BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Meeting Agenda and Minutes
Click here to view the committee and BOD meeting calendars.
ASUCLA is a unique organization in that its Board of Directors consists of a student majority. You may contact ASUCLA Board Members at bod@asucla.ucla.edu
UNDERGRADUATE REPRESENTATIVES
Ayesha Mirza
EAyesha Mirza (she/her) is a second-year student majoring in Computational and Systems Biology. During her time at UCLA, she has been actively involved in various student organizations, including serving as the Organizational Vice President of CruX, a member of the External Affairs Committee for the Muslim Student Association, and working in the office of the Internal Vice President for USAC. Ayesha is passionate about advocacy, inclusivity, and supporting marginalized communities.
Currently, she is conducting research in computational medicine, focusing on leveraging EHR data to predict patient outcomes. This experience has strengthened her analytical and problem-solving skills, which she applies to advocacy work. Ayesha is excited to use her platform on the ASUCLA Board of Directors to advocate for minority groups, enhance student services, and ensure financial transparency, making sure all student voices are heard and valued.
Sarai Rojas
Sarai Rojas (she/her) is a second-year Political Science major and a first-generation student passionate about advocacy, social justice, and fostering community care. While at UCLA, she has been involved in the Undergraduate Students Association Council through the General Representative 1 and 3 offices and currently serves as the External Executive for Grupo Estudiantil Oaxaqueño. Her work in USAC and GEO focuses on uplifting student voices and creating inclusive spaces for historically marginalized communities. Sarai has also been involved with Swipe Out Hunger, a student-led organization addressing food insecurity. She has worked as a student employee at Northern Lights Café, gaining firsthand insight into the challengesstudent workers face.
As a member of the ASUCLA Board of Directors, Sarai is committed to prioritizing student needs holistically by advocating for equity across all student communities and fostering a campus environment where every voice is valued and represented.
Vesta Mahjoub
Vesta Mahjoub is a second-year Iranian American student majoring in Sociology and International Development Studies on the pre-law track. Deeply committed to equity, institutional transparency, and uplifting student voice, Vesta brings a wide range of leadership experience to the ASUCLA Board of Directors. She currently serves as President of both the Middle Eastern Law Students Association and Save the Children at UCLA. She is Co-Founder and Director of Finances for the Persian Pre-Law Association. She also serves on the board of the Middle Eastern Student Association, the Persian Pre-Law Association, and the Cultural Affairs Commission's sector of the Word.
Throughout her time at UCLA, Vesta has centered her leadership around building inclusive systems that reflect and uplift underrepresented communities, especially immigrant, Middle Eastern, and first-generation students. She has previously worked with the Gen Rep 2 office, developing student-focused programming in multiple campus organizations.
As a member of the ASUCLA Board of Directors, Vesta is committed to ensuring that every student feels seen, heard, and prioritized in the decisions that shape campus life. She believes that financial, service, and policy choices should always promote the well-being, dignity, and quality of life of all UCLA students, especially those too often left out of institutional focus. She hopes to serve as a bridge between students and institutional decision-making, advocating for long-term change that is both equity-driven and community-centered.
George Garzouzi
George Garzouzi (he/him/his) is a third-year transfer student majoring in Political Science at UCLA. He’s involved in multiple student organizations, such as the Chief of Staff for the Transfer Student Representative office and Academic Chair of the Middle Eastern & North African Law Students Association. He is committed to helping create an environment that fosters inclusive spaces, cross-cultural dialogue, and advocates for student-centered policies.
Growing up in Jerusalem, George draws on his international background, lived experiences, and multilingual abilities to uplift student voices and build bridges between communities. In addition, he has a strong interest in the business operations that prioritize student life, reflecting financial transparency, efficient services, and sustainable resource management. George looks forward to contributing to the ASUCLA Board of Directors, forging financial transparency, reinforcing student services, and ensuring every student feels seen, heard, and supported.
GRADUATE REPRESENTATIVES
Merhawi Tesfai
Merhawi Tesfai is a UCLA graduate student studying social welfare. He received dual Master's degrees in Social Welfare and Public Policy, a bachelor's degree in African American Studies from UCLA, and an associate degree for transfer from Los Angeles City College.
Mr. Tesfai has extensive experience in counseling at both clinical and governmental levels. He previously worked at the Venice Family Clinic, assisting unhoused patients in accessing Medi-Cal benefits. He also worked at Venice Community Housing, assisting clients in supportive and transitional housing. Mr. Tesfai served as a counseling intern at CRI-Help Residential Treatment Center and Helpful Hands Intensive Outpatient Program, where he facilitated individual and group counseling sessions.
He was a Luskin Leader Fellowship Recipient at the Venice Family Clinic, a 2019-20 UCLA Graduate Opportunity Fellow, and was in the African Departmental and College Honors Programs in 2019. He is a recipient of the UCLA Academic Advancement Program Scholarship, the Suggs Family Endowed Award, and the Macdowell Scholarship.
Mr. Tesfai was born in Eritrea and immigrated to the United States as a child. He is a first-generation transfer student.
Mr. Tesfai is dedicated to expanding the work to recruit students from the community college system through programs like the Center for Community College Partnerships, the Academic Advancement Program, and the Transfer Alliance Program. He is also committed to expanding the University's admissions to improve access and affordability for students from under-represented communities.
David Martinez
David Martinez (he/him) is a fifth-year Ph.D. student in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at UCLA, specializing in robotics. Originally from Fresno State, David completed his undergraduate studies with dual B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering before continuing to earn his M.S. and pursuing his Ph.D. at UCLA.
David’s research focuses on reinforcement learning, large language models, and developing more efficient pipelines for engineering development. Outside of his academic work, he has held multiple leadership roles, including President of ASME at Fresno State, where he revitalized a dormant organization into a thriving community space for engineering students. Additionally, at UCLA, David has further developed his leadership through his years of experience in teaching assistantships, where he emphasizes clear communication, fairness, and student support.
David is passionate about lowering unnecessary barriers in higher education and helping create systems that better serve all students. As a member of the ASUCLA Board of Directors, David is excited to advocate for students and contribute to initiatives that make UCLA’s services more accessible and responsive to student needs.
Javier Rodriguez
Javier Rodriguez is an education doctoral student in the School of Education and the Regional Coordinator for the Rising Scholars Network at the California Community College system. He partners with college campuses across his region and supports college programs serving students impacted by the criminal justice system. Before joining Rising Scholars, Javier earned his Master of Social Welfare from the Luskin School of Public Affairs and a Bachelor of Anthropology at UCLA. At UCLA, he co-founded the Underground Scholars Initiative (USI) UCLA Chapter.
Daniela Cortez Bravo
DDaniela Anais Cortez Bravo, MA in Education (she/her), is a triple Bruin from the University of California, Los Angeles. She identifies as a first-generation Latina student, originally from the Bay Area. She holds two BAs in Public Affairs and Education & Social Transformation. While at UCLA, she learned how to apply her passion for educational justice into student advocacy and research spaces.
She is currently working towards a PhD in Education, with a specialization in Higher Education, from UCLA’s School of Education and Information Studies. Through my program, she hopes to expand on her work with the Hispanic Serving Institutions effort at UCLA to achieve equity within higher education for Latinx students and all marginalized students. She thrives in settings where she can support a collective effort geared towards uplifting the voices of our students who represent our communities. Daniela aspires to continue uplifting all marginalized student voices and re-envisioning institutions of higher learning as places with an inherent design to serve underrepresented students.
FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE
Daniel Neuhauser
Professor Daniel Neuhauser has been a member of the department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCLA since 1992, first as an Assistant and then Associate Professor, and since 2002 he is a Full Professor in that department. He did his BSc studies in mathematics and physics in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem between 1979-1982, and got his PhD in nuclear physics in 1987 from Caltech.
Professor Neuhauser's main research interests are the simulation of dynamics and structure of extremely large molecular complexes, using a stochastic paradigm that he developed. He and his group have published more than 180 peer-reviewed papers, and 17 students have graduated from his group with a Ph.D.
ALUMNI REPRESENTATIVE
Henry Hsiao
Henry Hsiao is the CEO of 1on1 platforms and Teachers1on1, a startup focused on connecting people and utilizing advanced technology to improve communications and outcomes.
Formerly he was Global Head of Education for Adobe Inc., where he focused on inspiring and empowering the next generation of creators. He was responsible for the strategy, vision, growth, and performance of this $1B+ business unit across direct-to-consumer and institutional channels. Prior to joining Adobe Inc, he was Vice President of Strategic Development and Growth GM, for Mattel, Inc., where he was responsible for global growth, strategic business development, digital transformation and management of the company’s ventures and investments across digital gaming, advanced technology platforms & products, and education. Prior to Mattel, he served in marketing, product, and technology leadership roles at DirecTV Inc. and Deloitte Consulting. In his spare time, he is a passionate advisor and mentor to the VC, startup, non-profit/education, and innovation communities.
He completed the Stanford Executive Program in 2017 and holds an MBA with an emphasis in strategy and technology from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Columbia Business School, and received his BS in Computer Science from UCLA.
Mitchell Liday
Mitchell Liday (class of ’96) is currently the Manager of Foodservice Cross-selling & Education for Individual Foodservice (IFS), the food service arm of BradyIFS, the nation’s fastest-growing distributor of foodservice disposables, janitorial, smallwares, and dry goods.
Mitchell spent the first half of his career in Hispanic marketing and sales, first producing large-scale events and festivals, and then selling national, regional and local corporate sponsorships for these events, most notably, Fiesta Broadway, formerly the largest Cinco de Mayo street festival in the country. As a result of these accomplishments, he was then hired by former Los Angeles County Supervisor, Gloria Molina, as the Director of Development for LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, the nation’s premiere Mexican American museum and cultural center. After two years, he joined the National Association of Latino Elected and appointed Officials (NALEO), as the national Development Director. After four years working with nonprofits, Mitchell transitioned into his current role in distribution with IFS. During the recent tumultuous pandemic years, with its endless supply chain challenges, Mitchell maintained IFS’ position as an essential food service provider to K-12 public schools, developing creative and sustainable solutions so that CA schools would always have the packaging/supplies needed to provide crucial free meal programs for children.
Mitchell graduated from UCLA with a degree in History. A life-long Bruin, his daughter, Violet, was a Jr. Bruin cheerleader for two seasons, and he has been the Public Address announcer for Men’s and Women’s Soccer since 2009. Mitchell lives in Torrance, with his wife Renee, daughter Violet, and son Weston, (and in his spare time is an amateur BBQ smoker of all meats).
ADMINISTRATIVE REPRESENTATIVE
Yogini Purohit
Working closely with the Vice Chancellor Student Affairs, as well as Student Affairs leadership and divisional offices, Yogini is a strategic partner who provides leadership in budget, finance, administration/HR, compliance, planning, and operations. She and her outstanding team have a strong focus on strategic planning, fiscal accountability, developing and implementing processes that enable Student Affairs to manage sound fiscal practices, gain operational efficiency, improve compliance, and establish consistency, and provide a high level of support to Student Affairs departments to ensure Student Affairs mission continually progresses upward.
Before joining Student Affairs in 2018, Yogini began her UCLA journey with UCLA Extension, first as Associate Director, followed by Director of the Budget and Financial Services Division. UCLA Extension is one of the nation's highly regarded and most comprehensive continuing higher education institutions. Before joining UCLA Extension, Yogini was the Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer for Galan Entertainment, a production and media company with a focus in the Latino market. Prior to this, she was a business manager with Bernstein, Fox, Goldberg, & Licker CPAs, a public accounting firm specializing in business management and tax in the entertainment industry.
Originally from Nairobi, Kenya, Yogini is practically a native of Los Angeles, having lived in LA for over four decades. Yogini earned her B.S. in business administration with a concentration in accounting from California State University, Northridge (CSUN). She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and holds the designation of Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), a distinction for professionals who have advanced proficiency at both the departmental-level and organization-wide level in finance, operations, strategy, and management.
Yogini enjoys spending time outdoors locally in her spare time, traveling to new and faraway places, and treasures special activities with her family at home and elsewhere.
Executive Director & CEO
Pouria Abbassi, P.E.
Pouria Abbassi has been the CEO of large companies in three distinct industries – hospitality, health care, and higher education. In each capacity, he has led organizations through business and cultural transformations to unprecedented results while giving back to the communities they serve.
In 2018, Pouria rejoined his alma mater as the CEO and Executive Director of the Associated Students UCLA (ASUCLA), the largest organization of its kind in the world. Pouria leverages his executive experience and his passion for “all things Bruin” to work with the ASUCLA Board of Directors, its 1,800+ family of employees, campus partners, and other stakeholders. In doing so, Pouria leads ASUCLA to serve the student body through a multifaceted set of businesses and on-campus services and extend the UCLA brand globally through operations in over 100 countries. Pouria has previously led four mental and behavioral health companies amid health care reforms (ACA) through 17 facilities as the President of the Phoenix Houses of California, Inc. (PHC). Prior to PHC, he was the CEO of Los Angeles Convention Center, leading the sports and entertainment district’s unprecedented development and revitalization of Downtown LA’s South Park area. In prior capacities, Pouria has led teams in project engineering, debt financing, financial modeling, environmental analysis, and information technology implementation. He also has done research and published in the areas of cryogenics and high-temperature superconductivity.
A registered mechanical engineer in the State of California and a graduate of UCLA School of Engineering and UCLA Anderson School of Management/Executive Management program, Pouria sits on various boards, including the Los Angeles Business Council, Providence Hospital Foundation Board of Governors, Beyond Vision Music Foundation, PAAIA/IA 100, and the Norooz Celebration Foundation. He also works with various other community organizations, including PARS Equality Center, KCIS, and Farhang Foundation. Pouria is also an active member of the Pacific Council on International Policy and is engaged with various policy and think tank groups at local and national levels. Pouria frequently gives presentations on leadership to student groups and mentors young professionals in their careers. Among more than 30 community, business, and service awards, Pouria has also been awarded the 2022 Ellis Island Medal of Honor, in recognition of his contributions towards the betterment of all the communities he has served throughout his distinguished career. Pouria lives in Los Angeles with his wife, whom he met when they were both studying at UCLA, and their two children.