UCSD - University of California - San Diego

07/27/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/27/2026 15:06

UC San Diego Alumni Board of Directors Welcomes Eight New Members

Published Date

July 27, 2026

Article Content

The University of California San Diego has welcomed eight new alumni to its UC San Diego Alumni Board of Directors. The incoming members bring a wide range of experience, spanning Hollywood production and business to public policy and medicine.

The UC San Diego Alumni Board of Directors is composed of a dedicated group of alumni who are passionate about advancing the university's mission and fostering a lifelong connection between alumni, students and the university.

UC San Diego alumni play a key role in the university's success, creating connections that extend far beyond graduation. Through mentorship, volunteerism, advocacy and philanthropy, alumni help open doors for current students, support UC San Diego's mission and continue to strengthen the Triton community.

That spirit of community and connection is particularly timely with the opening of UC San Diego's Triton Alumni and Welcome Center in fall 2026. The new center will be a dedicated gathering place designed to welcome alumni back to campus and deepen their connection to the university and to one another. As UC San Diego enters this exciting new chapter, the Alumni Board of Directors is positioned to help shape even greater opportunities for Tritons to engage, give back and stay connected.

"We are thrilled to welcome these outstanding alumni as incoming board members," said Shara Freeman Hoefel, assistant vice chancellor of Alumni Relations. "Their leadership comes at a special time in UC San Diego's history, as we prepare to open the Triton Alumni and Welcome Center - a place truly created for our alumni. Our members' experience, passion and connection to UC San Diego will be invaluable as we strengthen the ways alumni engage with one another and with the university, building an even more vibrant Triton community for generations to come."

The incoming members of the UC San Diego Alumni Board of Directors for 2026-27 include:

Jason Carbone '90
John Muir College

Jason Carbone '90 is an award-winning television producer and director. He was the CEO and owner of the independent production company, Good Clean Fun (Run's House, Barely Famous and Life of Ryan) for over 15 years. Prior to that, he created the look and feel of ABC's The Bachelor, as its original director. During his time on campus, Carbone worked as a resident advisor and orientation leader coordinator. He also filed a copyright and oversaw the $2 million budget for the first year of operation of the Price Center, all before he received his degree in Visual Arts from UC San Diego.

Erich Gazaui '98
Revelle College

Erich Gazaui '98 has more than 25 years' experience building institutional intelligence into public companies, high-growth startups and regulated industries - from enterprise technology and information security to governance, and now AI. He currently serves as chief information officer at Papa, Inc., a company improving health outcomes through human connection. He is a recurring guest lecturer and advisor in the Department of Economics and is a frequent keynote speaker on AI and the future of work at UC San Diego and national industry conferences. He also supports UC San Diego philanthropically.

Jane Lee '13
Thurgood Marshall College

Jane Lee '13 is an alumna with a bachelor's in Communication and minor in Education Studies. She received her master's degree in Education from the University of San Diego. Lee is an entertainment reporter, interviewing renowned actors, musicians and athletes. She also serves as the chair of the UC San Diego Asian Pacific Islander Alumni Council.

Amy Leu '00
Revelle College

Amy Leu '00, DO, is a sports medicine and primary care physician in the Department of Family Medicine, Division of Sports Medicine at the UC San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Health. She provides comprehensive sports medicine care to patients and athletes across all ages and ability levels, from tee-ball players to professional and Olympic athletes. She is proud to have played on UC San Diego women's basketball team during her time as a student, and she now serves as UC San Diego's head team physician. Continuing the UC San Diego legacy, she is also the parent of a first-year Triton.

The Honorable Jaime Lizárraga '88
John Muir College

The Honorable Jaime Lizárraga '88 served as a Senate-confirmed Commissioner at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from 2022 to 2025. He previously served as Senior Adviser to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He is currently a member of the advisory boards at Range Finance, Inc. and UC San Diego's Horizon Accelerator. Lizárraga has remained deeply committed to UC San Diego, connecting his public service experience in Washington, D.C., with the university community. He has mentored students, served as a guest lecturer at the Rady School of Management and Department of Economics and served as a member of the Campaign for UC San Diego cabinet. He has also worked to strengthen UC San Diego's national alumni network by speaking at key events around Washington, D.C. In recognition of his impact and service, UC San Diego honored Lizárraga with the Wavemaker Award in 2022.

David Noel, MPIA '14
School of Global Policy and Strategy

David Noel, MPIA '14 is a product and business leader with more than 15 years of experience spanning financial services, technology, entrepreneurship and international business, and is currently the founder of a sports technology startup focused on endurance athletes. Noel previously held product leadership roles at JPMorgan and founded startups in the global professional sports and education technology industries. Earlier in his career, he was a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt in the banking industry.

Noel previously served as president of the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS) Alumni Board. He earned his Master of International Affairs from GPS and a bachelor's degree in Economics from UC Santa Barbara.

Byron Scott, MD '90
School of Medicine

Byron Scott, MD '90 is the chief health officer at Direct Relief, a global humanitarian medical aid organization. Scott has worked for over 30 years as a healthcare executive in various sectors including physician practice management, health analytics and health technology. He previously practiced emergency medicine for over 25 years. Scott is a professor and teaches healthcare quality at Jefferson College of Population Health and the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. He is passionate about board governance and currently serves as board chair at Rady Children's Hospital San Diego and board chair at Providence Health Plan.

Mary Taylor '94, EdD '21
Revelle College / Education Studies

Mary Taylor '94, EdD '21 is an educational leader and advocate whose career is defined by resilience and an unwavering commitment to student success. As a double alumnus of UC San Diego, she brings extensive academic expertise and profound lived experience to her work in higher education as the associate chief diversity officer at San Diego State University. Taylor has demonstrated her long-standing dedication to future generations through her 30-year involvement with the Goins Alumni Scholarship Fund and her service on non-profit boards in the San Diego community. Throughout her career, she has consistently championed equity, mentorship and the pursuit of joy as essential elements for dismantling barriers and fostering opportunity.

To learn more about UC San Diego Alumni, please visit alumni.ucsd.edu.

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