Connect with your community

Advisor-to-advisor connections are an important part of learning, growth, and belonging. Advisors in the Academic Advising Mentoring Program are great resources for the community. We encourage you to establish connections that support your professional advising practice and contribute to your wellbeing as an academic advisor at UC Davis.

• Viviana Gonzalez

• 

  About:
  Hello! I am Viviana Gonzalez, the Undergraduate Program Coordinator for the Mathematics Department here at UC Davis. My role includes advising and providing support for all our undergraduate students and supporting our undergraduate major programs.

  Advising Philosophy:
  I strive to assist students with whatever needs, inquiries, and goals they may have as efficiently and thoroughly as possible while fostering a comfortable atmosphere and connection between advisors and students. My top three motivations when advising are: Communication, Efficiency, and Support.

  Professional Involvement: 
  Academic Advising Mentoring Program (AAMP) Mentor
  Development in:
  -Peer Advising program
  -Undergraduate student engagement and retention programs

  I have only recently begun my professional academic advising career, though in my undergraduate career, I have been involved with:
  -UC Davis Blue Cluster Advising Center - Lead Peer Advisor
  -First Year Aggie Connections (FYAC) - Peer Mentor

  Interests:
  -Developing an efficient Peer Advising program
  -Promoting resources and events geared towards undergraduate success, involvement, and development
  -Building connections with those in our UC Davis advising community
  -Mentoring and support for all interested in academic advising
  -I could listen, learn, and talk about Communication theories all day

  Education:
  -B.A., Communication, UC Davis
  -B.A., History, UC Davis

• Katherine Livingston

• 

  About 
  Katherine is a Staff Advisor in the Animal Science Advising Center. She advises students in the Agricultural and Environmental Education, Animal Science, and Animal Science and Management majors. She also advises on the Animal Science Minor and the Avian Sciences Minor. 

  Advising Philosophy  
  As an advisor, I am an educator, and my primary objective is to help students become self-assured scholars, confident in their ability to seek out opportunities and information long after they graduate. In my advising appointments, I make sure to have conversations with my students about their future to help them clarify their goals and identify opportunities for personal and professional growth. I strive to create a welcoming space for all and I treat each student as a person first, and as a student second. I have empathy for each student, and work to validate their experiences. I accept and celebrate the differences of each person I meet with, regardless of their world view or academic standing.  
  
  Professional Involvement
  -Livingston, K., Jackson, K, Martinez, E, Galvan Hack. Animal-Related Majors at University of California, Davis. Presented at UC/CSU/ California Community College Conference, 2016.  
  -Animal Science Advising Center Intuiface Touchscreen Board: Created video and written content featuring different student opportunities for student engagement including: clubs, internship opportunities, and research.  
  -Peer Advisor Presentation Series: Conceptualized and developed a peer advisor presentation requirement for all Department of Animal Science peer advisors. Peer advisors required to present twice yearly on topics related to campus resources and internship opportunities during our weekly peer advising meetings.  
  
  Education and Degree(s) 
  -B.A., Anthropology, University of Arizona, 2011 
  
  Honors and Awards 
  -Citation of Excellence, Team Work, 2018-2019 
  -Harry and Eleanor Walker Advising Award, Outstanding Staff Advisor Award, 2020-2021 
  
  Interests
  -Touchscreen board design and development 
  -Creative content development 
  -Peer Advisor Development 
  -Data-driven advising 
  -Policy development
  
  Contact
  keclivingston@ucdavis.edu

• Geoffrey Murry

• 

  About 
  I currently serve as the Student Services Manager for the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department. This role allows me to advise both grad and undergrad students on course selections, post-graduation plans, current challenges in their quarter and gives me the opportunity to make appropriate referrals to campus resources.

  My experience working with the community colleges (Chaffey and Mt. San Jacinto), along with the private institutions and our sister campuses (UC Riverside, UC Irvine) has deepened my commitment to providing students with clear information to make informed decisions through streamlining processes and providing transparent guidance on policies/procedures.

  I have begun to widen my scope of student support. I have a strong interest in curriculum and programming and feel this is the best way for me to challenge the current systems in place that hinder student success.

  Advising Philosophy  
  Advising Philosophy: I implement high impact, holistic and supportive advising practices. As advisors serve a key role in translating academic policy to assist students with making informed decisions, there is no “top-down” rhetoric. Advising Is a partnership, where students/staff can come together to formulate solutions.

  My (3) pillars of advising:
  -Agency
  -Transparency
  -Solution Focused
  
  Professional Involvement
  Academic Advising Mentoring Program (AAMP)
  Advising for Equity Administrative Advisory Committee (AEAAC)
  Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (MAE Group)
  Undergraduate/Graduate Study Committee (MAE Group)
  Faculty and Curriculum (MAE Group)
  COE-Social Networking Group
  Advisor Networking Group (COE)
  
  Contact
  gmmurry@ucdavis.edu

• Pascal Papillon
• 

  About 
  Hello there! I’m Pascal Papillon! I’m the Program Coordinator and Academic Advisor for Undeclared-Biological Life Sciences at the College of Biological Sciences! 

  Advising Philosophy  
  The methods within my practice that has most impacted my advising is appreciative advising, focusing on a holistic approach that includes student development alongside academic rigor. As a higher education professional with a specialty practice within academic advising, I believe the purpose of advising is not simply to prescribe courses associated with my students’ respective academic pursuits, but to also promote student success through assisting students feel connected to their institution, understand their purpose in a collegiate setting and beyond, and have clear academic and career goals. When I advise students, I aspire to help students achieve their full potential by collaborating with them to help create holistic plans for accomplishing their academic and career goals. What I value most about working with students is the mentor to mentee relationship incorporated within our interactions with one another to better prepare them for their professional careers. 
  
  Interests
  Research that I’m interested in includes retention efforts for racially and ethnically marginalized populations. I will be teaching a course called Students Redefining Success for Self-Identified Black Men via the Center for African Diaspora Student Success. 
  
  Contact
  prpapillon@ucdavis.edu

• Bianca Radut

• About 
  I’m the Academic Advisor (and alumna) for the Global Disease Biology program in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. I’ve been advising on this advising team since 2018. I work with 3 wonderful Peer Advisors in my team and a Course Administrator that also serves as an Advising Assistant for a good portion of our programming. I find team dynamics to be very important for my advising unit to function at its best, so I value my team members and always try to foster a community of collaboration. I like to think this makes our advising efficient and effective! 

  I’m an advisor by day, and runner by night (or by lunch breaks!). I love running and singing, so if I’m not advising, or studying for grad school, I’m probably running or joining a choir somewhere. 

  Advising Philosophy  
  When students come to me for advising, I want them to feel supported in their situation, but also challenged to take autonomy of their journeys. I like to coach students to find their own answers, especially when it comes to their direction in academic and/or career journeys, undergraduate opportunities, and their passions. I appreciate that every student is unique and has different lived experiences, so I keep a whole-person perspective in advising. As I like to say, ‘academics never happens in a bubble.’ I’m cognizant of how much other aspects of life can impact academic performance, and always connect students to necessary resources and encourage whole-person perspectives to bring true success. 
  
  Professional Involvement
  Committees and Communities: 
  -AAMP (Academic Advising Mentoring Program) Committee 
  -AAMP Marketing subcommittee 
  -LSFA (Latinx Staff and Faculty Association) 
  
  Advising programs developed: 
  -FYAC (First Year Aggie Connection) You ‘n Research 
  -Peer Advisor program 
  -Student engagement programs: professor panels, academic workshops, Student Mental Health Fair

  Education and Degree(s) 
  -University of California Davis, BS Global Disease Biology, 2020 
  -Loma Linda University, MPH Health Education & Wellness Coaching, 2024 
  
  Honors and Awards 
  -Golden Globe Award from Global Learning Hub, 2022
  
  Interests
  -Undergraduate research 
  -Public Health 
  -Graduate school while working 
  -Peer Advisor programs
  -Running
  
  Contact
  blarao@ucdavis.edu

• Lauren Wong
• 

  About 
  Lauren advises in the College of Letters and Science Undergraduate Education and Advising office. She also leads the Student Ambassador Team for the College. Before joining the Dean's Office, she was an undergraduate advisor and program coordinator for Languages & Literatures at UC Davis, responsible for the administration of the Chinese, Japanese, Classics, Humanities, and Human Rights programs. Her passion for advising started when she served as an academic peer advisor for the Sociology Department on campus. 

  Advising Philosophy  
  I believe personal and kind outreach removes institutional barriers and builds a scaffold of support for students. In my approach to higher education, I value: 
  
  -Caring for students beyond their academic identity and holistically remembering their unique needs and stories 
  -Collaborating with advising professionals and campus partners to share experiential learning opportunities and resources with students 
  -Challenging students to cultivate vision for their lives beyond graduation by encouraging them to find meaningful experiences and community during their college years 
  
  Professional Involvement
  Lauren values building up students’ professional development, enriching the first-year transition and experience, as well as encouraging the cultivation of transferable skills during the undergraduate journey. She is currently involved in the following UC Davis programs and committees: 
  
  -Member of the Advising Dialogues & Resources Committee (2020-2023) 
  -Facilitator for First-Year Aggie Connections (2021, 2022) 
  -Co-Chair for the Social Justice and Advising Community (2021-2023) 
  -Mentor for Academic Advising Mentoring Program (2022-2023) 
  -Mentor for the Guardian Scholars Program (2022-2023) 
  -Facilitator for Nuts & Bolts for Academic Advisors (Advisor Training & Professional Development Committee) (2023-2024) 
  
  Education and Degree(s) 
  -B.A., Sociology, UC Davis 
  -B.A., Psychology, UC Davis 
  
  Honors and Awards 
  -Outstanding New Advisor, Academic Advising Award 2020 
  -Chancellor's STAR Award 2020 
  
  Contact
  lnawong@ucdavis.edu