Meet the Parent and Family Council

The UC Davis Parent and Family Council is a group of parent and family member volunteers who are committed to improving the quality of the university experience for the entire UC Davis community. 

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Rajan Seriampalayam, President

Rajan has a first-time U.S.-college going child, which is different from his college experience when he grew up in India. He loves serving the community of UC Davis, mainly to support the parents in the journey of their students' college life and the affect it has on their family. Rajan's daughter Kriti is in her fourth year at UCD. Kriti is majoring in neurobiology, physiology and behavior (NPB) as part of the pre-med track at UC Davis. Kriti loves the UC Davis campus, especially the vast open space, the small town feel and a close-knit community. Kriti is the chief editor of an online campus publication on neuroscience, and is a co-captain of the UC Davis' Indian classical dance team Sunatya. Rajan ventured into tech at a young age, and has been in the tech world in various roles over 30 years. He is currently the Director of Agile Practices at a healthcare company and is also the chair for the local boy scout troop committee. He loves being among people and serving the community he is part of.

Thomas Yih, Vice President/President Elect 

Thomas is a corporate attorney working in-house for a technology company based in San Francisco.  In 2016, he and his family moved back from living in China for 14 years so that his daughter Lauren, currently a sophomore at UC Davis, could transition to high school. Lauren is studying animal science and would like to pursue a career as a vet.

Dave Richardson, Immediate Past President (2021-2023)

Dave Richardson is a multiple-term member of the Council. He served as Chair of Scholarship Committee for the previous 2 years before taking on the mantle of President of the Council from summer 2021 - spring 2023.  He loves serving UC Davis, supporting parents in their journey, and helping students find their passion at Davis. He is a parent of a current UC Davis junior, Jamie Richardson, class of 2024 and Food Science Major. Jamie plays on the Club Lacrosse Team and lives off campus with 3 other great guys. This is Jamie’s fourth year on campus; he did remote school his freshman year. Dave’s son Will graduated in 2020 with a degree in Econ and International Relations, was a member of the Zeta Psi house and played Club Lacrosse. Dave’s wife, Kacy Brush Richardson is a UCD alum, class of 1988, and was a creative force at the Coffee House in its early days on campus. Dave is a Civil Environmental Engineering consultant, working for Woodard & Curran, and develops water, wastewater and recycled water for clients in Northern California. He has both engineering and business degrees from Stanford. He is active in mentorship of younger staff in his profession, and currently Chair of the Associates Committee for the California Assn of Sanitation Agencies.

Marilyn Geller, Scholarship Chair

Marilyn is the proud parent of UC Davis Class of 2025 food science major, Aaron, who has become an accomplished cyclist after putting in the miles around campus and loves his work in the Plant Lab. A former hospital administrator and healthcare software developer, Marilyn is the Chief Executive of the Celiac Disease Foundation, with BA and MSPH degrees from UCLA. With a deep passion for volunteer work in education and advocacy, Marilyn is an inaugural winner of the Alpha Chi Omega Real. Strong. Women. Of Distinction Award and looks forward to supporting and serving the families of UC Davis. When not visiting Aaron's three older brothers or playing pickleball, Marilyn and her husband Mark, a UCSD alum, reside in Los Angeles.

Silvia Leon, Selection Chair

Silvia is an alumna of UCD, and now a proud parent of a fourth-year student, majoring in aerospace engineering. After earning her B.A. from UC Davis, she earned an M.S. in Program Planning and Evaluation from Cornell University. Her subsequent career as a market research professional includes conducting research projects for companies such as Adobe Systems, Microsoft, Toyota, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. She is fluent in Spanish and Italian and has traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Americas. Throughout her professional career and as a parent, whenever Silvia realized there was an outstanding need, she worked to address those needs: in particular, she is a strong advocate for underrepresented populations. She is her son's avid cheerleader at his fencing tournaments: a sport he continues to enjoy now as a member of the UCD Fencing team. Silvia is thrilled to serve on the UCD Parent and Family Council to support parents and help ensure that all our sons and daughters continue to thrive. Though she has lived in the SF/Bay Area most of her life, there is always a new trail to hike, and tidepool inhabitant to discover. Whenever she is in Davis, she can be found reminiscing at the Coffee House and walking through the quad.

Lauren Rosen Yeazel, Communications Chair

Lauren is an educator currently working at the University of Wisconsin in an avid biking community much like UC Davis. As an out-of-state parent and a world language educator specializing in blended and online learning, Lauren yields multiple perspectives through which to view the needs and concerns of the council. She has served on boards of several professional organizations as well as the neighborhood association and school PTO. Her daughter, Morgan, is a junior in Biomedical Engineering, interested in prosthetics. If she could make a living building those for animals she would, but for now, she will focus on children. So far at UCD she has taken on the role of Theater Admin to help organize and run campus productions, she occasionally attends events at Hillel, and is adjusting to adulting far from home. Lauren has 2 tips for those new to UCD: 1) the best way to travel around town is by bike. Bring one, borrow one, rent one, it's a great campus to explore. 2) visit the on-campus animals. You'll find everything from cows to cats, wild turkeys to reptiles. In her spare time, Lauren loves to travel and to do anything outside, especially hiking, paddleboarding, waterskiing, and meeting up with friends at an outside cafe.

Peter Shih, Outreach Chair

Peter is the father of four wonderful kids and works for San Mateo County. He has been in the healthcare space for 26 years and loves being a public servant. He did his undergraduate work at UCSD and graduate work at SDSU, so he is a firm believer in the value of the California college system. His oldest child is in medical school and the two middle kids attended UC Davis (one of whom graduated in 2023, the other is continuing their education at Davis) with the youngest attending Santa Clara University to play softball. Ever since the 2nd child decided to attend Davis, Peter's been a big fan of the campus because the professors, staff, and students were all approachable and caring. Being a world-class university with six professional schools and a top-tier healthcare system is just icing on the cake. Both UCD kids hope to attend one of the professional schools and be contributing Aggies for a long time. Peter enjoys serving in his local church and looks forward to serving the UCD family community. None of his family's activities would have been possible without the partnership of his inimitable wife.

Rich Cohen, Social Media Chair

As a Southern California native, Rich enjoys outdoor activities like surfing and skiing, and professionally Rich has worked in design and marketing for 20+ years. He wanted to join the council, because he like to be involved anyway he can with his kid's activities. With Rich's oldest child being their first to go to college they are navigating new territory and she has been having such a great experience he wants to contribute however he can. Rich's daughter is in her first her at UCD and is a poly sci major with a grad date of 2026 and she is active member of student government representing UCD at student lobbing conferences. His daughter was also selected to apply to the UCD on-campus Honors program. Rich's piece of advice for incoming parents is to take advantage of online tools, and social media. Lots of people have the same questions and concerns and the online groups have provided a lot of value.

Joji Arnett, Events Co-Chair (Coffee Chats)

Joji's family resides in the South Bay area of California and enjoys the beaches, parks and camp sites within a few miles away from home. Prior to California, Joji lived and worked in Chicago and have fond memories of the beautiful seasons and times spent with family and friends. In Chicago, Joji was employed as manager and counsel at a family entertainment company that produced VeggieTales and other animated productions. In California, Joji was involved in several non-profit organizations, taking on roles as a volunteer helper, teacher, and mentor. Building people and communities are one of their life goals, so they continued to work as an IP consultant while raising their children. Joji's daughter's experience at UC Davis has been positive as she continues to be engaged in several school and community endeavors as a leader and contributor. The school has broadened her horizons and allowed her to explore ways in which she can hone her skills, abilities and talents. Joji hopes that she will continue to grow as she thrives in her intellectual and social pursuits.

David Wooley, Events Co-Chair (Webinars)

David has lived in Berkeley CA for 20 years, where his daughter was born, now in her second year at UC Davis (Political Science). He currently manages a research center at UC Berkeley, Goldman School of Public Policy, with an emphasis on climate, energy and environmental policy and he occasionally teaches courses on these subjects. Serving on the Council will help David better understand how the University functions and be an effective representative for parents with the University. He learned much during the parent coffees this Spring and last Fall. A lot of information a parent needs to know is hard to learn on your own (e.g. finding housing for the sophomore year; access to health services, how to find faculty or staff advisors). Stay in touch with your student, they still need your advice and guidance. David likes to hike, run and ski with his family. Here is some additional information on David's background: He served as an Assistant Attorney General in New York State, taught energy and environmental law at Pace University Law School. Later he directed the American Wind Energy Association's Northeast Policy Project, served as Counsel to the Clean Air Task Force and as Vice President for Domestic Policy Initiatives at the Energy Foundation in San Francisco. David is a co-author of the 2035Report.com studies on decarbonization of the US economy (2021 - 2023) and Thomson Reuters' Clean Air Act Handbook (1995-2022).

Sophie Tsang

Sophie holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from National Taiwan University. She moved to the U.S. for graduate study, and holds a M.S. in Computer Science from Northwestern University, and an MBA from Santa Clara University. Sophie also attended Stanford GSB Executive program. She worked at HP as a marketing manager for a few years, and changed career into Real Estate. Sophie has been a Realtor for 19 years. She lives in Palo Alto, is a licensed broker with COMPASS. Sophie is a Palo Alto Rotarian, and a Paul Harris Fellow. She enjoys reading and taking her 2 kids traveling. Her son is studying nutrition at UC Davis. 

Krista Depenbrok

Krista is a marriage and family therapist who specializes in children and teens. She currently works in Southern California as a K-12 school counselor. Throughout the last 22 years, her work has allowed her to help many children and families. She loves her job and is passionate about helping others. By joining the council, she hopes to continue that work. Her son is a junior in the Bio Sci department. Krista would like to help other parents and their students feel supported throughout the college adventure. In addition, she would like to offer knowledge and support to provide incoming families on how to navigate a sometimes frustrating and confusing system. In addition to working and being a parent, she also loves to run. She has run over 50 1/2 Marathons, Marathons, and Ultra Marathons.

Glen Shu

For the past 30 years, Glen has dedicated himself to a career in financial services helping businesses around the country achieve their financial goals. During this time he has served in various executive roles, most recently in the positions of CEO and President for businesses both in the private and public sectors. Currently, Glen serves as the President of a specialty lending group for a Northern California-based bank. After coming to the Bay Area over 40 years ago from his home state of New York, Glen earned his bachelor's degree in finance from San Jose State University, and raised a family which includes two adult children, a son who attends the University of Oregon, and a daughter who is currently a junior at UC Davis majoring in economics and an active member of the UC Davis badminton club. Glen has a passion for mentoring young people looking for advice and guidance both in the workplace and beyond. In Glen's free time, he enjoys spending time with family, playing with his French bulldog (Remy), cooking, exploring new wines, playing tennis, and exercising on his Peloton.

David Barton

David is a proud father, husband, and community volunteer. He has lived in Southern California his entire life and has two sons; one attends UCD as a junior and the other is a senior at Los Alamitos High School. His wife works at Cal State University Long Beach. David has served in various capacities as a Boy Scouts of America leader including Scout Master, Cub Master, National Youth Leadership Training Deputy Director, Cub Day Camp Director, etc. He also served 8.5 years as an appointed member of the City of Huntington Beach Personnel Commission, 3.5 years as Chairman. David served as the Auditor for the School District for several years. His paid profession is a government auditor currently working for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, previously with the United States Treasury Department. David also worked as Chief Audit Director for a large bank and various audit management roles at Bank of America and Citigroup. He joined this council because he believes in the importance of a great education for both employment and life fulfillment goals. David and his wife are both the first in their families to obtain college degrees. They received little or no guidance because their families did not know how to navigate the path to college success.  David's goal is to help bring awareness of the UCD opportunity to others. In his free time, David works with Scouts in various capacities and camping experiences. He also spends time gardening and reading.

Dongwu Xie

Dongwu has more than 28 years of experience in the logistics industry, including the world's top 500 logistics enterprises. At present, he works in Shanghai Jinghong Logistics Co., Ltd. as a senior manager of the strategic planning department. He is responsible for the formulation of the strategic development and business plan of the company. His daughter Mingyi, a psychology junior, who joined the Davis family in 2021, has joined volunteer programs and took part in a teaching organization for being a practicing teacher. By joining the council, Dongwu aims to help more parents who are now in China and cannot go to Davis in person due to the pandemic. Moreover, he hopes to become a bridge that connects the school and parents oversea. Dongwu is interested in reading and traveling, and has been paying attention to the situation of UCD and the cultural and economic tourism of California; hoping to come to UCD to participate in activities and feel the style of a famous school with a history of 100+ years.

Catherine Bonniot

Catherine is the deputy director for the Smoking Cessation Leadership Center (SCLC) at the University of California, San Francisco. The SCLC aims to increase smoking cessation rates and increase the number of health professionals who help smokers quit. She works to assure the strategic goals and plans of the center are met which includes short and long term strategic planning; ensuring that SCLC is at the forefront of tobacco control and prevention messaging and strategies. Catherine's background in tobacco control and prevention includes 20 years of professional nonprofit and for profit experience in marketing, social marketing and development. Catherine has had the pleasure of editing and promoting the 50th anniversary of Surgeon General's report on smoking and health and publishing in journals such as New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Public Health, via news platforms such as CNN, WA Post, and LA Times. She is a graduate of the University Aix-Marseille, and California State University, Northridge where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in French Language and Culture with a Minor in Art History. Catherine is an avid hiker and lover of art, so you'll see her out on a mountain trail or visiting a museum or local open art studio on a weekend.

Katie Berryhill

Katie is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (BA Astronomy), the University of North Dakota (MS Space Studies), and the University of Wyoming (EdD Science Education). Katie teaches astronomy at a number of community colleges. She and her husband have two children. Katie's son is a fifth-year transfer to Davis, majoring in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. He is on the Space and Satellite Systems team, manufacturing parts of Davis's first student-constructed satellite (a SmallSat due to launch in early 2023), and he enjoys actively participating at Hillel. Katie's daughter is about to start at the University of Cincinnati.

Annette Yu

Annette is an eager Aggie parent who believes UC Davis is the hidden gem of the UC system. As a fortunate, stay at home mom of three, who used to work in student activities and events at UCLA during the dark ages (aka the 80/90s), she became a professional, albeit non-leader school volunteer.  College goes by so quickly that she wanted to slow things down and continue volunteering and supporting her kid's school by joining the Parent Council. Her Aggie volunteers at the Raptor Center, spends time at the Craft Center, picked up ultimate frisbee and is an Evolution, Ecology and Biodiversity major (at least for now!). She and her freshman roommates got along so well that they continue to live together in an off-campus apartment. Annette hopes all parents and family members can take time to explore UC Davis not only as the ones who support the students and pay the bills, but also as a member of the larger community. Go Ags!

Angela Pipersburgh

Angela is a business and life strategist. She manages the successful startup, growth, and development of several brands including the Kingdom Chamber of Commerce which was founded in 1994.
Angela believes that every parent should be involved, serve, and give back to their children's academic institution. Her son Daniel is currently a junior majoring in aerospace and mechanical engineering. He is a part of the UC Davis Men's Crew Team. He is also in The Afterglow a cappella group. Angela's advice for parents is to get involved and serve and make UC Davis better for those coming behind. She is an avid reader who enjoys long walks and traveling.

Gwen Byard

Gwen grew up in Davis and moved to the Bay Area for college. Currently she lives in Mountain View. Gwen is a product manager working for Trimble in Agriculture technology. Ever since her childhood, she has always felt a strong connection to UC Davis, whether it was attending Picnic Day or swimming at the Rec Pool during the summers. Gwen was so excited when her older son decided to attend UC Davis. He is a second year majoring in computer science. In addition to learning computer science, he likes to work out at the ARC, take walks in the Arboretum and play games in the Board Game club. Gwen would suggest that parents encourage their student to try a first-year seminar. Her son has taken two and he really enjoyed them! It's a chance to explore interesting topics that students may not otherwise get to study. Gwen like to play golf when she has the time. Usually her family plays at the Wildhorse golf club in Davis.

Deanna Sheats

Deanna has proudly spent the last 29 years as an elementary educator. Throughout her career, she has worked as a classroom teacher with a variety of grade levels. Currently, Deanna is leading her campus' intensive reading intervention program for students in grades K-6. Additionally, she facilitates Student Success Team meetings and is her school site English Language Advisory Committee coordinator. Deanna is the proud parent of a current freshman who is pursuing a degree in civil engineering. Following his UC Davis campus tour, Deanna's son said, "This is it. This is home." Deanna's interest in being part of the APFC was inspired by her Aggie, who is eager to share what he loves about UC Davis with incoming freshman and prospective students as a campus orientation leader. During her free time, Deanna enjoys exercising, working in her yard, and taking trips to the beach. As a member of the APFC, Deanna strives to make all parents feel welcome and supported as they navigate the many unknowns of the college world. She is excited to collaborate with other parents, families, and UC Davis faculty members and looks forward to building strong relationships with them. 

Wendy Robinson

Serving as the executive director of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation and a consultant for other organizations, Wendy has made a career out of making a difference. She is the proud mother to two sons. The eldest is pursuing his Master's in French at the University of Victoria. Her youngest, Chase, is a sophomore who shares her passion for change and is studying statistics at UCD with the goal of impacting human rights issues. The pandemic deprived her of two years of involvement in her son's education, and she is determined to make up for the lost time. That's why she set her sights on joining the parent council - to ensure that every student, regardless of their academic path, receives the support they need to thrive. Returning to college as an adult, she knows firsthand that no two academic careers are the same, and she believes every student deserves a chance to shine. Wendy was looking forward to enjoying her newfound empty nest status. However, her excitement was short-lived when she realized that her trusted dog walkers were both away at university. Undeterred, she now spends her free time strolling through the neighborhood with her loyal companions, two senior pups who appreciate her unwavering patience and care.

Jennifer Galang Gerhardt 

Jennifer is the proud mom to Josh Gerhardt, junior transfer and Design major at UC Davis, and his younger sister Ava. She graduated from UC San Diego ('94 BS Biology) and UC Berkeley ('96 Master of Public Health) and is a vocal proponent of the high quality, affordable education offered by our UC system. Jennifer was thrilled when her son decided to become an Aggie. Josh is thriving at UC Davis, and his experience has exceeded her high expectations. He is receiving the advantages of a large, prestigious, top-ranked university and all the benefits of the comprehensive design program with small studio courses. She joined the council to share the transfer student/parent perspective, including his positive experience at The Green. Jennifer has worked in health care for 28 years at Anthem Blue Cross, Health Net, and Kaiser. She is approaching 5 years in her current role in Medicare education for Anthem's National accounts. In this role Jennifer listens with empathy, she keeps conversations positive and on track to a successful outcome. Her advice to parents: trust in your amazing child. It's time for us to take a backseat in decision-making; let us listen with empathy, keep positive, and they will succeed. In her free time, Jennifer loves to travel with her kids, exploring different cultures and food. Their favorite destinations include Japan, Belgium, Austria, Thailand, and Italy.

Kenita Kelly

Kenita holds a Master's degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education and worked for six years prior to starting a family. She was a regular volunteer at her children's schools while they were younger. Kenita has been a substitute teacher since 2015 because working in education is how she contributes to society. She wanted to join the UC Davis parent council because she thinks that engaged parents help foster a sense of community that supports students in reaching their potential. Students who have access to resources, feel valued, and are able to have a positive and safe environment will thrive. She and her husband have a daughter Meredith at UC Davis. She is a first year student in the College of Letters and Science. Her major is Sociology with a minor in Community Development. If Kenita could offer a small piece of advice it would be to encourage your student to contact their academic advising department as early as possible. This will help your student to understand their plan of action for registering for classes and fulfilling their degree requirements. A little more about Kenita: She enjoys spending time with her family; reading;  DIY craft projects; and supporting her favorite charity, World Vision. 

Kathleen Feigelman

Kathleen is a proud graduate of the public universities of California, her BA is from UC Santa Cruz and her MS is from San Jose State. Kathleen is a retired Marriage and Family Therapist and also worked as the Fundraising Coordinator for a small non profit. For the past 16 years she has volunteered at her sons schools and very much enjoyed it. Kathleen thought joining the council would be a good way to continue being involved. Their son is just finished up his first year as a Sustainable Environmental Design major. He has also joined the Marching Band which has provided him with many friends. They've had a great time going to see him at various band events. In Kathleen's free time she enjoys reading, gardening and cooking.