Select Student Profiles Draft
Katherine (Kit) Cole
Founder, Kit Cole Consulting
Education: Master of Public Administration, USC; Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, University of California, Davis
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Marlon Boarnet
Katherine’s consulting focus is on community outreach and engagement, especially engaging with hostile communities around big infrastructure.
Diana Dimapindan
Faculty Affairs Manager, USC Viterbi School of Engineering; Health Policy Instructor in USC’s Master of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN-FNP) Program
Education: Master of Health Administration, USC; Bachelor of Science in Social Work, Mount Saint Mary’s University
Faculty Advisor: Dr. LaVonna Lewis
Diana’s professional experience is in higher education. Her research examines family caregiving, filial responsibilities, and healthcare utilization within the Filipino-American community.
Joey Espinoza-Hernández
Director of Advocacy & Mobilization, Los Angeles LGBT Center
Education: Master of Public Health, California State University, Long Beach; Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mindy Romero
Joey’s expertise is in policy advocacy and grassroots community organizing. They currently serve on the Board of the California Coalition for Youth. Joey’s research examines activism to combat LGBTQ poverty through targeted programs.
Megan Goulding
Head of Strategy and External Relations, USC Price Center for Social Innovation; Adjunct Instructor, USC
Education: Master of Public Administration, USC; Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, California State University, Long Beach
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Gary Painter
Megan’s professional expertise is in fundraising, communications, and external relations. Her research examines social innovation, philanthropy, and impact investing.
Gia Grant-Rutledge
Lead Health Scientist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Founder and CEO of ProEval Insights, an SBA Women-Owned Business (SBA WOSB)
Education: Master of Public Health, University of Arizona; Bachelor of Science in Biology, University of California, San Diego
Faculty Advisor: LaVonna Lewis
Gia’s expertise includes public/private partnerships, program development, and program evaluation. She advises governments, women-owned small businesses, tech start-ups, and social enterprises. She also serves on the Editorial Board of the Preventing Chronic Disease Journal. Gia researches social determinants of health, urban policy, and social impact.
Jessica Hefes
Director, Urban Arts Labs; Co-founder, Just the Ticket
Education: Master of Laws in International Law and International Relations, Lancaster University; Master of Laws, The University of Hong Kong; Bachelor of Laws, University of Westminster
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Lois Takahashi
Jessica is a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales, with expertise in legal, business and strategic advice as well as cultural development. Her research interests include reproductive rights, reproductive technologies, sociology of work, remuneration and benefits, and social innovation.
Kevin Kearney
City Manager, City of Bradbury, CA
Education: Master of Public Health, Cal Poly Pomona; Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, University of California, Irvine
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Peter Robertson
Kevin serves on the executive board of directors for David & Margaret Youth and Family Services, and on the advisory board for CivicPulse, an organization providing current, nonpartisan data to local governments. His research examines municipal employees’ reactions to city council member incivility.
Jennifer King
Special Advisor, Management Partners; Lecturer, USC Gould School of Law
Education: Juris Doctor, Stanford Law School; Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, Stanford University
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Terry Cooper
Jennifer has broad experience in law and government, including terms as Mayor and City Council Member for Palos Verdes Estates. Her law firm represented clients in civil appeals and post-trial matters. Her research interest is collaborative practices in local government.
Matt Lazari
Senior Director of Finance, Ballad Health; Adjunct Professor, American College of Healthcare Executives
Education: Master of Health Administration, USC; Bachelor of Science in Biology/Business, California State University, Stanislaus
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Phil Dalton
Matt’s research interest is improving access, lowering cost, and improving the quality of care in healthcare through reimbursement drivers.
Christina Paddock
Clinical Associate Professor, USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
Education: Master of Social Welfare, University of California, Los Angeles; Bachelor of Arts in Psychology/Government, Claremont McKenna College
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Deborah Natoli
Tina’s professional expertise includes public child welfare, developmental disabilities, local government and nonprofit management. She is a board member of the California Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. Her research examines child care options in LA County and the experiences of working parents.
Hossein Pourmand
Senior Executive Director, Corporate & Foundation Relations, USC
Education: Master of Business Administration, Pepperdine University; Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles.
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Julie Zissimopoulos
Hossein’s professional expertise is in finance and fundraising. His research is focused on public health issues, particularly related to Alzheimers Disease.
Holly Priebe Sotelo
Clinical Associate Professor, Field Education, USC School of Social Work
Education: Master of Social Work, California State University of Long Beach; Bachelor of Rehabilitation Services, California State University of Los Angeles
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Deborah Natoli
Holly’s professional expertise includes the prevention of human trafficking, school-based violence and crisis response, interpersonal and inter-group conflict and mediation, child abuse and family violence. She is researching public school programs to prevent human trafficking.
Dawn Schock
Self-employed Rule of Law Development Consultant, Attorney; Adjunct Instructor, Loyola Law School
Education: Juris Doctor, McGeorge School of Law; Master of English, Long Island University; Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts, University of North Dakota
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rym Kaki
Dawn’s professional expertise includes International rule of law development, justice sector reform, and gender in the legal profession. She intends to research international rule of law development with a focus on women legal professionals.
Sara Straubel
Program Officer, The Ahmanson Foundation
Education: Master of Education, Harvard University; Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, Ithaca College
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Nicole Esparza
Sara’s professional expertise is in philanthropy, nonprofit organizations, and collaborative grantmaking. Her research interests include implicit racial bias, trust-based philanthropy, and social justice.
Candace Teixeira
Associate Dean of Corporate Engagement and Programs, USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Education: Master of Arts in Communication Management and Information Technology, USC; Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/Information Systems, USC
Faculty Advisor: Dr. James Moore
Candace serves on the Board of Directors for the American Society of Engineering Educators, Continuing Professional Development Division. Her research focuses on the development of continuing engineering education programs.
Jason Townsell
Manager of Environmental, Health and Safety at Netflix; Founder and President, Partners for Water; Adjunct Instructor, Citrus College
Education: Master of Science in Emergency Services Administration, California State University, Long Beach; Bachelor of Science in Fire Science Administration, Waldorf University
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Detlof von Winterfeldt
Jason’s professional expertise is in occupational safety/health and emergency response. Through his nonprofit organization, Jason oversees water management and sustainability projects in Nigeria. His research focuses on corporate social responsibility, philanthropy, and development in under-resourced places.