Join the TGIF Committee and become a force for sustainable change at UC Davis, while developing yourself as a professional and a leader

Applications for 2024-25: CLOSED

About the TGIF Committee

The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) Committee is a majority undergraduate committee that steward the student fee funded TGIF grant fund. This grant fund has typically awarded $100,000 to $200,000 each academic year. The TGIF Committee welcomes applications from students in all majors and seeks to build a collegial team that represents the diversity of the UC Davis campus while making wise use of student funds to support projects across the full spectrum of campus sustainability.

The TGIF Committee reads and evaluates submitted grant proposals and decides on awards; provides guidance and project management oversight to funded projects; conducts campus outreach to spread word of TGIF funds; works with the TGIF Grant Manager to administer the TGIF funds; and works in subcommittees and conducts weekly full committee meetings during the academic year to accomplish the work of the Committee.

Students are appointed to the Committee by an application process developed by the 2017-18 TGIF Committee and staff in the UC Davis Sustainability office. The majority of the Committee’s voting seats are held by undergraduate students, with up to two graduate students. The Committee’s appointed members include a staff member (voting seat), a faculty member (voting seat), an ASUCD Environmental Policy and Planning Commission representative (ex-officio), a student representative from the Committee on Student Activities and Fees (ex-officio), the Director of Sustainability (ex-officio), and the Student Engagement Program Manager (staff to the Committee).

Why join the TGIF Committee? 

• Professional Development

  • Interacting with UC Davis students, faculty, and staff at various stages of the proposal development and project implementation process allows TGIF Committee members to develop valuable communication, outreach, organization, and leadership skills.
     
  • Each TGIF Committee member has the opportunity to regularly practice and develop these valuable transferable skills in a supportive environment. 

• Career Preparation

  • TGIF offers students an opportunity to begin learning the skills to develop and manage grants while enrolled.
  • Students who serve on the TGIF Committee gain beneficial experience evaluating grant proposals, managing an approximately $200,000 fund, and serving on a committee with a formal voting process.

Eligibility 

TGIF seeks up to nine students, majority undergraduates, as voting members through our application process. Students may come from any major, must be enrolled as either part- or full-time students during their membership year, and are asked to serve for a full academic year. All voting members may serve no more than two consecutive terms. Criteria for selection of student committee members may include evaluation of student's academic standing. Both undergraduates and graduate students are welcome to apply. 

TGIF endorses the UC Davis Principles of Community and is committed to cultivating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive collaborative working environment. The Committee values the richness that diverse perspectives contribute and invites applications from individuals of all backgrounds.

Stipend

Due to the recent successful renewal of TGIF during the ASUCD Elections in Spring Quarter 2024, TGIF is currently evaluating an increase in the quarterly stipend paid to Committee members. The stipend will convert from $250 per academic quarter to an increased amount that has yet to be determined. 

How to Apply

• Please direct any questions regarding the application form or process to TGIF@ucdavis.edu. 
• Submit Application Form, Resume, and Cover Letter on Handshake. 

Application Timeline

Note: This recruitment process represents an accelerated timeline; past and future TGIF Committee recruitments allow more time for recruitment and deliberation.

The Current TGIF Committee 

The 2024-25 TGIF Committee includes: 

Undergraduate students: Kelsie Garay, Alexander Liesegang, Anya Rao, Brooke Threlkeld, Binti Sohn, Thomas Wong, Jessica Rangel-Cruz
COSAF student member (ex-officio): Casper Schulte
ASUCD EPPC student member (ex-officio): Annie Kanjamala
TGIF Student Assistant: Alina Issakhanian
Office of Sustainability Director (ex-officio): Carla Fresquez 
Student Engagement Program Manager (ex-officio): Carla Fresquez 

Financial and administrative mentoring to the 2024-25 Committee was provided by Debra Cornfield (Budget Analyst) and Jason Lorgan (COSAF Advisor and Executive Director). 

Past TGIF Committees 

• 2023-24 TGIF Committee
• Undergraduate students: Annie Kanjamala, Catherine Delvin, Daphne Crother, Graham Deleon, Miko Macaraeg
  COSAF student member (ex-officio): Casper Schulte
  ASUCD EPPC student member (ex-officio): Kelly Abey
  TGIF Student Assistant: Alina Issakhanian
  Office of Sustainability Director (ex-officio): Carla Fresquez 
  Student Engagement Program Manager (ex-officio): Carla Fresquez
  Grant Program Manager: Madison Suoja 
  
  Financial and administrative mentoring to the 2023-24 Committee was provided by Debra Cornfield (Budget Analyst) and Jason Lorgan (COSAF Advisor and Executive Director). 
• 2022-23 TGIF Committee
• Undergraduate students: Nathan Lee, Annie Kanjamala, Cassandra Eng, Claire Fu, Danielle Lowe, Hayley Jones, Kaelynn Tan, and Katerina Mahdavi
  COSAF student member (ex-officio): Casper Schulte
  ASUCD EPPC student member (ex-officio): Kelly Abey
  Office of Sustainability Director (ex-officio): Carla Fresquez 
  Student Engagement Program Manager (ex-officio): Carla Fresquez
  Grant Program Manager: Madison Suoja 
  
  Financial and administrative mentoring to the 2022-23 Committee was provided by Debra Cornfield (Budget Analyst) and Jason Lorgan (COSAF Advisor and Executive Director). 
• 2021-22 TGIF Committee
• Undergraduate students: Nathan Lee, Kimberly Leilani Viramontes, Ramya Chandrasekaran, Taylor Lewis, and Natalie Lauerman
  Graduate student: Amelia Flack
  Staff member: Caroline Firman
  COSAF student member (ex-officio): Ehsan Sherdil
  ASUCD EPPC student member (ex-officio): Sydney Cliff
  Office of Sustainability Director (ex-officio): Camille Kirk 
  Student Engagement Program Manager (ex-officio): Carla Fresquez
  Grant Program Manager: Madison Suoja 
  
  Financial and administrative mentoring to the 2021-22 Committee was provided by Diane Jellison (Budget Analyst) and Jason Lorgan (COSAF Advisor and Executive Director). 
• 2020-21 TGIF Committee
• Undergraduate students: Ellie Alto, Itzel Gallardo, Joanne Kwak, Ramya Chandrasekaren, and Sydney Cliff 
  Graduate students: Jules Mouat and Peter Geoghan (alternate)
  Staff member: Jennifer Larr
  COSAF student member (ex-officio): Michael Julian Bauzon 
  ASUCD EPPC student member (ex-officio): Hunter Ottman
  Office of Sustainability Director (ex-officio): Camille Kirk
  Grant Program Manager: Carla Fresquez
  
  Financial and administrative mentoring to the 2020-2021 Committee was provided by Diane Jellison (Budget Analyst), and Jason Lorgan (COSAF Advisor and Executive Director) 
• 2019-20 TGIF Committee 
• Undergraduate students: Bella Bucheli, Rachel Glover, Jin Huang, Lili Jeske, Lydia Kao, Savan Khathar and Elana Nager
  Graduate students: Jules Mouat (alternate) and Peter Geoghan
  Staff member: Jennifer Larr
  Faculty member: Gwen Arnold
  COSAF student member (ex-officio): Grace Byun
  ASUCD EPPC student member (ex-officio): Hunter Ottman
  Office of Sustainability Director (ex-officio): Camille Kirk
  Grant Program Manager: Jeannethe Lopez Guzman
  
  Financial and administrative mentoring to the 2019-20 Committee is provided by Diane Jellison (Budget Analyst) and Jason Lorgan (COSAF Advisor and Executive Director). 
• 2018-19 TGIF Committee
• Undergraduate students: Maria Arteaga, Bella Bucheli, Liz Guzman, Matt Licina, Jillian McCarty, Chiara Olmes-Leiva, Megan Powers, and Madison Suoja
  Graduate student: Nermin Dessouky 
  Office of Sustainability (ex-officio): Camille Kirk
  TGIF Grant Managers: Amanda Gonzalez and Jeannethe Lopez Guzman 
  
  Financial and administrative mentoring to the 2018-19 Committee was provided by Laurie Carney (Assistant Director, Program Budget and Policy); Diane Jellison (Budget Analyst); Jason Lorgan (COSAF Advisor and Executive Director); and Greg Ortiz (ASUCD Business Manager). 
• 2017-18 TGIF Committee
• Undergraduate students: Christopher Flores, Brooke Garcher, Nicholas Griswold, Lois Kim, Chase McFadden, Chiara Olmes-Leiva, and Sarah Risher 
  Faculty member: Annaliese Franz 
  Staff member: Laurie Carney
  Office of Sustainability (ex-officio): Bob Segar and Camille Kirk
  TGIF Grant Managers: Allen Doyle and J.C. Ross
  
  Financial and administrative mentoring to the 2017-18 Committee was provided by Laurie Carney (Assistant Director, Program Budget and Policy); Diane Jellison (Budget Analyst); and Greg Ortiz (Interim ASUCD Business Manager). 
  
  The 2017-18 Committee was the inaugural granting committee, and would like to thank Diane Jellison and the many department account managers across the university who supported students in their individual projects.
• Inaugural 2016-17 TGIF Committee
• The inaugural 2016-17 TGIF Committee focused on setting up and organizing TGIF to be ready to give grants out in 2017-18
  
  Undergraduate students: Summer Jean Cortez, Abigail Lourenco, Chase McFadden, Brent Rosenwald, and Arianna Stokes
  Staff member: Bob Segar (Associate Vice Chancellor of Campus Planning and Environmental Stewardship)
  Faculty member: Carolyn Thomas (Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education)
  
  Administrative and financial mentoring to the 2016-17 Committee was provided by Allen Doyle and Camille Kirk (Office of Sustainability); Laurie Carney (Assistant Director, Program Budget and Policy); Kristen Fernandez (Budget Analyst); John Campbell (Associate Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs-Divisional Resources); and Janice Corbett (ASUCD Business Manager).