Staff
Thank you Eunice!
On September 8, 2023 , Eunice concluded her almost 6 year tenure as APASD director! We have been so honored to experience her leadership, commitment to student transformation, and boundless care for all the staff, faculty, and students that have passed through APASD doors.
While we are in the transition process, Doaa, Angel, and Miya will be acting as co-directors in the interim for APASD. If you are looking to contact APASD staff for support, please review the breakdown below to best assist you:
- Angel serves as a campus expert and consultant on Pacific Islander issues, crisis, and communication. Angel will also be leading the annual AANAPISI designation process as well as supervising the APASD office interns.
- Doaa serves as a campus expert and consultant on SSWANA issues, crisis, and communication. Doaa will also be the point person for APASD’s financial management and oversight, including fiscal sponsorships as well as HR processes for our internship program.
- Miya serves as a campus expert and consultant on Asian American issues, crisis, and communication. Miya will be administering 197 courses in Fall ‘23 and Spring ‘24.
Doaa Dorgham, MA
South Asian, Southwest Asian, North African (SSWANA) Program Director
Phone: (510) 365-4549
Email: doaadorgham@berkeley.edu
Hi! My name is Doaa Dorgham. I am a first- generation Palestinian American. I grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina and obtained my B.A. in Psychology from North Carolina State University and received my M.A. in Postsecondary Educational Leadership with a Specialization in Student Affairs from San Diego State University. Previous to this role, I worked with the Student Retention and Success Department at UC San Diego, and at the Center for Intercultural Relations at San Diego State University.
I am so excited to be in this role and advocate for SSWANA students. My passions lie in co-creating with students and community to create a more just world. I am also a self-proclaimed foodie and love to go for runs, hikes, bike rides, and talk about the latest shows on Netflix! Don't hesitate to reach out to me if you want to chat or are needing additional support. I look forward to crossing paths with you soon!
Angel Halafihi
APASD Assistant Director, Pacific Islander Initiative
Email: halafihi@berkeley.edu
Hello! My name is Angel Halafihi (Hah-lah-fee-hee). I'm an APASD Assistant Director and I manage the Pacific Islander (PI) Initiative here at UC Berkeley. I'm a first-generation Tongan, born and raised in the Bay Area. Prior to this role, I attended UCLA where I organized through their Pacific Islander Student Association (PISA) and the Pacific Islander Education and Retention (PIER) program. I graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Psychology and have been at Berkeley as a staff person ever since. In this role, I’m excited about working closely with our young people, advocating for PI students and communities, and supporting the visions they have for their villages on campus and beyond. I'm a visual artist, and love music! If you have any questions, need support, or would like to chat, please don’t hesitate to send me a message.
Miya Sommers, MA
APASD Assistant Director, Asian American Political Activation Program
Phone: (510) 664-7714
Email: miyasommers@berkeley.edu
Hello ~ my name is Miya (they/she) and I am one of the Assistant Directors in APASD. I oversee the Asian American Political Activation (AAPA) Program which includes the AAPA internship, MOVE Fellowship, and BLOOM: Asian American Community Program.
I am a third generation settler in the territory of xučyun, the ancestral and unceded land of the Chochenyo-speaking Ohlone people, and have spent most of my life here. I am mixed gosei (fifth-generation Nikkei/Japanese-American) and have used this experience to inform my community organizing work.
Earning my BA at UCSB in Global Studies (with in emphasis on South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific) as a student organizer to more recently completing my Master's in Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University helped me cultivate (and continue to grown in) an educational praxis rooted in collective liberation. Outside of APASD, I engage in community organizing in Oakland and creative/dreaming work related to healing people and the land.
I look forward to getting to know you and am happy to set up a time to chat to learn more about you and how APASD can help you thrive!
You can make an appointment a calendly.com/miyasommers/30min or send me an email!
Edwin Carlos
Graduate Research Mentor
Email: ecarlos@berkeley.edu
Hello! I’m Edwin (he/him) and I’m the Graduate Research Mentor for APASD. I’m a Ph.D student in School Psychology at the Graduate School of Education, and I got my undergraduate degree in Psychology across the bay at Stanford University (Go Bears!). My research focuses on the role of ethnic/racial identity and ethnic studies on students' mental health and academic outcomes, and I am also interested in transnational participatory action research. Before that, I was an undergraduate resident associate in the Asian American student dormitory at Stanford for two years, and I worked on Stanford’s Asian American Issues Conference for three years. Reach out if you need support with finding research opportunities at Cal, if you are interested in applying to graduate school, or if you want to chat about video games, basketball, cooking, or anything else on your mind!
Sophia Perez
Graduate Mentor
Email: sophiaeperez@berkeley.edu
Sophia Perez is a Chamorro filmmaker working toward her PhD in Geography at UC Berkeley. With roots in the Mariana Islands and the California Bay Area, she experiments with film as a way of building bridges that cross cultural and political divides. Her interests include militarism in the Pacific, the political status of US territories, grassroots environmental justice movements, and indigenous language revitalization.
Ratu Orisi Lalabalavu
Graduate Mentor
Email: orisi@berkeley.edu
Bula all, My name is Ratu Orisi Lalabalavu, but I just go by Orisi. I was born in Fiji and grew up in different parts of California, but my hometown is Sacramento, CA. I am a UC Berkeley Master in Public Health Student.
Designated Campus Partners
Jeff Lee, LCSW
Clinical Social Worker, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
Email: jeffreylee@berkeley.edu
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I am a Chinese American San Francisco native, and I started working in non-profits in 2002 until starting at CAPS where I've been for 3 years. NPO work focused on areas of education, homelessness and mental health primarily with disadvantaged youth and young adults. One of my social work internships worked at a API NPO that focused on sexual health in the tenderloin. Here at Berkeley I enjoy working with students experiencing symptoms of anxiety/depression, as well as around identity and relationships. You can book an appointment with Jeff through CAPS Let's Talk Program. Jeff's hours are weekly on Thursdays from 4:00 - 6:00pm. |
Michelle Logarta, MS
College Advisor, College of Letters & Science
Email: mlogarta@berkeley.edu
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Hello! My name is Michelle and my pronouns are she/her/hers. I am a first generation, Filipino American from the Bay Area with a passion to counsel in my community. I counseled for a nonprofit at the Community Youth Center of San Francisco, worked as an Academic Counselor for SFSU Metro College Success Program, and as a Career Counselor at UC Berkeley's Career Center. I have my B.A. in Psychology at UC Santa Cruz and my M.S. in College Counseling at SFSU. I enjoy engaging in conversations that will help one's major, career, and goals by hearing your stories, seeing your vision, and expanding your curiosity! I also enjoy trying new things especially when it comes to food. I'm excited to meet and connect with you all soon. You can book an appointment with Michelle using https://ls-apasd.youcanbook.me/ If you are unable to book an appointment using this online system, email Michelle directly at mlogarta@berkeley.edu and indicate that you are an an APASD, SSWANA LLC, or BLOOM student, and she will be able to prioritize your appointment. |
Arman M. Liwanag, M.Ed
College Advisor, College of Letters & Science
Email: aliwanag@berkeley.edu
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Hello! My name is Arman Liwanag (he/him) and I am excited to collaborate with APASD to provide academic advising for L&S students from AA/PI/SSWANA communities! You can book an appointment with Arman using https://ls-apasd.youcanbook.me/ If you are unable to book an appointment using this online system, email Arman directly at aliwanag@berkeley.edu and indicate that you are an an APASD, SSWANA LLC, or BLOOM student, and he will be able to prioritize your appointment. |
