PIASO

President: Carlos Meier

Career Track: International Management
Regional Focus: Latin America
Language(s): Spanish

Carlos (Class of 2010) received his Bachelor of Science in Business and Marketing from Iowa State University, and has a professional background in NGO management and government administration. He is interested in working in Latin America as a financial manager. As PIASO President, he is the chief executive officer of the student government and an official representative of IR/PS students to the community. His duties are to communicate with faculty and administration, and to provide effective responses to all student concerns.

Contact: c2meier@ucsd.edu

Back to top.

VP of Academic Affairs: Brian Mallis

Career Track: International Politics
Regional Focus: Japan
Language(s): Japanese

Brian (Class of 2010) completed his undergraduate degree in Japanese history from UC Berkeley. His professional background is in teaching and translation. At IR/PS he is studying the intersection of security, space, and technology policy. He hopes one day to become more involved in the creation and implementation of space policy and technology policy for the US and Asia. As PIASO Vice President of Academic Affairs, Brian is the academic liaison for the IR/PS student community and works with students and faculty to advocate ideas and concerns, and to facilitate student input regarding the IR/PS program.

Contact: bmallis@ucsd.edu

Back to top.

VP of External Affairs: Candice Wang

Career Track: International Management
Regional Focus: China
Language(s): Mandarin

Candice (Class of 2010) is the first student admitted into the BA/MIA program at IR/PS. She has studied abroad in China at Fudan University. As Vice President of External Affairs, Candice serves as the primary liaison between the student body and external organizations. She represents student interests to the IR/PS Alumni Board, Graduate Student Association, and Associated Students of UCSD.

Contact: cwang@ucsd.edu

Back to top.

VP of Programming: Shannon Cummings

Career Track: International Management
Regional Focus: China and Southeast Asia
Language(s): Mandarin

Shannon (class of 2010) graduated from Fairfield University with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies. After graduation she spent time teaching in Shanghai, China, as well as working in the publishing industry. At IR/PS she is transitioning to the field of international management. She is particularly interested in disaster and emergency relief. As PIASO's V.P. of Programming, Shannon serves as the primary liasion between the diverse array of student groups at IR/PS and and the faculty and administration.She is also responsible for coordinating and organizing club-sponsored events and programs.

Contact: scummings@ucsd.edu

Back to top.

VP of Events: Aaron Turner

Career Track: International Management
Regional Focus: China
Language(s): Chinese, Japanese, German

Although he has spent time on both the East Coast and in the Far East, Aaron (Class of 2010) hails from America’s heartland and is a native of Wichita, Kansas. In 2005, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and East Asian Studies from Wichita State University. Prior to coming to IR/PS, Aaron spent three years living in Taipei, Taiwan. While in Taipei, Aaron performed an internship in the Public Affairs section of the American Institute in Taiwan ((AIT) - America’s unofficial embassy in Taiwan) and also spent more than two and a half years studying Mandarin Chinese at National Taiwan Normal University’s Mandarin Training Center (NTNU-MTC). He also gained valuable work experience teaching business English to adults and providing an array of educational consulting services in Taipei. At IR/PS, Aaron focuses on the Greater China region and is interested in business consulting and market entry strategies for multinational corporations in China. As Vice President of Events, Aaron is responsible for coordinating all PIASO-sponsored social, cultural, and professional events for the entire student body of IR/PS.

Contact: aturner@ucsd.edu

Back to top.

Secretary: Tristan Mecham

Career Track: Environmental Policy, Energy Economics
Regional Focus: China
Language(s): Chinese, Japanese

Tristan (Class of 2010) is PIASO’s Secretary. He was raised in Eugene, Oregon where he gained a great love for the beauty of the natural environment, which he still enjoys from atop his bike whenever he has the chance. He holds Bachelor’s degrees in International Relations as well as International Business from Seattle University. Before enrolling at IR/PS, Tristan worked at expanding the mental horizons of Chinese youth for two years. Tristan is the man behind the curtain, taking care of the nitty-gritty tasks for PIASO. These include but are not limited to coordinating schedules, creating agendas, recording PIASO meetings, and helping with communicating PIASO’s plans to both clubs and the student body. Tristan is also co-president of the Environment Society at IR/PS. He hopes to use the skills he is learning at IR/PS to make the world a better place for everybody.

Contact: tmecham@ucsd.edu

Back to top.

Treasurer: Luna Kim

Career Track: International Management
Regional Focus: Korea, China
Language(s): Korean, Mandarin

Luna (Class of 2010) received her BA in English Literature from UCLA. Upon graduation, she spent time learning Korean while studying and working abroad in Korea. She came to IR/PS to learn more about U.S.-Korea relations in Northeast Asia. As Treasurer, she oversees the annual budget for PIASO operations and all IR/PS student organizations.

Contact: lkim@ucsd.edu

Back to top.

GSA Representative: Jacob Davis

Career Track: International Politics
Regional Focus: China
Language(s): Mandarin, Latin

Jacob (Class of 2010) graduated from the University of California at San Diego with a double major in History and Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations. He hopes to work for the State Department upon graduation. As the GSA representative he advocates on the behalf of IRPS students during GSA council meetings. If you need anything from GSA don’t hesitate to contact him..

Contact: j2davis@ucsd.edu

Back to top.

GSA Representative: Steven Ma

Career Track: International Politics
Regional Focus: China, Japan
Language(s): Chinese, Spanish, Japanese

Steven graduated from UCSD with a B.A. in Political Science. He has a background in service sector economy and trade liberalization. As a GSA Representative, Steven bridges the communication between IR/PS and the UCSD Gradute Student Council.

Contact: kuma@ucsd.edu

Back to top.