Karen Chin Retires!
Karen Chin is retiring at the end of June 2020 after working at the Law School for over thirty years. During her time at Berkeley Law, she served as the administrator for the Miller Institute for Global Challenges and the Law, the Institute for Legal Research, and the Center on Reproductive Rights and Justice, as well as Interim Executive Assistant to Interim Dean Melissa Murray. During retirement Karen looks forward to staying up late, immersing herself in crossword puzzles, bingeing old Hollywood movies, reconnecting with her creative life, and eventually exploring the country with her husband.
Tributes
Karen has been both my mentor and most beloved friend at the law school for over 20 years. Her unfailing professional standards of excellence, skill in managing ever-shifting campus policies, and incisive wit in troubled times have influenced me as a coworker and person in the best of ways. I’ll always thank my lucky stars that I had the opportunity to work so closely with Karen. I’ll miss her every day!
-Toni Mendicino
Congratulations, Karen! I know you’ve been counting down the days… well it’s here! It was wonderful having you as my colleague for so many years and I do miss our morning talks. Wishing you an awesome retirement filled with fun and happiness. You deserve it!
Love, Ariana Ceja
I first met Karen as a 1L, and for the next three years she was a lifeline that helped me figure out how to navigate life as a student here. Years after graduation, when I returned to Berkeley Law as an employee, I first went to my (completely empty) new office… and then straight over to Karen and Toni’s office to say hello. Karen is one of the kindest and warmest colleagues I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with, and sets the highest standards for our work. I don’t think she knows what it means to let something fall through the cracks – it’s just not something she does. And then she somehow finds time for her many other passions and talents, including knitting a handmade blanket for my oldest son. Karen, you will be so deeply missed around here, even while we’re all wishing you so much happiness as you move on to new adventures.
-Jordan Diamond
Who knows how we first met those many years ago, when the whole world seemed to revolve around the third floor and we lived in much closer quarters. But Karen Chin was a friendly face to a young, naïve kid just starting out, so we became friends. We even had a few things in common, the arts, for example, she visual and dance, me music and literature. We even knitted. I remember going to her place once for a knitting party. And of course we shared an affection for Doctor Who, long before it was a thing.
As a work colleague, Karen is top drawer, a calming presence even among chaos. I could turn to her for questions whenever campus systems changed or failed to make sense. We knew when to have a good laugh about it. (Her laugh is legendary.) And her creative spirit made work a much more interesting place. It is hard to say goodbye to people with whom I’ve worked and grown over the past 30+ years. Though it is certainly true that Karen has well earned her retirement. I wish her long life and happiness in the years ahead.
-Gregory “gar” Russell
Karen Chin’s retirement is a marvelous and greatly deserved personal opportunity for her, but it also brings a painful loss to the School of Law. Her institutional memory, her civility, her poise, and her dedication will be missed. May we perpetuate and model these qualities in recognition of her Berkeley Law legacy.
– Charles Cannon
Sixty years of research and teaching in our county’s amazing academic institutions, as I have experienced, means that one encounters a dazzling range of personalities along the way: mentors, supporters, deans, students, job reviewers, office staff, maintenance personnel . . . (the inventory goes on). In my own case, I am privileged to thank Karen as the very exemplar of a colleague who inspires by both her dedication and her devotion to the highest level of excellence in all her responsibilities (always cheerfully undertaking more than what is “prescribed” when the need is evident). In loyalty to her unit, to the School and the University, and in empathy for colleagues having difficult times, Karen is matchless. My work as director of ILR, the Law of the Sea Institute, and the Sho Sato Program—and the warm feelings about Berkeley Law held by our many colleagues overseas and in other US universities who played roles in these programs—reflect Karen’s efforts (and also Toni Mendicino’s efforts jointly with Karen) that “made the machinery run smoothly. “Her storied efficiency also protected my time, outside administration, for my classes and writing; it made going to campus every day truly a pleasure! Thank you, Karen, from Jane and me, and from so many colleagues!
-Harry Scheiber
Dear Karen,
I won’t claim you are only a summer soldier, but retirement already???
The world is at the brink,
The times are out of order;
I really feel you ought to
Bring us back into sync!
And retirement will not help in that effort. It will only leave us bereft of your stabilizing presence; your calmness amidst the daily turmoil; your firmness in keeping the Miller Institute afloat; your innovative solutions
when faced with clearly inappropriate last-minute absurd budget-breaking requests; your kind and only slightly pitying smile on the rare occasions when it would be too absurd to say yes – I know whereof I speak.
Walking into 381 Boalt has always lifted my spirits – first when schmoozing with the Gang of Three, then in recent years with the bare quorum of Two, and now it will be Toni and me mano a mano. But we’ll do our best to lure you back occasionally with Crixa Cake treats, to hear your tales of life as a civilian, and, -dare I hope, perhaps even to see photos of your new art work.
I will severely miss you, and won’t be alone in that regard.
-Dick Buxbaum
Warm Welcomes!
New Staff at Berkeley Law as of July 2019
Elizabeth Klein
Elizabeth joined the CDO on June 1 as an Associate Director for Private Sector Counseling and Programs. She is a 2011 Berkeley Law Alum (2004 Berkeley Engineering Undergrad Alum) who is excited to return to UC Berkeley after practicing law and administrating at law firms in San Francisco.
Elizabeth joined Berkeley Law in June 2020
Rosana Hill-Thomas
Rosana Hill-Thomas has over nine year of experience in student support services, aid and academic advising, Rosana joined Berkeley Law in 2020 to continue her passion of assisting students pursuing higher education. She has experience working with underrepresented and first generation students, along with the management of programs that provided college access and support for former foster and juvenile justice youth.
Rosana joined Berkeley Law in April 2020
Kathryn Fournier
Katie Fournier is originally from San Rafael and graduated from the University of San Diego with a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Humanities. I have worked in higher ed fundraising for the past five years, working both at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA and La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. I joined the Development and Alumni Relations team at Berkeley Law in March 2020. I live in El Cerrito with my husband, who is a postgrad with Berkeley’s College of Engineering. When there is not a pandemic, I enjoy traveling, hiking, and attempting to oil paint.
Katie joined Berkeley Law in March 2020
Zilose Lyons
Zilose Lyons is the Program Administrator for the California-China Climate Institute (CCCI), at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. Prior to joining CCCI, she was the Director of International Partnerships and Diversity Initiatives at the Center for Emerging and Neglected Diseases (CEND), also at UC Berkeley. She joined CEND in 2010, serving first as a program manager and helping develop CEND’s student engagement programs, grow its collaborative partnerships spanning Africa, Asia and Latin America and managing its various events and symposia. Zilose holds a BA in Sustainable Development Studies and a minor in Global Poverty and Practice from UC Berkeley. She is also a graduate of Contra Costa Community College and holds a Journalism and Public Relations diploma from Evelyn Hone College of Applied Arts and Commerce in Lusaka, Zambia.
Zilose joined Berkeley Law in March 2020
Tammy Dawson
Tammy graduated from Northwestern School of Law and practiced immigration law for over a decade before refocusing her career on guiding lawyers and law students in building skills needed to successfully pursue meaningful work and excel in their careers. Before joining the Advanced Degree Programs office, she worked in the career services office at several Bay Area law school and was the Director of Professional Development at Fenwick & West. She has also served as the Executive Director of the Women in Law Empowerment Forum West and the Bar Association of San Francisco’s No Glass Ceiling Task Force and co-chaired the Queen’s Bench Work-Life Balance Committee.
Tammy joined Berkeley Law in March 2020
Eliza Munger
Eliza Munger is the Program Coordinator for GrizzlyCorps, a new AmeriCorps service program at CLEE. Eliza has a passion for engaging young professionals in service and civic action. She previously managed a youth development AmeriCorps program and has worked in multiple capacities for environmental education nonprofits. When she’s out of the office, Eliza enjoys exploring all the wonderful California hiking trails with her dog.
Eliza joined Berkeley Law in March 2020
Kyle Kate Dudley
Kyle Kate Dudley is thrilled to be a new addition to the Student Services team and work in accessible education. As an attorney, she has worked in civil legal aid, art law, and youth law, with a focus on advocating for a shift in how educators perceive students and how we encourage students to view themselves. Prior to her transition to the law, Kyle Kate worked in non-profit management and ran a conservatory theatre for young people aged 8 to 18. She is a graduate of New York University and UC Davis School of Law.
Kyle Kate joined Berkeley Law in February 2020
Chelsea Hackett
Chelsea joined the JD Admissions Office as the Admissions Outreach Coordinator in February 2020. Before joining Berkeley Law, she worked in new student orientation and interdisciplinary academic initiatives at UCLA. Outside of work, she enjoys baking, traveling (when there isn’t a pandemic), and spending time with her four younger siblings.
Chelsea joined Berkeley Law in February 2020
Ingrid McKenney
Ingrid joined Berkeley Law Development and Alumni Relations in December after seven years at the College of Letters & Science. As Executive Director of Development she oversees most of the DAR team’s fundraising efforts. Ingrid lives in Oakland with her two sons and husband Sean Farhang (Berkeley Law faculty). Originally from New York, Ingrid loves the four seasons, foreign movies, and planning of all types, especially for vacations.
Ingrid joined Berkeley Law in December 2019
Kelly Franklin
Kelly comes to us with a background in higher education, public affairs, crisis communications, litigation support, technology and education reform/policy. She was the Director of Media Relations at NYU and was First Deputy Press Secretary to Chancellor Joel Klein at New York City Department of Education, under Mayor Bloomberg. She has experience in newsrooms, large and boutique PR/Crisis agencies and even film and television production. Within agencies, she’s worked for large tech companies as well as start ups, major consumer brands and companies needing issues management.
Kelly joined Berkeley Law in December 2019
Sydney Saubestre
Sydney Saubestre serves as the Research Coordinator for the Health and Human Rights Program’s FAM evaluation, an innovative family-based foster care pilot for youth who have experienced or are at risk of commercial sexual exploitation in San Francisco. Sydney has substantial experience conducting innovative, scalable systems-change work. Prior to joining the Human Rights Center, she designed and implemented pilot programs at the Oakland Unified School District, the Oakland Promise, and as a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs in St. Louis, MO. Sydney is also passionate about issues of equity, and is the co- Founder of Berkeley Mutual Aid and volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in Alameda County. She holds a BA in Economics and Anthropology from The New School.
Jorge Magana
Jorge joined the Financial Aid Office in 2019. He has worked in financial aid for over 5 years and previously worked in financial aid at Loyola Marymount University, University of California, Santa Cruz, and Monterey Peninsula College. Jorge has a particular interest in financial wellness, financial aid policy, and improving college access and success, specifically for first-generation, low-income and underrepresented students. He received an M.A. in International Education Administration and Policy Analysis from Stanford University and a B.A. in International Development Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Jorge joined Berkeley Law in October 2019
Kristin Haas
Kristin Haas is the new Student Services Administrator. Before working at Berkeley Law, she spent three years working in international development in Rwanda and Tanzania. She has a Master’s in International and Public Affairs from Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!) and enjoys hiking with her Tanzanian dog, Cyrus, on the weekends.
Kristin joined Berkeley Law in September 2019
Justin Ross
Justin Ross joined Berkeley Law in late August as a Legal Assistant in the Faculty Support Unit. Previously, he worked at a small real estate and family litigation firm in Emeryville. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Political Science, and appreciates a good coffee or pastry (e.g. Cheeseboard).
Justin joined Berkeley Law in August 2019
Marimar Arango Gomez
As a UC Berkeley Undergrad Alum and UCLA Law Fellow, Marimar’s interest in the legal field comes from her own experience and research in Latin America. Marimar joined the law school August of last year as part of the Faculty Support Unit (FSU). Prior to joining the Berkeley Law community, Marimar worked as a Case Assistant at a corporate employment firm in San Francisco supporting attorneys through litigation matters. She has also worked in immigration law providing legal assistance to low-income individuals. In her free time, Marimar uses watercolor art to highlight her culture, love for nature, and social justice.
Marimar joined Berkeley Law in August 2019
Jeanette Ching
My name is Jeanette Ching and I joined the Law School family in August 2019 as the Office Manager for the Clinical Program. My educational background first focused on Childhood Development and Early Childhood Education. After graduating from Mills College I decided to attend massage school; as a Massage Therapist I enjoyed working for a Chiropractor and Acupuncturist, as well as doing corporate massage at the Livermore Lab and PeopleSoft. I then started teaching massage combining my passions: bodywork, anatomy and education. After 16 years (6 of them as the Campus Manager) I decided to transition into something new and was delighted to find the current position I’m in. I love that I still get to work in an educational environment and enjoy supporting the students, staff and faculty.
Jeanette joined Berkeley Law in August 2019
Doreen de Roque
Doreen joined Berkeley Law in September 2019 after 2 years in the College of Engineering, planning college-wide events & programs. She heads up the Regional Engagement Alumni Chapters (REACh) program on the Development & Alumni Relations team. Prior to UC Berkeley, Doreen was Director of operations for a commercial credit training company and involved in outreach for the Lafayette Community Foundation and local k-12 schools. Originally from Ohio, Doreen lives in Lafayette with her husband and three college age children (now home due to the pandemic!). She enjoys hiking, traveling, attending film festivals, and working puzzles.
Samayra Siddiqui
Samayra (Sam) Siddiqui is the Program Coordinator for the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law’s Field Placement Program. Previously, she worked in genetics clinical research in Durham, North Carolina and for a data-driven precision medicine startup in Chicago. Sam grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and she graduated from Duke University with a degree in evolutionary anthropology.
Sam joined Berkeley Law in July 2019
Mark Krol
Mark Krol is really happy to be at Berkeley Law for the last 11 months. Prior to being at the law school, he worked with UCSF Print Management Program, UC Berkeley Cal Dining and UC Printing. Mark has two furry children (cats) Figaro and Furgee and has been married for 33 years. His favorite part of working at Berkeley Law is the friendliness and kind people he sees throughout the day.
Mark joined Berkeley Law in July 2019
Grace Li
My name is Grace and I am the new Assistant Registrar. I graduated from UC Berkeley last year with a Bachelor’s in Sociology and hope to one day pursue a Masters in Public Administration. Prior to my position here, I interned for Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, working with constituents and completing casework regarding revitalizing public housing, immigration, veteran affairs, and more. In addition, I have served as the Graduate Services Administrative Assistant for the Environmental Science, Policy, and Management Department on campus. While my interests align with policy and administrative work, I love event planning, swimming, plants, and passion fruit margaritas! I am so happy to be a part of this amazing Berkeley Law community.
Grace joined Berkeley Law in July 2019
Laurie Frasier, Visual Communications Specialist
Joined the Law School in March, 2020
Nathalie Louise Colette, Event Specialist
Joined the Law School in January 2020
Marinella Bohol, User Experience Designer
Joined the Law School in December 2019
Juan Ramon Zavala Ponce, Administrative Officer
Joined the Law School in December 2019
Liana Mukha, Academic HR Analyst
joined the Law School in November 2019
Grayce Sarah Patricia Zelphin, Career Services Specialist
joined the Law School in November 2019
Minara Mordecai, Admissions Recruitment Specialist
joined the Law School in October 2019
Caitlyn Cady, Administrative Officer
joined the Law School in October 2019
Ashley Renteria, Assistant
joined the Law School in September 2019
Gwyneth Shaw, Writer Editor
joined the Law School in September 2019
Monique Sanchez, Assistant
joined the Law School in August 2019
Matthew Veldman, Assistant
joined the Law School in August 2019
Maya Shemtov, Alumni External Relations Specialist
joined the Law School in August 2019
Alex Shapiro, Communications Manager
joined the Law School in July 2019
Alan Iijima, Fundraiser
joined the Law School in July 2019
Did we miss you? Send us an email at esu@law.berkeley.edu and let us know so we can add you!