Meet the 2023-2024 TGIF Committee
The TGIF Committee is the decision-making body of The Green Initiative Fund. It chooses which projects receive funding, approves changes to awards, and guides the general direction of TGIF.
Voting Members
Avery Ngo | Chair
Avery Ngo (she/her/hers) is a 3rd-year Political Science major minoring in Environmental Systems & Society. Find her cooking with the goal of zero food waste, training for a triathlon, brewing and cupping different types of espresso beans, and spending time with her three sisters and dog, Buster.
Nilaya Kanuri | Vice Chair
Nilaya Kanuri (she/her/hers) is a 4th-year student majoring in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology and minoring in Public Affairs. She’s interested in the intersections between accessibility, sustainability, and healthcare, and hopes to work in the medical field in the future. Outside of TGIF, she is the former USAC Facilities Commissioner, an Apartment Resident Assistant, and a Learning Assistant! In her free time, Nilaya enjoys reading poetry, exploring LA, and looking at the moon.
Isabel Sheng | Admin Chair
Isabel Sheng (she/her/hers) is a 4th year student majoring in Environmental Science and minoring in Urban and Regional Studies. She is passionate about the connections between sustainability, transportation, and housing issues. Outside of TGIF, she enjoys trying new coffee shops, cooking, and browsing through flea markets!
Avantika Mohan | Internal Outreach Chair
Avantika (or just AV!) Mohan (she/her/hers) is a 3rd year at UCLA. She's curious about the intersection between sustainability and healthcare and finding ways to make UCLA a greener, happier place. She loves rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender, stand-up comedy, Odissi (Indian classical dance), and tacos!
Dante Ray | External Outreach Chair
Dante Ray (he/him/his) is a 2nd year student double majoring in Political Science and Economics and minoring in Scandinavian Studies. He is interested in the ways in which cultural preservation and sustainability are linked. During his free time he enjoys reading, hiking and playing with his two cats, Fred and Lucy. He is also a proud member of the UCLA men’s rowing team.
Tamar Christensen | Faculty Committee Member
As a Continuing Lecturer in Writing Programs, Tamar uses the platform of rhetorical analysis as an access point for students to both understand and act on our climate crisis. In her pedagogy, campus involvement, community engagement, and lifestyle, Tamar’s focus on the intersection of access and ability empowers others to take tangible climate action that will help manifest the kind of equitable climate future we want to see. In her spare time, Tamar enjoys living in LA without a car, regenerative gardening, spending time with her cats and backyard chickens, traveling slowly, and eating spicy vegetarian food.
Professional Staff
Jonathan Wisner | Grant Coordinator
Jonathan Wisner (he/him/his) is the Student Government Support Manager and TGIF Grant Coordinator at the Associated Students UCLA. He serves at the primary advisor to the Undergraduate Students Association Councill (USAC) and their various committees, organizations, and funding bodies. Jonathan is both a UCLA and USAC alum, previously serving as the elected Community Service Commissioner. He is passionate about student-led and student-initiated programs and firmly believes in the true power they hold to change not only our campus but our local and global community.
Jesse Martinez | Support Staff
Jesse Martinez (he/him/his) is a second year Environmental Science Major and Film, Television, and Digital Media minor. Outside of TGIF, his hobbies include playing and running Dungeons and Dragons games, as well as writing in his free time, and finding new things to get involved in on the UCLA campus.
Sustainability Advisors
Nurit Katz | Chief Sustainability Officer | Email
UCLA’s first Chief Sustainability Officer, Nurit Katz is working to foster partnerships among academic, research, and operational departments to facilitate creating a world class living laboratory for sustainability at UCLA. Nurit also serves as an Instructor for UCLA Extension’s Sustainability Certificate Program. For six years Nurit also served as Executive Officer for UCLA Facilities Management.
Bonny Bentzin | Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer | Email
As Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer at UCLA, Bonny is a key member of the leadership team for sustainability at UCLA, helping manage sustainability across the university and working to foster partnerships among academic, research, and operational departments to create a world class living laboratory for sustainability.