The UCSC Basic Needs Village

Our Basic Needs team takes a multidivisional approach with staff across the Division of Student Affairs and Success, Social Sciences Division, CHES, and Planning and Budget working together to support students. 

Campus Basic Needs Leadership Team

Akirah Bradley-Armstrong (Chair)
Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and Success

Tim Galarneau 
Center for Agroecology, Southwest Regional Food Business Center, Center for Economic Justice, UC Essential Needs Consortium 

Dave Kellar
(Interim) Associate Vice Chancellor, CHES, Business and Administration Services 

Katharyne Mitchell
Dean of Social Sciences 

Garrett Naiman
Dean of Students, Student Affairs and Success

Kimberly Register
Associate Vice Chancellor for Planning and Budget

Working Group Core Leadership Team

Mariah Lyons (Chair)
Assistant Dean, Dean of Students Office, Student Support Programs
mlyons1@ucsc.edu 
Contact me about Slug Support and Basic Needs 

Estefania Rodriguez
Director of Basic Needs
Contact me about Redwood Free Market, campus-wide food distribution, and CalFresh
erodri22@ucsc.edu

Tim Galarneau
Center for Agroecology, Southwest Regional Food Business Center, Center for Economic Justice, UC Essential Needs Consortium 
tgalarne@ucsc.edu
Contact me about information on food security and basic needs initiatives system-wide

Heather Bullock
Director of the Center for Economic Justice and Action (CEJA) / UC Essential Needs Consortium, Psychology Faculty
hbullock@ucsc.edu
Contact me about information on food security data system-wide and on-campus

Francis Ge 
Center for Agroecology Basic Needs & Student Engagement Coordinator
fmge@ucsc.edu
Contact me about weekly produce pop-ups, student internships, and UCSC Food Systems Working Group

Gwen Chodur
Postdoctoral Scholar at the Center for Economic Justice and Action / UC Essential Needs Consortium
gchodur@ucsc.edu
Contact me about information on basic needs data system-wide and on-campus, and for-credit and paid research opportunities

Basic Needs Student Leads 

Jackson Sherseth, Basic Needs Marketing and Communications Assistant 

Jacob Klein, Redwood Free Market Admin Assistant

Monica Ramirez, Redwood Free Market Operations Assistant

Sofia Kamachi, Redwood Free Market Kitchen Coordinator 

Lesly Nicasio, CalFresh Outreach Program Co-Lead

Jerica Libut, CalFresh Outreach Program Co-Lead