Shonda Rhimes is an award-winning television creator, producer and New York Times best-selling author. She is also the CEO of Shondaland, the global media company that encompasses brand partnerships, merchandise, theatrical and streaming content, Shondaland Audio, the editorial website Shondaland.com and Shondaland Publishing.  In her career, Rhimes’ work has been celebrated with numerous awards including induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.  She has shifted the entertainment industry’s business model and changed the face of television. 

Timothy Watkins, Sr. is the fourth President and CEO of the Watts Labor Community Action Committee. His election in 2000 came after serving thirty-five years as a volunteer in many capacities including warehouseman, purchasing agent, merchandising manager, fleet maintenance manager, head of security, technology developer, landscape designer and builder.  Watkins also serves as the President and CEO of the Greater Watts Development Corporation (GWDC) a WLCAC Corporate subsidiary and as the founder of the Greater Watts Transportation Corporation (GWTC). 

Watkins’ focus is on resilient community development through social justice, sound environmental policy and industrial initiative.  He has been a champion for local participation in the mainstream of life in Los Angeles through political and social activism.  He is currently authoring MudTown, a historical perspective of life in Watts over the past century 

Watkins has served on numerous boards over the past two decades including International Visitor’s Council of Los Angeles, Watts Economic Development Advisory Council, Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science, Verbum Dei High School, Green Dot Charter Schools, African American Women’s Public Policy Institute, LADWP Reclaimed Water Advisory Group, the Watts Neighborhood Council, Watts Renaissance Project and the Better Watts Initiative.

Having lived in Watts his entire life, Watkins has been consulted for his perspective of life in Watts by KABC, KCBS, KNBC, KCAL and KTLA TV stations. His life is currently being studied by a KCET commissioned producer in conjunction with PBS. He has been quoted in numerous newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The LA Weekly, The Sentinel, Our Weekly, The Wave and New Watts Times to name a few. He has been consulted by local, national and international leaders on a wide range of local issues concerning his work with youth, senior citizens, transportation, industry, and community and police relations and the quality of local environment.  

In the Summer of 2015, Watkins launched the Better Watts Initiative for Environmental Justice.  This is where he’s found his calling as he grapples with the intersection of environmental toxicity and its effects on human behavior. 

Watkins declares himself a proud graduate of MudTown University aka the Streets of Watts; a little community with the biggest name in the world, mostly misunderstood, often neglected, always trying for a better way of life.

James Ricci is a Director at Schmidt Sciences. In this role, James leads the Cross-Science Institute, which aims to break down existing barriers in the scientific research ecosystem through the support of ambitious thinkers, advanced technologies, and foundational tools that improve scientific discovery.

Prior to Schmidt Sciences, James was an Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Daemen College in Buffalo, NY. In 2018-2019, James was selected as the American Mathematical Society’s Congressional Fellow, where he spent his fellowship in the U.S. Senate working in Senator Amy Klobuchar’s Office as a policy advisor on topics relating to education, healthcare, workforce development, and data privacy. In 2019-2020, James served as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the Department of Energy where he worked in the Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) program office. In this role, James assisted with program management within the computer science research portfolio on topics relating to data management and analysis, artificial intelligence, supercomputing, high-end computational science, and advanced networking for science. He also helped with operational support for four scientific user facilities, including (what was at the time) the world’s most powerful supercomputer.

James holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Wesleyan University, and a B.A. from Vassar College.

Claire Griffiths shapes the public voice of UCLA’s premier environmental research and academic hub, bridging the gap between complex climate science and global engagement. As the primary communications lead for the Institute, she manages brand narrative, digital strategy, and high-impact integrated campaigns that elevate scientific breakthroughs to solve urgent environmental challenges.

Her work ensures that UCLA’s research reaches policymakers and the world’s most influential outlets, including The Los Angeles Times, NPR, and the BBC. During the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, Claire led the Institute’s strategic communication efforts, providing science-based clarity from experts to millions of users across digital and social channels.

A proud Bruin alumna, Claire brings a deep understanding of the UCLA ecosystem to her role. She graduated Magna Cum Laude and was honored with the UCLA Staff Appreciation & Recognition (STAR) Award in 2024 for her excellence in advancing the Institute’s mission. She previously contributed to the Bruin Political Review and the UCLA Business Law and Investing Journal.

Outside of the Institute, Claire is a coastal living enthusiast and an advocate for the intersection of arts and environment. You can usually find her exploring Southern California’s trail systems, food spots, or attending live music across Los Angeles.

Cory Chen is a 4th year student at UCLA studying English literature and professional writing. He is a published poet and creative writer who occasionally writes articles for IoES.

Stephen is a graduate student at the UCLA Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. His primary research interests include global climate variability, teleconnections, land-atmosphere feedbacks, and paleoclimatology. Stephen previously worked as a research assistant at Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, NM and completed his undergraduate studies at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa.

Surabhi is a graduate student at UCLA Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. She is primarily interested in climate extremes and how their impacts change with a warming climate. Surabhi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Atmospheric Sciences and Earth and Space Sciences from the University of Washington, Seattle.

Sara is a graduate student pursuing a PhD in the UCLA Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. Her work is primarily motivated by the desire to close the gap between climate scientists, climate policy makers and stakeholders and increase the usability of climate research in mitigating the impacts of climate change. Her research focuses on utilizing regional modeling techniques to better understand the current and future state of Western US water resources in a changing climate. Previously, Sara worked for several different organizations in Washington, D.C. doing climate policy and climate activism. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from Carnegie Mellon University. 

Dr. Andy Kleinhesselink is the Restoration Ecologist and Managing Director of Sage Hill at UCLA. He has wide-ranging experience in environmental education, ecological restoration, and research. He has worked on restoration and conservation projects in Southern Oregon, Minnesota, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. From 2017 to 2020 he was a postdoc in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCLA where he studied California annual plant ecology and the theoretical underpinnings of species competition and coexistence. In 2020, he was the IoES Pritzker Environment and Sustainability Education Fellow and taught a section of the IoES senior capstone course. His students evaluated plans for increasing the availability of native plants for restoration projects in urban Los Angeles.

Andy is an avid birder and naturalist and has documented over 300 species of plants, animals, and fungi on the UCLA campus. He is enthusiastic about sharing his love of nature with the UCLA community and has led field trips to the Salton Sea, Palos Verdes, and to sites on campus for the Bruin Birding Club and the Bruin Naturalist Club. As restoration ecologist for Sage Hill, he is excited to play a role in conserving its biodiversity and developing the site as a place where students can connect with the local environment and California’s rich biodiversity.  

Andy earned a B.A. in biology from Carleton College, a M.S. in Biology from Sonoma State University, and a Ph.D. in Ecology from Utah State University. From 2006 to 2009, he worked in the Presidio of San Francisco where he helped restore native vegetation on former army landfills. He has published numerous articles on plant ecology, rangeland ecology, and global change.