IDEA Committee
Committee Members
| Committee Members | Pronouns | |
| Ari Martínez, Assistant Professor | arimartinez@ucsc.edu | he/him |
| Lina Arcila Hernández, Postdoc | larcilah@ucsc.edu | she/her |
| Reza Goljani Amirkhiz | rgoljani@ucsc.edu | he/him |
| Haleigh Yang, Graduate Student | hatyang@ucsc.edu | she/her |
| Nikita Sridhar, Graduate Student | nmsridha@ucsc.edu | she/her |
| Shannon Thoele, Staff | skthoele@ucsc.edu | they/them |
| Julia Veble Mikić | jveblemi@ucsc.edu | she/her* |
Meet your IDEA committee
Niki Sridhar (she/her)
Niki Sridhar (she/her) is a third year PhD student in the Kroeker Lab studying kelp forest ecology. As a queer person of color who has experienced lack of representation in her academic career, she is passionate about making this department an inclusive space for all through community building.
Ari Martínez (he/him)
Ari Martínez (he/him) is a new faculty member at UC Santa Cruz who studies behavioral ecology. Ari sees the challenges of equity and inclusion as an opportunity for personal as well as professional growth. He makes a conscious effort to constantly learn and listen. As a Peace Corps volunteer, graduate student and post-doc, he has learned diverse perspectives and strives to continually incorporate these perspectives to build agency for underrepresented groups, often for students from the global south where his research program is heavily based. When not working, he finds respite and comfort in the outdoors, and cooking for family and friends.
Lina Arcila Hernández (She/her)
Lina Arcila Hernández (She/her) is a Postdoctoral Researcher studying how field educational experiences affect undergrad engagement and identity in the sciences. I hope to bring to the IDEA committee my perspective as a Latina immigrant in the sciences and my previous experiences participating with the Intergroup Dialogue Project, Teaching & Learning in the Diverse Classroom, and other DEI working groups. I am really passionate about creating spaces in EEB that are welcoming for all and that also increase a sense of belonging in our community. She loves cooking, hot chocolate, and spending time with her human and furry family.
Haleigh Yang (she/her)
Haleigh Yang (she/her) is a 1st year PhD student in Dr. Kristy Kroeker’s lab interested in studying the effects of climate change on coastal ecosystems. Before becoming a graduate student, Haleigh worked as an Americorps Science Educator and Marine Naturalist where her goal was to facilitate connections between her students and the ecological environments through experiential education. As a member of the IDEA committee, she strives to create a more inclusive platform so we can uplift the voices of underrepresented groups.
Reza Goljani Amirkhiz (he/him)
Reza Goljani Amirkhiz (he/him) is a postdoctoral researcher in ecology working at the intersection of climate change, species-habitat relationships, and conservation. After completing my PhD research on the impact of land use and climate change on birds of the Midwest, I joined Erika Zavaleta’s group at UCSC to continue exploring how environmental change impacts biodiversity, while also growing as an educator and mentor. I’m excited to join the IDEA Committee to help foster a more inclusive, supportive, and connected community within EEB. I look forward to contributing to initiatives that promote equity and belonging, both within our department and in partnership with the wider campus and Santa Cruz communities.
Shannon Thoele (they/them)
Shannon Thoele is Biology Teaching Labs Support Technician. Before joining UCSC, they worked with rare and endangered species of plants to revitalize populations, including working with indigenous groups of PNW to restore food systems to pre-colonized states. Shannon draws on their experience of living in different places around the world to encourage inclusion of all people from all walks of life and remain a safe space in the face of oppression and discrimination.
Julia Veble Mikić (she/her)
Julia Veble Mikić joined EEB in 2025 as Department Assistant. In her previous seven years at UCSC she worked in coordinator roles with the Teaching & Learning Center and completed Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program and Leadership Academy programs. Julia has international experience in formal (English as a foreign language) and informal (debate; human rights) education, as well as translation and interpreting. As a staff representative on the IDEA committee, Julia’s goal is to assist the committee with program implementation and utilize her perspective as an immigrant and outsider to better serve our department, campus, and non-campus communities.
