Hello! My name is Ivan (he/him), and I graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelor of Science in Global Disease Biology (GDB) in 2018. I was originally admitted as a psychology major, but I switched to GDB the summer between my freshman and sophomore years after developing a strong interest in One Health and realizing my passion for ecology.

During my time at UC Davis, I became involved in research, working with Dr. Maribel “Mimi” Portilla on the effects of herbicide treatments on mosquito abundance and with Dr. Easton White on population dynamics involving flour beetles. After graduating, I worked as a Staff Research Associate at UCLA’s Center for Health Services and Society, where I helped collect and evaluate data on co-occurring mental health and opioid use disorders in Los Angeles County mental health clinics.

While working at UCLA, I realized I wanted to return to graduate school to further develop my research skills and find a field that would allow me to work through both macro and micro lenses. In 2020, I was admitted to UCLA’s dual-degree Master of Public Health (MPH) and Master of Social Welfare (MSW) program, specializing in community health sciences and mental health, respectively. As a dual-degree student, I had the opportunity to participate in internships focused on coordinating COVID-19 vaccinations for unhoused populations, as well as engaging in more micro-level work in a community mental health clinic.

After completing graduate school, I began working full-time as a Psychiatric Social Worker at a Los Angeles County community mental health clinic, where I provide psychotherapy and case management services to clients. My current goal is to continue gaining clinical experience as I work toward becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Majoring in GDB was a catalyst for shaping my research interests and career path. Although I have pivoted away from studying specific diseases and ecology, I am incredibly proud of the work I do in mental health today. I aspire to return to academia and pursue a PhD, but that is a goal for the very far future.

I highly recommend GDB as a major because of the unique opportunities it provides, both during undergraduate studies and beyond!