Alumni Spotlights feature outstanding UC Santa Barbara alumni succeeding in their careers, proud of their Gaucho heritage.

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Ashley Ratcliff’s ('06) diagnosis didn’t stop her from doing what she loves and doing it with intention. Ratcliff graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Professional Writing.
As a 2021 finalist of the Paul A. Volker Career Achievement Medal, one of the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals, Gregory Ruiz ‘80 shares his astounding goals to preserve international marine ecology.
Luca is the Co-founder and Chief Data Scientist at Evidation Health, responsible for data analytics, research and development. At Evidation he has driven research collaborations resulting in numerous publications.
Married alumni staff members, Joe Sabado ’97 and Tiffany (Asuncion ’01) Sabado have been spreading light and positivity across campus for nearly two decades. They continue to empower students and community members to experience the joy of serving others.
Valerie Jenness, Ph.D. ‘91 continues her work for the University of California as a senior leader at UC Irvine. Valerie is now the Acting Vice Provost for Academic Planning and Institutional Research at the University of California, Irvine.
This July Michael Citron ‘10 begins his two-year presidential term for the UCSB Alumni Board. Read about his work with the UCSB Alumni Association Board of Directors and what inspires him to volunteer.