eyes to the intricacies of running an entire UC campus. The campus leaders I usually see as distant figures are working in our favor to better each student’s experience and make Davis a more inclusive place for all students. I was able to observe Chancellor May at two speaking events that day: The Global Climate Leadership Council and Universitas 21 (U21). See post.

Mustafa Sallak

Electrical engineering major, class of 2020

Shadowed: Jennifer Curtis, dean of the College of Engineering

In the fall quarter, I had the privilege of shadowing the dean of the College of Engineering at UC Davis, Jennifer Curtis. Myself along with two of my peers, Matthew Engquist and Grace Yang, got to sit in and listen to various meetings the dean had. These meetings concerned fundraising for various programs here on campus and strategies for student retention. I also had the opportunity to ask Dean Curtis various questions about her job, her career, and advise for students like myself. See full post.

Nicole Deacon

Statistics major, economics emphasis, class of 2020

Shadowed: Gary S. May, chancellor

I had the privilege of shadowing Chancellor May for the day. We students do not see the intricacies of operating our school, and this experience made me further appreciate everyone who works so hard to improve our incredible university. Chancellor May, thank you for this amazing opportunity, and, more importantly, thank you for all you do for this campus. Go Ags!

Andy Yu

Managerial economics major, class of 2021

Shadowed: Kelly Ratliff, vice chancellor for finance, administration and operations

Before we end this amazing first quarter, I want to thank Vice Chancellor Kelly Ratliff for an amazing shadow experience. In the beginning of the quarter, I had no passion and goals for the future. However, Kelly introduced me to her wonderful co-workers, taught me many things about team management, and included me on her regular scheduled meetings. With a better mindset and new knowledge, I have finally found some career paths that I am interested in pursuing.

Grace Yang

Civil engineering major, class of 2022

Shadowed: Jennifer Curtis, dean of the College of Engineering

I had an incredible time shadowing Dean Curtis and getting to have a glimpse of her day-to-day life. It was an eye-opening experience to see all the work, all the people and all the meetings that go in to improving the programs of the College of Engineering. During my shadowing, I was able to hear from Dean Curtis her plans for improving the college by renovating the Engineering Student Design Center and even starting a mentorship program that links undergraduate engineering students with alumni engineers. I am glad I was able to see some of the behind-the-scenes effort through the Leadership Job Shadow Program!

Yuri Yi

English and political science major, class of 2022

Shadowed: Nancy Erbstein, associate vice provost of Global Education for All

On December 3, 2019, I had the pleasure of conversing with three prestigious members of the Global Affairs department: Nancy Erbstein, Jennie Konsella-Norene and Jim Rix. From them, I was able to gain a deeper insight regarding the missions of the Global Affairs department here at UC Davis!

As an English and political science double major, I had entered the university as a freshman harboring the notion that I would want to graduate and work within the American politics field, most likely through entering law school. However, my meetings with Nancy, Jennie, and Jim helped me uncover my affinity for a possible passion in a different field. Nancy and I conversed about "Global Education for All," which seeks to aid students in developing skills that are needed to succeed in the exponentially growing, interconnected world that we live in today. See full post.

Calvin Wong

Political science public service major, class of 2022

Shadowed: Karl Engelbach, associate chancellor and chief of staff

On Wednesday morning, I walked into Mrak Hall uncertain of what to expect. All I knew was that I received the opportunity to shadow Karl Engelbach, the chancellor’s chief of staff. Little did I know, I would be graced with not just meeting Mr. Engelbach, but also his teammates who work closely alongside him to ensure our university thrives. By the end of the day, I left Mrak Hall with knowledge that will remain with me forever.

Shadowing Mr. Engelbach reaffirmed to me the necessity of communication and discourse with one’s team to succeed in the professional world. Less than an hour into my shadow, I sat in on Mr. Engelbach’s recurring updates on the chancellor’s agenda to several campus leaders. Here arose meaningful conversations pertaining to many topical issues, ranging from inter-campus to state-wide affairs. See post.

Thanh Huynh

Global disease biology major, class of 2021

Shadowed: Allison Brashear, dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine

This fall quarter, I had an amazing opportunity shadowing the dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine, Dr. Allison Brashear, and her colleagues.

As I nervously walked to my first meeting at the UC Davis School of Medicine, Darolyn Striley, the manager from the Office of Student Development, welcomed me with a big smile on her face. After having a tour around the UC Davis School of Medicine with Striley, I got a chance to sit down in her office and learn about her amazing job as a student services manager. Her responsibilities vary from arranging the whole orientation day for first-year medical students, assisting students in creating their own events or party, and launching many campaigns to support students with food-insecurity, etc. See full post.

Rolando Ajpop Juarez

Political science — public service major, class of 2023

Shadowed: Karl Engelbach, associate chancellor and chief of staff

Got to spend a wonderful day on Mrak Hall’s fifth floor today! I got to shadow Karl Engelbach, chief of staff for Chancellor Gary May, and I had a great time getting to know what his job entails. Attended the groundbreaking event for the new Teaching Learning Complex (coming soon), ate lunch with Chancellor May and his own shadow, and met the friendly team that makes this campus thrive! Had a great time! See full post.

Kareem Khan

Electrical and computer engineering major, class of 2019

Shadowed: Prasant Mohapatra, vice chancellor for research

This quarter I was lucky enough to be selected for the UC Davis Leadership Job Shadow Program. I got to shadow Prasant Mohapatra, vice chancellor of research who is also a distinguished professor of computer science.

That day I got to learn more about UC Davis' leadership and to participate in UC Davis' highest-profile meetings. Various topics — ranging from campus power infrastructure to joint ventures for a rehabilitation center — were discussed. Although I had very little context about what was being discussed, I was able to notice all the different perspectives that went into making a decision. All who participated in the meetings were highly qualified individuals who brought forth a diverse group of mindsets contributing to important decisions.

I also got to know a great deal more about Vice Chancellor Mohapatra in all of our interactions. He told me about his career path that led him to come the vice chancellor of research and we also discussed recent advancements in computer science. He gave me some great advice, especially about getting my research published in a journal.

Overall, it was an eye-opening experience that uncovered the world of campus leadership for me. This experience will definitely allow me to make better decisions regarding my career and also my life in general.