Staff and Leadership Directory
Preet Ahluwalia
Associate Director of Admissions, Full-Time MBA and Master of Management
Teghpreet (Preet) Ahluwalia is the associate director of admissions for the Full-Time MBA and Master of Management program.
She is a double Aggie having completed her UC Davis MBA in 2022. Born in Canada and raised in Fresno, California, Ahluwalia moved to Sacramento in 2009 to attend UC Davis as an undergraduate. After graduating with a B.A. in psychology and religious studies, she went on to co-found two companies focused on lending and investments.
1101J Gallagher Hall 540 Alumni Lane Davis, CA 95616
Marta Barajas
Deputy Director of Admissions Operations
Manages and oversees all aspects of admissions operations including operational process issues, data resource management and admissions data collection for the Graduate School of Management. In this role, she is also responsible for compiling and reporting school-wide ranking and profile statistics for the school.
Marta joined the Graduate School of Management in September of 2004, bringing her technological expertise and more than 15 years of experience in data analysis & reporting, strategic operations planning & implementation, and training.
Julie Burgal
Academic Advisor, Minor Programs
M.S. in Genetics and Cell Biology, Washington State University
B.S. in Biotechnology, UC Davis
Loreli Burton
Admissions Coordinator
Loreli Burton joined the Graduate School of Management in 2016. As the Admissions Coordinator, she provides analyst-level support for the Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program. She maintains and audits admissions databases, identifies and implements process improvements, and assists with student admissions for the MSBA program.
Loreli’s career in data management began in 2010, but she also has a background in Human Resources. Outside the office, she enjoys time spent in nature, reading, traveling, and time spent with family.
John Lyon
Deputy Director of Admissions, Master of Science in Business Analytics
MBA, University of California, Davis
John Lyon is based in San Francisco as Deputy Director of Admissions for the UC Davis Master of Science in Business Analytics. John works with candidates throughout the admissions process, including prospective students, MSBA applicants, and admitted students ensuring their successful enrollment and a smooth transition. Prior to this role, Lyon was the Associate Director of Admissions. He also worked with the Bay Area Part-Time MBA program while simultaneously earning his MBA at UC Davis.
Lizzie Mayo
Associate Director of Admissions, Bay Area Part-Time MBA
Lizzie Mayo (she/her/hers) joined the UC Davis Graduate School of Management as associate director of admissions for the Bay Area Part-Time MBA in 2022. She works alongside candidates through the admissions process, implementing recruiting programs, processing applications and ensuring prospective students have a quality experience.
Gloria Navarro
Enrollment Counselor
B.S. Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Science & Engineering, University of California, Davis
Gloria Navarro joined UC Davis Graduate School of Management as Enrollment Counselor in 2022.
Navarro earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Engineering at the University of California, Davis in 2021 with a double major in Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Science & Engineering.
Zoë Richardson
Associate Director, Master of Professional Accountancy
Zoë Richardson joined the Graduate School of Management (GSM) as the associate director of the Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAc) program in 2022.
1101L Gallagher Hall
Brian Risi
Associate Director of Admissions, Bay Area Part-Time MBA
Brian Risi joined UC Davis Graduate School of Management as associate director of admissions for the Bay Area Part-Time MBA Program in February 2021.
After first attending The University of Delaware, Risi transferred to The University of Montana in Missoula, MT and earned his Bachelor’s Degree. After graduating from Montana, Risi moved to the Bay Area and hasn’t looked back.
Amy Russell
Senior Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
MBA, University of California, Davis
M.A. Education, University of California, Santa Cruz
B.A. History, UC Davis
Alex Svensson
Senior Associate Director of Admissions, Sacramento Part-Time MBA Program
Alex Svensson (she/her/hers) joined UC Davis Graduate School of Management in 2020. As the Senior Associate Director of Admissions, Sacramento Part-Time MBA Program, she works alongside candidates through the admissions process, implementing recruiting programs, processing applications and ensuring that prospective students have a quality experience.
Eva Zhang
Associate Director of Admissions, MBA@UCDavis
Master of Public Administration, San Francisco State University
As Associate Director, Eva Zhang collaborates with the admissions team to manage the admissions and enrollment process of the Online MBA program. She is mainly responsible for overall admissions oversight, candidate evaluation, process supervision and relationship management.
Cindy Zivic
Associate Director of Admissions, Online MBA and Online Master of Management
Cindy Zivic is the Associate Director of Admissions for the Online MBA and Online Master of Management. She brings 20 years of brand management and business strategy experience to the Graduate School of Management and is now eager to apply her business background to her life-long passion for higher education. Zivic is excited to help prospective students achieve their potential through the transformative power of education.