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Empowering sustainability at UC Davis
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The TGIF Committee

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  1. The Green Initiative Fund
  2. About TGIF
  3. The TGIF Committee
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The TGIF Committee

Learn more about the committee that allocates your student funds

Meet Our Team!

Student-funded. Student-driven. Campus-wide impact.

The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) is a student-funded sustainability grant program. Its funding decisions are guided by a majority-undergraduate student committee. Undergraduate students contribute to TGIF through student fees, and their peers on the TGIF Committee serve as stewards of those funds—reviewing grant proposals, evaluating project impact, and deciding which sustainability initiatives receive funding.

The TGIF Committee brings together students, faculty, staff, and campus representatives to ensure that funding decisions reflect both student priorities and the broader needs of the UC Davis community.

Who Stewards TGIF?

The TGIF Committee brings together perspectives from across UC Davis:

 

Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate students hold the majority of voting seats and play the central role in reviewing proposals and making funding decisions. Additionally, undergraduate committee members serve on various subcommittees and leadership roles to help manage the day-to-day of our grant fund.

Graduate Students

Up to two graduate student representatives contribute additional student perspectives and expertise. Like our undergraduate committee members, graduate committee members serve on various subcommittees and leadership roles to help manage the day-to-day of our grant fund.

Campus Organizations

Representatives from the Environmental Policy and Planning Commission (EPPC) and the Council on Student Affairs and Fees (COSAF) provide connections to campus sustainability efforts and student governance.

Faculty & Staff

Faculty and staff representatives contribute institutional knowledge, professional expertise, and campus perspectives.

Office of Sustainability

Non-voting staff from the Office of Sustainability provide institutional knowledge, sustainability expertise, and administrative support.

TGIF Grant Program Manager

The Grant Program Manager supports committee administration, grant management, and continuity.

What Does the Committee Do?

TGIF Committee members are responsible for stewarding undergraduate student fees and helping turn those resources into meaningful sustainability projects across campus. In addition to their full-Committee responsibilities, members serve on subcommittees that help carry out the day-to-day work of TGIF, including grant advising, marketing and outreach, committee recruitment and hiring, and program development. 

Throughout the academic year, the Committee:

  • Reviews and evaluates grant proposals to determine which projects align with TGIF's mission and funding priorities.
  • Makes funding decisions and determines how available TGIF funds are allocated.
  • Reviews project progress and outcomes by reviewing Midpoint and Final Reports.
  • Supports funded projects by serving as TGIF Project Managers.
  • Guides applicants and awardees to help strengthen projects and ensure successful implementation.
  • Conducts outreach and engagement to help the UC Davis community learn about TGIF and its funding opportunities.
  • Helps shape TGIF's future through program development, policies, outreach, and funding priorities.
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Join TGIF as a Student

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Join TGIF as staff or faculty

Meet the TGIF Committee

Voting Representatives

Image of Bella Heryford

Bella Heryford

Treasurer, Undergraduate Representative *

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Brooke Threlkeld

Secretary, Undergraduate Representative *

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Kassian Johnson

Undergraduate Representative *

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Crystal Lee

Undergraduate Representative *

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Alexis Levin

Undergraduate Representative *

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Donovan Madden-Watson

Undergraduate Representative *

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Nicholas Melnichenko

Undergraduate Representative *

portrait

Lily Ono

Undergraduate Representative *

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Alexander Liesegang

Graduate Representative *

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Jeffery Bruchez

Staff Representative

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Help us fill this role!

Faculty Representative

Join TGIF

Non-Voting Representatives

Campus Oversight

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Ellie Noh

Undergraduate- EPPC Represenative

About EPPC
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Kim Vu

Undergraduate- COSAF Representative

About COSAF

TGIF Staff

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Heidi Stachniuk

(Formerly Heidi Rogers) TGIF Grant Program Manager *

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Brooke Threlkeld

TGIF Student Assistant *

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Eric O'Brien

Director of Sustainability at UC Davis

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Carla Fresquez

Sustainability Engagement Director

* Wages funded by TGIF undergraduate student fees

Past TGIF Committees

  • 2025-2026 TGIF Committee
  • Undergraduate students: Claudia Colorado, Kelsie Garay, Bella Heryford, Donovan Madden-Watson, Ellie Noh, Anya Rao, Sofia Stuckmann, Brooke Threlkeld,  Thomas Wong
    Graduate students: Alexander Liesegang, Adenike Oladiende (Fall, Winter)
    COSAF student member (ex-officio): Kim Vu
    ASUCD EPPC student member (ex-officio): Sriya Batchu

    Staff representative: Jeff Bruchez
    TGIF Student Assistant: Brooke Threlkeld
    TGIF Grant Program Manager (ex-officio): Heidi Rogers
    UC Davis Director of Sustainability (ex-officio): Eric O'Brien
    Engagement Program Manager (ex-officio): Carla Fresquez

    Financial and administrative mentoring to the 2025-26 Committee is provided by Olivia Pennell (Financial Analyst).

  • Past TGIF Committee
  •  
    • 2024-25 TGIF Committee
    • 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
      Graduate Student: Adenike Oladiende (Spring)

      TGIF Student Assistant (ex-officio): Alina Issakhanian
      TGIF Grant Program Manager (ex-officio): Heidi Rogers
      Engagement Program Manager (ex-officio): Carla Fresquez
      Office of Sustainability Director (ex-officio): Eric O'Brien

      Financial and administrative mentoring to the 2024-25 Committee is provided by Olivia Pennell (Financial Analyst).

    • 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). 
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