Graduate and Professional Student Well-Being Associates (GAPSWell)

Haim Shemer, PsyD
GAPSWell Program Coordinator
Psychologist / Assistant Director to Outreach, Graduate and Professional Students
California School of Professional Psychology, San Diego

Clinical Interests: Evidence-based treatments for anxiety and sleep problems, adjustment and life transitions, Positive Psychology, stress management, meaning in life and well being, meditation and mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

Languages Spoken: English and Hebrew

Affiliations: American Psychological Association 

Chloe Margulis (she/her/hers)
Master of International Affairs
Concentration: Environmental Governance and Latin America
UCSD, BA in International Business

Chloe is originally from New Jersey and came to California to receive her BA in International Business from UCSD. She loves San Diego so much that she decided to stay and enroll in the BA/MIA joint-degree program at UCSD to receive a master’s in international Affairs with a concentration in Environmental Governance and Latin America! She aspires to bridge the gap between policy and practice, ensuring impactful progress in both the environment and society.

As A GAPSwell Associate, Chloe hopes to build meaningful relationships with fellow graduate students and help provide them with the resources necessary to be successful at UCSD. In her free time, Chloe enjoys reading fiction novels, going on runs along the beach, and spending time with friends.

Samantha Mendoza (she/her/hers)
Master in Public Health, Student

Samantha is a current graduate student at UCSD in the MPH program with a Public Mental Health concentration. Samantha obtained her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from UCSD and decided she wanted to help the general public learn more about Mental Health resources. After completing her MPH, Samantha hopes to work at a non-profit or for the County of San Diego in Behavioral Health Services. She is especially passionate about making these services more accessible to the Latino community as she has firsthand seen that it is incredibly difficult to obtain services. Samantha is bilingual in Spanish and uses this as an asset to interact with the Spanish-speaking community.

Being a GAPSWell Associate is an opportunity for Samantha to share the knowledge and resources that UCSD has to offer and create a safe space for all students. In her free time, she enjoys watching sitcoms, playing with her Husky, and volunteering at the local Boys and Girls Club.

Dheya Pillai (she/her/hers)
Master of Public Health Program, 2nd Year
UC Davis, BS Global Disease Biology, Minor Public Health

Dheya grew up in the greater Los Angeles area and did her undergrad at UC Davis. In 2023, she earned her B.S. in Global Disease Biology with a minor in Public Health. During undergrad, Dheya worked under the Mental Health Ambassador program to accelerate stigma reduction and increase service utilization rates for mental health through outreach services, building awareness, encouraging help-seeking behavior, and connecting students with appropriate resources and hopes to continue this advocacy in graduate school. After completing her undergrad, she came to UCSD to earn her Master's in Public Health with a concentration in Health Behavior. 

As a GAPSWell Associate, Dheya hopes to cultivate a welcoming and inclusive space where graduate students can connect, share experiences, and find support in their journey toward healing and personal growth. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, gardening, watching movies, coloring, and hanging out with her childhood dog, Mushu, to relieve stress.   

Ali Punsalan (she/her/hers)
Public Health Graduate Program
UC Irvine, BA in Public Health Policy 

Ali grew up in the greater DC Metropolitan area and moved to California to attend undergrad at UC Irvine. In 2022, she earned her BA in Public Health Policy. While in her graduate program, Ali plans to concentrate her studies in Public Mental Health to learn how to develop culturally adaptive programs to assist her Pilipinx community in reshaping how we think of mental health.

As a GAPSWell Associate, Ali hopes to cultivate meaningful connections with her fellow graduate students by creating a safe space for processing and healing. To relieve stress, she enjoys working out, finding the perfect matcha latte, reading fiction books, and going to cupsleeve events for her favorite Kpop groups. 

Anika Sinha (she/her/hers)
MD Candidate, UC San Diego School of Medicine
Stanford University, BA in Human Biology

Originally from the Bay Area, Anika attended Stanford University for undergrad where she studied Human Biology. She was passionate about mental health and eating disorder advocacy, leading several campus initiatives that would later inspire her to join GAPSWell! After college, she spent a year living in San Francisco working at a healthcare consulting company and understanding the business aspects of medicine. Eager to return to a patient-facing role, she came to UC San Diego to start medical school in 2022. Anika remains passionate about student wellness and mental health during graduate school, which can be an isolating time for many. In her free time, she loves playing volleyball and spikeball, exploring coffee shops, and watching San Diego’s lovely sunsets! 

Denise Tamashiro (she/her(s)/ella)
Master of Public Health Program, 2nd Year
CSU Fullerton, BA in Psychology

Denise grew up in the greater Los Angeles area and did her undergrad at Cal State Fullerton in the OC area. In 2023, she graduated and earned her BA in Psychology. At UCSD, she will be studying Public Health with a concentration in Public Mental Health. She hopes to bridge the gap between communities of color and mental health as it is still seen as a difficult topic in these communities. Being a mixed person of color herself, she has witnessed how mental health is talked about in her communities. 

As a GAPSWell Associate, Denise hopes to create safe spaces, provide meaningful resources, and build connections with fellow graduate students. To relieve stress, she enjoys cooking and trying new recipes, baking, watching TV shows, and spending time with friends, family, and her significant other, as well as watching professional sports such as the NBA, MLB, Soccer, and F1. 

Kween Agba (she/her/hers)
Neurosciences Graduate Program
Northeastern University, BS in Behavioral Neuroscience

Anshu Andani (she/her/hers)
Masters of Engineering, Medical Device Engineering
Bioengineering UC San Diego
B.E Biomedical Engineering, BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore, India

Lucienne Arrigoni (she/her/hers)
Masters of International Affairs, International Economics
UC San Diego, BA in International Relations

Jasmin Ashby (They/Them/Theirs or She/Her/Hers)
Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science
UC San Diego, BA in Sociology of Science and Medicine

Aishwarya Balaje
Master's Student, Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering, UC San Diego
BS in Electronics and Communication Engineering

Neha Balaji (she/her/hers)
MS Bioengineering
BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore, BE in Biotechnology

Lindsay Benster (she/her/hers)
Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, UC San Diego & San Diego State University

Alejandra Chaidez (she/her/hers)
School of Global Policy & Strategy
UC Berkeley, BA in Political Science and Social Welfare

José Delgado (he/him/his)
Bioengineering Medical Specialization MS
UC Santa Barbara, BS in Biological sciences

Emily Ho (she/her/hers)
Medical Scientist Training Program
Neurosciences Graduate Program
University of Chicago, BA in Biological Sciences and Psychology

Qihao (Thomas) Liu (he/him/his)
Biological Sciences MS
UC San Diego, BS in Neuroscience and Physiology

Dania Maldonado (she/her/hers)
Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science
UC Irvine School of Medicine
UC Berkeley, BA Social Welfare, minor in Education

Kennedy Middleton (she/her/hers)
Political Science Graduate Program
Spelman College, BA in Political Science
UC San Diego, MA in Political Science

Anja Payne (she/her/hers)
Neurosciences Graduate Program
University of Utah, BS in Biomedical Engineering

Alexis Plazola (she/her/hers)
Global Health Graduate Program
UC San Diego, BS Global Health

Ro Sandoval (they/she)
Neurosciences Graduate Program
Washington University in St. Louis, BS in Neuroscience, Gender and Sexuality Studies

Gisselle Santiago (She/her/hers)
Masters of Science, Biology
Biological Sciences Graduate Program
UC San Diego, B.S. in Human Biology and Global Health
BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore, BE in Biotechnology

Nina Imani Scott (she/her/hers)
Marine Biology Doctoral Program
University of the Virgin Islands, BS in Marine Biology

Seraphina Solders (she/her/hers)
Neurosciences Graduate Program
San Diego State University, BA in Biology & Psychology

Summer Zhu (she/her/hers)
Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science
UC Davis, BA in Psychology and Communication