URC-HASS Staff

Jacquelyn Ardam holds a PhD in English from UCLA. She is a specialist in modern and contemporary literature, especially poetry, and has taught at UCLA and Colby College. Her book Avidly Reads Poetry was published in 2022 by NYU Press.

Jacquelyn joined URC-HASS in 2019 and became the Director in 2022. She co-directs the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship at UCLA and the Writing and Research Training Program for visiting Mellon Mays students. She also runs the Summer Research Incubator and the URC-HASS RAP Lab Fellowship. She is particularly interested in increasing the accessibility of undergraduate research experiences at UCLA and creating entry-level programs for new researchers across the humanities, arts, and social sciences. You can reach her at: jardam@college.ucla.edu.

Dr. Kelly Kistner received bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration and Sociology from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Washington in Seattle. Her research and publications have centered on the history and sociology of knowledge production.

Dr. Kistner joined the UCLA Undergraduate Research Center – Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences in the spring of 2016. She oversees the Research Revealed Program, Aleph Undergraduate Research Journal, and is involved in the Center’s planning, outreach, and assessment activities. She can be contacted at kkistner@college.ucla.edu.

Laura Ha Reizman received her Ph.D. in Asian Languages and Cultures from UCLA. Her research investigates the racial and gendered legacies of U.S. and Korean militarisms, respectively, during the Cold War era. Prior to joining the Undergraduate Research Center for the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, she was a postdoctoral fellow in Korean humanities at Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Reizman joined URC-HASS in 2023. She manages URFP, URSP, Keck, and co-leads the Transfer Research Entry Program with URC Sciences. She looks forward to helping motivated undergraduates develop their research and professional skills during their time at UCLA.

Kate McAllister received her B.A. in Anthropology from UCLA and her M.B.A. from UCLA Anderson. Kate can be contacted at kmcallister@college.ucla.edu.

Silveria Alvarado Luna grew up in Southern California and received their B.A. in History & Chicana/x/o Studies from UCLA. Silveria can be contacted at salvarado@college.ucla.edu.

Nancy Xu is a first-year Ph.D. student in Social Sciences and Comparative Education at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies, focusing her research on global citizenship education and diversity development. Her passion lies in fostering a more socially just, peaceful, and sustainable world through her academic work. Nancy holds an MBA and a Master of Science in Finance from Seattle University and has work experience across various sectors, including public and private schools, nonprofits, and corporations. She is dedicated to helping students reach their goals. Nancy can be contacted at nxu@college.ucla.edu.

Jason Araújo is Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Comparative Literature at UCLA. A first-generation college graduate, he holds a B.A. in History, summa cum laude, from the University of San Diego. Upon graduating Jason spent a year teaching kindergarten in Oakland, CA. He was then hired by the Department of Navy and moved to Washington, D.C. where he worked closely with the Office of the Secretary of Defense to execute then-President Obama’s Veterans Employment Initiative (Executive Order 13518.) After several years with the federal government, he moved to New York City where he worked on undergraduate education initiatives at Barnard College/Columbia University, specifically the role-playing curriculum Reacting to the Past. Prior to arriving at UCLA, he completed an M.A. in French and Francophone Studies at San Diego State University.

Jason is currently writing a dissertation tentatively titled “Transatlantic Triangulations” that examines the capacity for literature and culture to resist in times of war. Using three literary magazines, two French language publications and one Spanish, during the years leading up to and just after WWII he examines a network of writers and publishers producing work that was committed to the anti-fascist cause. During his time at UCLA, he has felt tremendous honor to receive various awards and distinctions including the Cota V. Robles Fellowship, the Lenart Travel Fellowship, and the university-wide Distinguished Teaching Award (2021).

Micaela Bronstein (she/her/ella) is a second-year Ph.D. student in Urban Schooling at the School of Education and Information Studies. Her research interests include immigrant and refugee education, alternative space of learning, and political and critical consciousness and activism in education. She is passionate about education equity and uplifting marginalized student voices. In her free time, she likes to hike, dance, and rock climb.

Maritza Geronimo is a fifth-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Geography at UCLA studying Indigenous and Latinx landback projects and food sovereignty efforts in Los Angeles. Their research is rooted in decolonial feminist geographies and urban political ecologies to think through the life-giving politics of land reclamation and how communities of color survive, live, and resist in the face of environmental injustice. They received their M.A. at UCLA in Geography and B.A. at UCLA in Chicana/o Studies and American Indian Studies. Maritza is also a filmmaker, popular educator, and gardener.

Xiong Her is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Higher Education and Organizational Change (HEOC) Program in the School of Education and Information Studies. His research interests focus on increasing access and support for low-income and/or first-generation students, affirmative action policy, and diversity issues in higher education. He earned his M.S. Ed. in International Educational Development from University of Pennsylvania and his BA in International Affairs and Political Science from Marquette University. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, playing sports (soccer, badminton, volleyball, etc.), hiking, and spending time with his family.

Jewell Ruth-Ella Humphrey (She/Her) is a PhD student in the department of Anthropology. Her research focuses include digital humanities, African diaspora maritime heritage, underwater research methods, and Black archival practices. She attended Howard University for her Bachelor’s degree, majoring in Africana Studies and minoring in Spanish. As a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, she received support to pursue her research interests and is excited to now pay that support forward as a mentor. In her free time, she likes scuba diving, reality tv, and gardening.

Fatimah Patel is a second-year undergraduate student majoring in English. She is passionate about the law and social justice and is always trying to learn new things! She aims to go to law school and pursue a career as an attorney. She is also an author for the Davis Vanguard, where she watches and reports on court cases, and a member of UCLA’s mock trial team.

In her free time, Fatimah loves to read, bake, and spend time with friends and family!

Hailey Yu is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Sociology. She is actively involved in various campus organizations including the Daily Bruin and the Campus Events Commission.