Faculty Ambassadors Appointed to Drive Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Funding Opportunities

The Faculty Ambassadors will work closely with stakeholders across the university and play a crucial role in connecting faculty across campus to promote and advance our Refreshed Strategic Plan Research Theme. The ambassadors will develop and coordinate strategies to connect faculty with both internal and external funding opportunities, including research funding  from regional foundations, federal agencies and international organizations.

The ambassadors will also support the dissemination of research findings and collaborate with the Office of Research and Innovation’s (ORI) Research Development team to identify new external funding opportunities

"The Faculty Ambassadors will be at the forefront of fostering collaboration and bridging disciplines, ensuring that our faculty are connected with the right resources and opportunities to address global challenges. Together, we aim to unlock new avenues for innovation, elevate our research impact and address the most pressing challenges of our time,” said Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation Corinne Peek-Asa.

The ambassadors will play a pivotal role in the university’s commitment to creating a more interconnected and dynamic research community at UC San Diego.

Meet the five appointees

Matthew Alford, Professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Matthew Alford is an observational ocean physicist focused on developing innovative instruments to study ocean dynamics and their role in climate change. His work, part of the Multiscale Ocean Dynamics group that he co-founded, includes tools like the "Epsi-fish" and "Tall Deep Drift" to study ocean turbulence and undersea wave dynamics, essential for improving climate simulations. His climate change and ocean science research aligns with UC San Diego’s “Conserving the Planet and Exploring the Universe” research theme, which intersects all themes.

Alford leads a $7.5M Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiatives (MURI) project studying ocean flows near the seafloor and their relationship to human activities such as deep sea mining and seafloor cables. Externally, he engages with U.S. government agencies and non-profits promoting climate justice and international climate action efforts. He also secured a Fulbright Canada Science and Technology Chair to foster U.S.-Canada collaboration in science and outreach.

Kiana Aran, Associate Professor, Bioengineering, Jacobs School of Engineering

Kiana Aran’s research integrates microelectronics with biology to revolutionize healthcare, focusing on innovations like the CRISPR chip for real-time genetic mutation detection. Her work aligns with UC San Diego’s strategic themes of "Producing Breakthroughs in Human Health" and "Shaping and Engaging with Technology." Aran’s lab also develops graphene-based biosensors for health diagnostics and environmental monitoring.

Aran is the founder of UC San Diego’s Center for Technologies for Healthy Aging, where she brings together experts in bioengineering, medicine, and industry to address the challenges of aging through innovation. Beyond campus, she actively collaborates with global partners, including BASF (a multinational company and the largest chemical producer in the world), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Gates Foundation through her startups, driving forward the next generation of precision health technologies. She also contributes to shaping the future of science, engineering and medicine as a selected member of the National Academies' New Voices Initiative, where she helps bring early- to mid-career perspectives to national and global policy discussions.

Joshua Figueroa, Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Physical Sciences

Joshua Figueroa’s research focuses on synthetic chemistry of inorganic elements, developing advanced methods to tackle challenges in chemical reactivity, bonding and materials science. Figueroa has pioneered synthetic methods for activating greenhouse gases like CO2 and developed novel materials with applications in nanoengineering, catalysis and microelectronics. His work aligns with the themes “Advancing Fundamental Knowledge” and “Shaping and Engaging with Technology” themes.

He collaborates across disciplines, including with the UC San Diego Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, nanoengineering and physics, leading to breakthroughs in nanoparticle binding and battery development. Figueroa also works with industry partners in microelectronics, materials science and biotech as the Director of the UC San Diego X-ray Crystallography Facility since 2017. The core research facility is located within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and extensively engages external industrial partners. Notably, the scientific focus of these partners ranges broadly from small-molecule drugs to inorganic materials to proteins. Figueroa aims to expand these collaborations to continue addressing global technological challenges.

Karen Kovaka, Assistant Professor, Philosophy, School of Arts and Humanities

Karen Kovaka, a member of UC San Diego’s Institute for Practical Ethics, conducts research that explores public participation in science, evidence-based conservation and disagreement in evolutionary biology. Her work aligns with UC San Diego’s research themes of "Conserving the Planet and Exploring the Universe" and "Understanding Cultures and Addressing Disparities in Society." She integrates social science into ecological restoration and addresses epistemic injustice in conservation practices.

Kovaka collaborates with John Evans, a professor of sociology and associate dean of UC San Diego’s School of Social Sciences, on a Hellman Grant project, using surveys to identify public values in ecological decision-making. She also connects UC San Diego researchers with groups that include external partnerships like the Climate Science Alliance and ReWild Mission Bay. Her past work includes community-led citizen science in the Galápagos.

Melody Schiaffino, Associate Professor in Residence, Radiation Medicine and Applied Science, School of Medicine

Melody Schiaffino, a health services researcher and epidemiologist, conducts research focused on improving cancer care for vulnerable populations using AI, machine learning and biomedical informatics to address disparities in healthcare delivery, especially in border regions. She noted that her research aligns with the university’s stated research focus on "Understanding Cultures and Addressing Disparities in Society" and "Advancing Fundamental Knowledge."

She co-founded and leads the Crossborder Translational Cancer Research Alliance, collaborating with UC San Diego, San Diego State University and Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC)-Mexicali to explore cross-border cancer research. The group has developed research proposals and expanded partnerships with the University of California Los Angeles and City of Hope.

Other notable external partnerships include government, community organizations and industry. For example, Schiaffino serves on the board of the state of California Pan-Ethnic Health Network and collaborates with Chula Vista officials on healthy aging initiatives like improving lung cancer screening for older adults in collaboration with community-based partners such as San Ysidro Health and Serving Seniors.