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Open in new tab We celebrate and honor the outstanding health and well-being work done by various individuals within the UCLA Community and beyond. We have two distinct awards:
- The UCLA Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center Eudaimonia Lifetime Achievement Award, given to those living a life rich in purpose and meaning; and
- The jane b semel Appreciation and Recognition Award, given to UCLA students, faculty, and staff for being an embodiment of Semel HCI’s core values
UCLA Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center Eudaimonia Lifetime Achievement Awardee
Jeanie Buss
Governor, Los Angeles Lakers
Jeanie was selected for her leadership and courage in taking a stand to destigmatize mental health in the NBA, and building a model mental wellness program to share with other NBA teams. She has exemplified Eudaimonia by dedicating herself to advocacy, selflessness and the public good. She used her public platform to talk openly about mental wellness issues in an industry that long shied away from the topic. Additionally, following the tragic death of Lakers, legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gigi, last year, she served as an emotional anchor for her team, the league, the Bryant family and Lakers fans during that incredibly difficult time. She also helped the team navigate the many challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year. She has shown us all what it means to lead with grace and resilience in times of great difficulty.
20-21 jane b semel Appreciation and Recognition Awardees
Maria Garibay
Undergraduate Student, Semel HCI Center
Maria Garibay is an undergraduate student studying Sociology with a Global Health Minor and our Undergraduate Student Researcher for the Semel HCI MindWell Pod. Maria is particularly being selected for her work supporting MindWell’s mission to promote emotional wellbeing and resilience.
Miranda Kim
Undergraduate Student, Student Wellness Commission
Miranda Kim is an undergraduate student double majoring in Economics and Psychology with a minor in Spanish and is our Undergraduate Staff Coordinator at Semel HCI. She is being selected for her work advancing health equity and racial justice at UCLA through her positions at Semel HCI and also the Student Wellness Commission Assistant Commissioner.
Jessica Arzola
Graduate Student, Global Food Initiative Fellow
Jessica Arzola is a second year Masters of Public Health graduate student at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and a Registered Nurse at UCLA Health being selected for her work exploring staff and student knowledge, attitudes and practices related to the COVID-19 pandemic as a Global Food Initiative Fellow.
Al Ferrone
Senior Director of Food & Beverage, UCLA Dining/Hospitality Services
Al Ferrone is the Senior Director of Food & Beverage for UCLA Dining/Hospitality Services and was selected for his work to address the food insecurity being experienced by members of the UCLA community and our community partners.
Nicole Green
Executive Director of Counseling and Psychological Services
Nicole Green is the Executive Director of Counseling and Psychological Services at UCLA and the Co-Pod Leader for Semel HCI’s MindWell Pod. Nicole was selected for her tireless commitment to improving health equity and racial justice.
Our panel featured in this year’s Celebrations aims to provoke meaningful conversation and engagement around how our community can foster health and well-being while reducing health inequities at UCLA and beyond.
Moderator
Dr. Nicole Green
Panel Moderator
Dr. Green is a counseling psychologist who received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the University of Southern California. Her areas of interest include academic success among students of color, African American family issues, intimate partner violence, and women’s issues. She currently serves as Interim Executive Director and Director of Campus Assault Resources & Prevention (CARE), providing psychological and sexual violence prevention, education and outreach services to the campus. Before her work at CAPS, Dr. Green was a research associate for the Sexual Health Program at the Neuropsychiatric Institute at UCLA conducting research in the areas of HIV/AIDS, sexual risk, and substance use among men and women of color. Dr. Green is actively involved in the Southern California Association of Black Psychologists and is a recipient of the Minority Fellowship Program Award from the American Psychological Association.
Panelists
Miranda Kim
Undergraduate Student, Student Wellness Commission
Miranda is a senior Economics and Psychology major with a passion for improving health and wholeness in the community. She currently serves as the Assistant Commissioner of the Student Wellness Commission, which is responsible for over 150 health-related programs and community service events at UCLA. Additionally, Miranda is the Undergraduate Staff Coordinator for our very own Semel HCI and one of this year’s jane b semel Appreciation and Recognition Award Recipients.
Jessica Arzola
Graduate Student, Global Food Initiative Fellow
Jessica is a second year Masters of Public Health graduate student at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and one of this year’s Global Food Initiative Fellows for the UC Office of the President. As a Registered Nurse at UCLA Health, Jessica has gone above and beyond in serving our community during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is one of the reasons why she was selected to be one of this year’s jane b semel Appreciation and Recognition Award Recipients.
Michael A. Rodriguez, M.D., M.P.H.
Professor and Vice Chair, David Geffen School of Medicine
Professor, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
Chair, UCLA Global Health Minor
Faculty-in-Residence, UCLA Residential Life
Dr. Rodriguez is professor and vice chair in the Department of Family Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, founding director of the UCLA Blum Center on Poverty and Health in Latin America, Co-Director of UCLA Firearm Violence Prevention Center, and Founding Director of the Health Equity Network of the Americas, an international network with representatives from 26 countries. Dr. Rodríguez is published widely in the areas of research that include, ethnic/racial and immigrant health equity, gun and domestic violence prevention, and primary care for immigrant populations.
Metta Sandiford-Artest
NBA World Champion
Former NBA World Champion and one of the premier NBA defenders of his era, Metta Sandiford-Artest is a long-time vocal advocate for mental health through telling his story and delivering his message in a deeply honest and open way. Through his own journey, Metta has inspired others struggling with their own mental health while also contributing to de-stigmatizing mental health in the world of professional sports and beyond.
Semel HCI funds undergraduate and graduate student group projects which improve the health and well-being of the UCLA community. This year, Semel HCI was able to fund 9 different organizations on campus and support a cohort of 10 Global Food Initiative Fellows. These student groups attended workshops throughout the year where they learned lessons on filling out grant applications, creating evaluation surveys, and preparing posters that summarize their project.
