The COE DEI Committee advises the Dean and College Leadership team on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion, as they relate to faculty, staff and students within the College of Engineering. The committee’s action items and conversations focus on campus climate, the UC Davis Strategic Plan and the goals of the College of Engineering.
The committee’s primary goals are:
- Provide a safe environment for all staff by reviewing relevant campus and College policy and by promoting an inclusive campus climate.
- Reduce implicit bias in faculty hiring, merit and promotional decisions.
- Ensure equitable access to learning and education for all students.
- Highlight the College of Engineering as a beacon of diversity, equity and inclusion where all students, faculty and staff are equipped to succeed.
Committee Members

Lamia Braun, Co-Chair
Development Assistant, Dean’s Office
lshajani@ucdavis.edu

Cindy Rubio-González, Co-Chair
Faculty Assistant to the Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, College of Engineering and Associate Professor, Computer Science
crubio@ucdavis.edu

Colleen Bronner, Vice Chair
Associate Professor of Teaching, Civil & Environmental Engineering
cebronner@ucdavis.edu

Sabrina Oliver, Vice Chair
Academic Personnel Specialist, Civil and Environmental Engineering
saboliver@ucdavis.edu

Valeria La Saponara, Secretary
Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
vlasaponara@ucdavis.edu

Md Shamim Ahamed
Assistant Professor, Biological and Agricultural Engineering
mahamed@ucdavis.edu

Zhaojun Bai
Professor, Computer Science
zbai@ucdavis.edu

Michele Barbato
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
mbarbato@ucdavis.edu

Sherry Batin
R&D Engineer – ESDC, Dean’s Office
ssbatin@ucdavis.edu

Yesenia Cervantes-Tucker
AvenueE – Director, Dean’s Office
ycervantestucker@ucdavis.edu

Camille Fink
Senior Editor, CEE/UC Pavement Research Center
cnyfink@ucdavis.edu

Juliet Han
Probat Roasting Fellow, Dean’s Office
jahan@ucdavis.edu

Michael Hill
Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
mrhill@ucdavis.edu

Greg Miller
Professor, Chemical Engineering
grgmiller@ucdavis.edu

Jennifer Mullin
Assistant Professor of Teaching, Biological and Agricultural Engineering
jsmullin@ucdavis.edu

Randall O'Reilly
Professor, CS & Psychology / Neuroscience
oreilly@ucdavis.edu

Joël Porquet-Lupine
Assistant Professor of Teaching, Computer Science
jporquet@ucdavis.edu

Kevin Wayne Rusch
Junior Specialist, Biomedical Engineering
kwrusch@ucdavis.edu

Zubair Shafiq
Associate Professor, Computer Science
zshafiq@ucdavis.edu

Sanjeevi Sivasankar
Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
ssivasankar@ucdavis.edu

Yayoi Takamura
Professor and Chair, Materials Science and Engineering
ytakamura@ucdavis.edu

Alin Wakefield
Research & Graduate Studies Development Coordinator, Dean’s Office
amwakefield@ucdavis.edu

Lauren Worrell
Graduate Program Coordinator, Civil and Environmental Engineering
lkworrell@ucdavis.edu