UCGPC is a non-profit organization that advocates for graduate and professional students at University of California.
10 campuses,
1 UC system.
UCGPC bridges each UC to stakeholders, decision-makers, and organizations:
UC Office of the President, UC Systemwide Committees, Grad Caucus in DC, National Association of Graduate and Professional Students, Federal and State Legislators and more.
AY 2025-2026 Committees on Campaign Prioties
1. Immigration, Undocumented, and International Student Rights
Chair: Jack Feng, UCLA
Graduate students from immigrant, undocumented, and international backgrounds face unique and urgent challenges. This campaign will focus on:
Protecting and expanding work and research opportunities.
Advocating for equitable tuition, fees, and funding access regardless of immigration status.
Addressing visa, work authorization, and travel barriers that disrupt academic progress.
Strengthening institutional support for undocumented and mixed-status families.
We will work to ensure that every UC graduate student—regardless of origin or status—can thrive without fear of legal, financial, or institutional barriers.
2. Healthcare
Chair: Oluwatosin Jegede, UCSD
In light of federal and state policy shifts impacting both healthcare access and healthcare workers, UCGPC will take a comprehensive approach to graduate student health. Our campaign will:
Address the rising costs of healthcare premiums, co-pays, and out-of-pocket expenses.
Advocate for improved dependent coverage so graduate student families aren’t left behind.
Examine the accessibility of mental health services, specialist care, and reproductive health.
Protect graduate student researchers working in health-related fields from political and funding attacks.
We believe healthcare should be affordable, comprehensive, and accessible for all graduate students and their families.
3. Basic Needs: Food, Family, Housing, and Affordability (FFHA)
Chair: Rebecca Angela Ruiz, UCI
Basic needs are the foundation of academic success—and far too many graduate students are struggling to meet them. This campaign will:
Fight for affordable, stable housing near campus.
Advocate for food security programs that meet graduate student realities.
Push for better family support services, including childcare and parental leave policies.
Address overall affordability, from transportation to campus fees.
Our goal is to ensure that no graduate student has to choose between academic success and meeting their basic needs.
Through these three campaigns, UCGPC will mobilize across campuses, work with UC leadership, and advocate at the state and federal levels to secure tangible wins for graduate students. We invite all graduate students to get involved, share their stories, and help us make change happen.
Next UCGPC Board Meeting: September 13, 2025 at 11:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Join the Conversation at Our Monthly UCGPC Board Meeting!
Programs
UCGPC programming encourages the participation of graduate and professional students in key decision-making spaces for graduate education in the University of California.
Apply to the Student Advocates to the Regents (StARs) Program
Learn more about our Advocacy Days: Day on the Hill and Sacramento
Be a StAR!
Student Advocates to the Regents voice graduate student issues at the UC Board of Regents meetings. Contact us to learn more about the program: secretary@ucgpc501c3.org.
Learn more about the StARs program here.
UCGPC President Address
July 2025 Regents Meeting at UCLA
Executive Officers
The officers of the council are elected and appointed annually by ex officio council members. Each officer has an integral role in representing and leading the UCGPC in multiple spaces.
President
Stephanie Valadez is a musician and scholar based in California and Mexico City. She is currently a PhD student in Ethnomusicology at UCLA, serves as the President of the Board of the University of California Graduate and Professional Student Council, and is the Executive Director of Xicameri Productions. She is a Marimba One Education Artist and maintains a private teaching studio. Valadez holds a Master of Arts in Music (Cross-Cultural Musicology) from the University of California, Santa Cruz and two Masters of Music degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in Music Composition and Music Performance: Marimba. In her spare time, she enjoys creating children's books in Nahuatl for her two sons as part of her commitment to decolonial parenting practices.
Connect with Stephanie at president@ucgpc501c3.org.
Interim Secretary
Sarah Bacon (she/her) is a public leader, strategist, and advocate with experience in organizational leadership spanning public higher education, nonprofit governance, and corporate management. A Master’s student in Religious Studies at UC Santa Barbara and former technology executive, she brings a unique perspective and a systems-thinking approach to policymaking and working collaboratively to drive institutional change. Sarah’s research and work focuses on democratic renewal, public life, and how belief systems inform governance and policy. As Vice President of External Affairs for UCSB’s Graduate Student Association, she leads UC-wide, state, and federal advocacy on behalf of 3,000+ graduate students and represents graduate interests in multiple Academic Senate and Chancellor-appointed committees.
Connect with Sarah at secretary@ucgpc501c3.org.
Treasurer
Melanie Girod, (she/her) is a second-year Master of Public Policy student at UC Berkeley and the Treasurer of UCGPC. She brings to UCGPC many years of private sector experience in finance and accounting. Originally from France and now based in the Bay Area, Melanie is dedicated to serving her community through public service and is a committed advocate for students and gender equity, both on and off campus.
As Treasurer, she is excited to support UCGPC’s mission through sound budgeting, responsible financial management, and efforts to increase funding. She is committed to ensuring that students are uplifted and centered in all key decisions.
Connect with Melanie at treasurer@ucgpc501c3.org.
Executive Director
As the Executive Director, Patriccia directs and controls all of UCGPC’s business operations and ensures its success through strategic planning, cost-based thinking, and a creative vision. Patriccia is the sole full-time staff at UCGPC.
Patriccia Ordonez-Kim (she/her) is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, Riverside’s School of Education. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration in Higher Education and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from California State University, Northridge. She served as the Interim President and Vice President of External Affairs of the Graduate Student Association at the University of California, Riverside from 2021-2022 and was an invited guest in Bill Gate’s inaugural session of Gates Notes Deep Dive on May 2021.
Patriccia is currently on leave, please direct all questions to secretary@ucgpc501c3.org.
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UCGPC
981 Mission Street, #31, San Francisco, CA 94103
secretary@ucgpc501c3.org
© 2025 UCGPC
