24-25 BOARD MEMBERS
Our current board members work hard all year to provide our members with the appropriate resources, information, and service events they need to be successful in their undergraduate/pre-dental careers.
Julianna Ho
Co-President
Year: 3rd
Major: Psychobiology
Favorite thing about PDSOP: I joined PDSOP because I wanted to find a community of students at UCLA who had the same career goals as me! I knew I wanted to be on the board because I loved PDSOP’s ability to foster a place for pre-dental students to meet each other and how it provides numerous resources to allow its members to flourish as aspiring dental professionals. I had the honor of serving as the co-community services coordinator last year, and I am even more excited to be co-president and lead this wonderful organization!
Justin Shafa
Co-President
Year: 3rd
Major: Psychobiology, Public Health Minor
Favorite thing about PDSOP: My interest in dentistry is from its unique blend of art and healthcare and joining PDSOP gave me a large community to embrace that. My favorite aspect of the club is its ability to connect students to outside experience while also helping us navigate our dental application journey. As Co-President this year, I plan to promote a warm and welcoming community that offers the same dental guidance and connections I have received since joining my freshman year.
Chase Taylor
Vice President
Year: 4th
Major: Biology
Favorite thing about PDSOP: I joined PDSOP to learn more about dentistry and to meet other students who had the same goals and passion as me. I love meeting other pre-dental students at ucla because we tend to be doing similar things and they inspire me to be better. PDSOP has provided me many opportunities such as forming study groups. PDSOP has also given me everything I needed to know in order to become a competitive applicant for dental school.
Haelynn Kim
Treasurer
Year: 2nd
Major: Biology
Favorite thing about PDSOP: I decided to join PDSOP after attending a few meetings and realizing that this was the only place that could supply me with the right information and opportunities that a pre-dental could need, and I decided to join board to help continue to provide for our members (and incoming members!).
Christina Hadeed
Secretary
Year: 3rd
Major: Biology, Public Health Minor
Favorite thing about PDSOP: My favorite thing about PDSOP is being in a supportive environment where people all share the same passion and career goal. I love how accessible the club is to pre-dental students who are at different places in their own journey. I am super excited about the opportunity to be on board and to continue to get to know the amazing people of this organization!
Alyson Chou
Webmaster
Year: 3rd
Major: Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics
Favorite thing about PDSOP: I’ve loved being a member of PDSOP these past few years because it’s introduced me to the most dedicated, hardworking, and brilliant people at UCLA. I love how welcoming and supportive the community is and the fact that we can all learn a lot from each other. I’m super excited to be on PDSOP board this year and can’t wait to see all the new and returning faces!
Alex Donnell
Community Service
Co-Coordinator
Year: 2nd
Major: Psychobiology
Favorite thing about PDSOP: I joined PDSOP because I wanted to be surrounded by like-minded individuals and expand my knowledge about the field of dentistry. I am the first in my family to pursue a career in any health field, so PDSOP has been my main resource for knowledge about applications, pre-requisites, and life as a dentist. As a board member, I hope to serve as a friendly face for any general PDSOP member, regardless of age, to approach if they have any questions about my current journey as a pre-dental student.
Ryan Javanmard
Social Co-Coordinator
Year: 4th
Major: Human Biology and Society
Favorite thing about PDSOP: I joined PDSOP to deepen my understanding of dentistry, ran for Social Coordinator to foster connections within our pre-dental community, and particularly enjoy the enriching experiences and insights gained about the field.
Matthew Do
Community Service
Co-Coordinator
Year: 3rd
Major: Biology
Favorite thing about PDSOP: I joined PDSOP during my first year at UCLA, initially viewing it as a simple informative pre-professional club where like-minded students gathered. However, in my second year, I became more engaged with the welcoming community and realized that PDSOP offers much more than any typical pre-professional club, as it provides invaluable resources and an amazing community for those on the pre-dental path. And most importantly, these resources, along with the amazing people who run the club, have affirmed my passion for continuing to pursue dentistry.
Ramy Fouad
Social Co-Coordinator
Year: 4th
Major: Psychobiology
Favorite thing about PDSOP: I joined PDSOP for the chance to meet other pre-dents going through the same journey as I. I found a great community of genuine people who help each other navigate dental school admissions. I’m excited to take part in organizing our socials this year and look forward to meeting everyone!
Kaila Hemmatyar
Recruitment Co-Director
Year: 4th
Major: Anthropology
Favorite thing about PDSOP: I joined PDSOP to connect with other pre-dental students at UCLA and gain more knowledge about the path to dental school! I decided to join PDSOP because I wanted to gain more leadership experience and I thought PDSOP would be a great choice since I enjoyed the club so much the first year I joined.
Elena Liu
Recruitment Co-Director
Year: 2nd
Major: Human Biology and Society
Member since: 2021
Favorite thing about PDSOP: I joined PDSOP to learn more about dental school applications and meet other pre-dental students! My favorite part of PDSOP has been bonding with other pre-dental students and connecting to people with similar passions and goals.