Biography

Ikuko “Coco” Nakano (she/her) serves as the Center Administrator for the Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center.

Coco was previously the Agricultural Environment Systems Specialist at the Ventura County Resource Conservation District, where she managed over $4 million in climate and soil resilience grants, supporting organic transitions, extreme weather relief, and hydrological planning for small, local farmers. Her professional background also includes operational management of a Southern California farmers’ market collective and hands-on experience working on a biodynamic, regenerative farm in Southern Vermont.

Her interest in food systems began as a student at UCLA, when she presided over a peer-to-peer organization providing transitional housing and case management to higher education students across Los Angeles. Now, she is excited to return to campus to further explore how we can address social determinants of health and promote food literacy at UCLA and within its surrounding communities by bringing together transdisciplinary collaborators. Coco’s experience in grant management, basic needs access, and sustainable agriculture fuels her passion for creating community-based, scalable solutions and promoting consumer education that support agricultural resilience and robust local economies.

In her free time, Coco enjoys bread baking, exploring trails, and finding second-hand treasures.

Coco holds a UCLA B.S. in Civil Engineering with a focus in Hydrology & Environmental Engineering and a Certificate in Food Studies.