Powell Library

Advisory Committees

Role of Advisory Committees

The role of the five Advisory Committees will be to provide feedback and recommendations on issues that broadly impact UCLA. Ascend 2.0 Program Leaders will utilize recommendations to determine next steps, which may flow up to Program Owners for approval, or down to Workstream Teams for implementation.  

There are five focused Advisory Committees – Change Management, Finance, Research, Technology Enablement, and Sustainment – will work in an advisory capacity to achieve the following areas: 

  • Increase campus involvement through increased opportunities for faculty representation 
  • Create more opportunities for feedback and collaboration 
  • Leverage deep expertise and knowledge of members in key areas 
  • Yield rich, timely insights into critical focus areas 
  • Enable more informed decision-making by Program Leadership, Program Owners, and Executive Sponsors

Advisory Committee Overview

The Ascend 2.0 program will rely on guidance, insight, and perspective from the five Advisory Committees to enable a financial transformation that benefits the greater good of UCLA. Each Committee will be chaired by a Program Owner and will be composed of 10-12 members, including two Co-Chairs. They will include representation from all “four corners” of the University: Academic, Non-academic, Research, and Medical. 

Read more about each of the five Advisory Committees below: 

  • Change Management Advisory Committee
  • Purpose
    - Advise on finance impacts related to the Ascend 2.0 program​
    - Inform how Ascend 2.0 interacts with the overall financial landscape​
    - Support true financial transformation across the University​

    Leadership
    Co-Chair: Jennifer Ferry, Asst. CIO, Strategic Planning & Operations, IT Services  
    Co-Chair: O.T. Wells II, Chief Procurement Officer, Business & Finance Solutions

    Committee Members

    Yoon Lee, Sr. Director, Extramural Fund Mgmt., Research Administration
    Christine Daycock, Executive Director PMO, DGSOM 
    Julie Sina, Assoc. VC Alumni Affairs, CFO, UCLA Foundation & Investment Company
    Magyn Kydd, Director of Marketing and Communications, UCLA Administration
    Reem Hanna-Harwell, Asst. Dean of Humanities, College of Humanities
    Michelle Leonard, Asst. Director, ORA – ORIS
    Anne Dela Cruz, Director of Human Resources & Payroll Operations Center, UCLA Campus Human Resources

    Responsibilities
    - Review project progress​
    - Share perspective as needed on decisions that would impact business processes and policies​
    - Provide insights into stakeholder needs and perceptions​
    - Foster positive communications related to Ascend 2.0 across UCLA ​
    - Visibly support the Ascend 2.0 Program in UCLA community

    Authority
    Advisory

    Cadence
    Monthly

    Duration
    Through August 2025
  • Finance Advisory Committee

  • Purpose
    - Advise on finance impacts related to the Ascend 2.0 program​
    - Inform how Ascend 2.0 interacts with the overall financial landscape​
    - Support true financial transformation across the University​

    Leadership
    - Co-Chair: Selina Martin, Controller, Business & Finance
    - Co-Chair: Rebecca Lee-Garcia, Dir. Financial Analysis & Decision Support, Academic Planning & Budget

    Committee Members
    Christina Chase, Executive Director, Foundation Financial Services
    Charles Hajek, Executive Director of Finance, DGSOM
    Steve Yu, CFO & Asst. Dean, School of Law
    Judson Caskey, Professor of Accounting, Anderson School of Management
    Charles Turner, Exec. Dir, Financial & Administrative Services, Administration
    Jeff Goldman, Assistant Dean, Engineering
    Jennifer Iglesias, Asst. Dir, EFM, Research Administration
    Yogini Purohit, Executive Director of Finance Student Affairs, Student Affairs
    Caleb Na, Assistant Dean, School of Social Sciences
    Anja Paardekooper, Sr. Assoc. Dean, Finance & Administration, DGSOM

    Responsibilities
    - Review project progress​ as it relates to finance​
    - Offer recommendations to help guide the outcomes of the project​
    - Advise on decisions that will have a lasting and/or broader impact​
    - Provide insights into stakeholder needs and perceptions​
    - Foster positive communications about Ascend 2.0

    Authority
    Advisory

    Cadence
    Monthly

    Duration
    Through August 2025
  • Research Advisory Committee
  • Purpose
    - Advise on research needs with respect to system functionality, communication, training, and readiness for the research community​
    - Inform how Ascend 2.0 interacts with the overall research landscape

    Leadership
    Co-Chair: Marcia Smith, Assoc. VC Research, Research Administration
    Co-Chair: Yoon Lee, Sr. Director, Extramural Fund Mgmt., Research Administration

    Committee Members
    Jackson Jeng, Sr. Director, Research Administration
    Karla Breen, CFO, Grad. School of Edu. and Information Studies
    Bujin Dorj, Associate Controller, Dean's Office, DGSOM
    Hari Wijesekera, Assistant Director, Semel Institute / DGSOM
    Lee Yang, Sr. Budget Analyst, School of Engineering
    Cathy Rujanuruks, Director of Research Admin, DGSOM 
    Kathleen Micham, Assistant Dean, College of L&S, Physical Sciences
    Allison Kamerman, Assoc. Dean for Finance and Admin, Public Health
    Steven Acosta, Research and Finance Manager for multi-school research service center, International Institute, Anderson School, School of Law, Arts and Architecture
    Charles Hajek, Executive Director of Finance, DGSOM 
    Daralyn Aburdene, CAO Pharmacology and Research Services Center leader, DGSOM

    Responsibilities
    - Review project progress​ as it relates to research​
    - Offer recommendations to help guide the outcomes of the project​
    - Advise on decisions that will have a lasting and/or broader impact​
    - Provide insights into stakeholder needs and perceptions​
    - Foster positive communications about Ascend 2.0​ across UCLA

    Authority
    Advisory

    Cadence
    Monthly

    Duration
    Through August 2025
  • Technology Enablement Advisory Committee
  • Purpose
    - Advise on technology impacts related to the Ascend 2.0
    - Inform how Ascend 2.0 interacts with the overall technology landscape, including other implementations

    Leadership
    Co-Chair: Kamran Khairzad, Interim Director, Applications Services, IT Services
    Co-Chair: Hilda Duggan, Associate Director, Enterprise Data Services - ITS

    Committee Members
    Jeffrey Crawford, Manager, Identity and Access Mgmt., OCISO
    Sendhil Kolandaivel, Asst. Director, ORA-ORIS
    Kevin Chung, Asst. Director of Budget & Planning Systems, APB
    Troy Romero, Director, Financial Systems & Controls, BFS – FMR
    Hemkant Patil, Applications Manager, Administration
    Howard Kim, Deputy CIO, Director of IT Strategy and Governance, Anderson Computing & Information Services
    Jason Han, Director of Data Operations, DGSOM

    Responsibilities
    - Review project progress​ as it relates to technology​
    - Offer recommendations to help guide the outcomes of the project​
    - Advise on decisions that will have a lasting and/or broader impact​
    - Provide insights into stakeholder needs and perceptions​
    - Foster positive communications about Ascend 2.0​ across UCLA

    Authority
    Advisory

    Cadence
    Monthly

    Duration
    Through August 2025
  • Sustainment Advisory Committee
  • This section is a work in progress - stay tuned!