Search Results

< Back Vansh Kumar Vansh began working at Google in 2016 as a software engineer, and worked at Verily Life Sciences as a software engineering manager from 2021 to 2024. He is currently on a break from work to explore his interests. He earned a BS in Applied Computational Mathematics and Computer Science from Caltech. Committee Affiliation: Finance Committee Previous Next

Advancement Co-Chair < Back Cindy Bengtson Budzyn Advancement Co-Chair Cindy retired after 30 years of leadership positions with ARCO/BP and devotes her time to community service. At age 25 she created Big Sisters of Los Angeles.  41 years later, Big Sisters is merged as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles serving 1000 “high risk” children throughout LA County. Her other non-profit work has included memberships and Board roles in over 15 organizations, most recently Leadership Pasadena and Los Altos Auxiliary for Hathaway Sycamores. She graduated with a BS in Consumer Economics from Purdue University and completed numerous professional certification courses in employee benefits, taxation and gerontology. Committee Affiliation: Advancement Committee Previous Next

About Us The Caltech Y's mission is to enrich student life and challenge students to grow into responsible citizens of the world. The Caltech Y is an independent 501c3 organization recognized by and formally affiliated with the California Institute of Technology. Founded by students in 1916, the Caltech Y seeks to broaden students’ worldviews, raise social, ethical, and cultural awareness through teamwork, community engagement, activism, and leadership. For more than 100 years, the Caltech Y has enriched the lives of Caltech students through a wide variety of programs and services that are initiated and led by students. We supplement and complement the excellent academics of Caltech by providing a variety of co-curricular events and activities for all campus members. Our programs fall within our 5 pillars: Leadership, Service, Adventure, Civic Engagement, and Perspective. GET INVOLVED Pillars Leadership Students play a key role in initiating and organizing every Caltech Y program and activity. The Caltech Y leadership activities give students meaningful opportunities to sit on a nonprofit board, program committees, manage budgets, and plan programs from start to finish. Service A range of on-campus and off-campus community service projects fits each student's schedule and interest. This includes tutoring for the Caltech Y Rise Program, Reading Partners, serving meals at Union Station Homeless Shelter or Alternative Spring Break service trips. Civic Engagement Students learn to be effective citizen scientists and to address diverse issues that face us today - on campus, and in our local, national or global communities. Adventure Outdoor trips to many exciting venues each year service student adventures - from novice to seasoned. Day trips and multi-day trips afford students the opportunity to escape the daily rigours of Caltech. Students learn about themselves and explore the boundaries of their comfort zones within the ease of a trip guided by other students. perspective Caltech Y programs broaden student views through cultural exchanges and service opportunities, students see that they can have an impact on the world beyond their own vocations, and they learn how to affect change locally, nationally, and internationally. Meet the staff Land Acknowledgement The Caltech Y resides on the ancestral homeland of the Tongva (Gabrielino) people, the original stewards of this land. In offering this land acknowledgement, we make no attempt to undo centuries of systemic colonization and genocide faced by Indigenous peoples on this land. Today, the Tongva people continue to maintain their deep connection to these lands through their culture, ceremonies, and care for the environment. As guests on this land, we acknowledge our role in helping students grow into responsible citizens of the world, central to which is striving to seek justice for Indigenous peoples, spreading knowledge about the land we are on and the stewards of it, as well as bringing awareness to the stolen land and forced removal that has happened here.

Student Leaders ExComm Outdoors SASS LEAP Outreach Leaders The Student Executive Committee (ExComm) is the central programming team for the Caltech Y. Composed of both undergraduate and graduate students, the ExComm plans and implements programs. Members of the ExComm also serve on the Caltech Y Board of Directors, which oversee all aspects of the Y operations and development. Membership in the Caltech Y ExComm is limited; however, participation in meetings and events is not. Many students are actively involved in leadership through the Caltech Y without being members of the ExComm. For more information, contact us or visit the About Us section to find someone you know from the current Caltech Y ExComm Roster. Shrujanna Kunnam Undergraduate President Arabella Camunez Undergraduate VP External Benjamin Boone Undergraduate ExComm ChiChi Ifebi Undergraduate ExComm Robert Joseph Graduate VP Internal Subham Sahoo Undergraduate Cabinet Cecilia Moxley Undergraduate ExComm Veronika Voss Undergraduate ExComm Shrishti Pankaj Kulkarni Undergraduate VP Internal Rachel Tham Graduate Cabinet Jena Alsup Undergraduate ExComm Adoniya Paul Undergraduate ExComm Robert (Otis) Otieno Undergraduate VP External Lila Rodriguez- Aceves Undergraduate Cabinet Madi Tongco Undergraduate ExComm The Y-Outdoors Committee consists of enthusiasts interested in planning outdoor adventures for students at Caltech. The committee meets twice a month to organize and plan trips and is open to any student interested in coordinating or helping with outdoor adventures. Rithvik Ramesh Graduate Benjamin Boone Undergraduate Camilla Fezzi Undergraduate Tim Proudkii Graduate Omid Aligholamioskooee Graduate Felix Weber Graduate Elina Sendonaris Graduate Kyle Hunady Graduate Emily Nikas Undergraduate Sub Sahoo Undergraduate Arabella Camunez Undergraduate Ria Rosenauer Visiting Student The Caltech Y Student Activism Speaker Series (SASS) Committee consists of graduate and undergraduate students who are interested in bringing distinguished speakers to campus who challenge the community through the exchange of thought-provoking ideas. The SASS Committee is open to anyone interested in inviting speakers and coordinating events. CeCe Abramson Undergraduate Simon Anuszczyk Graduate Sana Paktinyar Undergraduate Paul Bean Graduate Donny Lu Undergraduate Raaghav Malik Undergraduate Madison Howard Graduate Konnor von Emster Graduate ChiChi Ifebi Undergraduate Ashlyn Roice Undergraduate Aaron Weaver Graduate The Lab Equipment Access Program, or the LEAP project, aims to address the social issue that many public high schools lack resources like lab equipment, which are critical to students' hands-on science education . This is particularly a pressing problem for Title I schools in rural areas that serve students from disadvantaged backgrounds. To help address this issue, Peiwei, Frank, Jingjing and Suchitra co-founded the LEAP project in early 2022 to help public school teachers get lab equipment they need from labs at Caltech. After the initial success, we have now expanded the program to also support community colleges in Central Valley. By lifting the constraints posed by limited resources like lab equipment, the LEAP project hopes to make a lasting impact that will enable students from underserved communities to make that leap they've been wanting to make towards their own goals, whatever those goals might be. For more information visit https://leap.caltech.edu/ Andres Rodriguez Graduate Inhoo Lee Undergraduate Vy Nguyen Graduate Cai Tong Ng Graduate Jingjing Sun Postdoc Victor Garcia Graduate Tomasz Gawda Graduate Jesus Galeana Graduate Details coming soon!

Who We Are What We Do Upcoming Events Calendar Weekly Announcements Media Become a Friend Contact More CONNECT WITH US TODAY (626) 395-6163 Tyson House 505 S. Wilson Ave. Pasadena, CA 91106 MC: C1-128 Pasadena, CA 91125 caltechy@caltech.edu Send Thanks! Message sent. We'll be in touch shortly :)

tutor information About Rise! The Rise Program is an afterschool math and science-focused tutoring program serving public schools students. The Caltech Y has been administering the program since 2006 and the program has been successful at helping students who struggle with math and science. The tutoring is provided by Caltech undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduate students can use their Federal and Caltech Work-Study allotment to get paid for the tutoring. Tutoring is offered in-person and online. Tutoring Schedule: The Rise Program is offered 4 days a week, Mondays through Thursdays from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tutors select their preferred day. Schedule changes can be accommodated. Location: Tutoring takes place in the Hameetman Student Center on Caltech's Campus, at John Muir High School, and online. APPLY HERE VIEW THE CALENDAR Tutor Resources: All tutors must attend a mandatory orientation meeting before tutoring in a Caltech Y Program. Ongoing tutor training will be provided throughout the year. Here are some additional resources for tutors: Trainer Workshops Tutor Basics Active Communication Identity & Unconscious bias Training with Lybroan James tutor guide Rise Tutor Guide Tutor Trainer Tips tutor workshops Motivating Students Building Confidence Mentoring Students What Works & What Doesn't

< Back to all programs Explore LA: UCLA vs. Washington $27 Saturday | Nov. 22, 2025 | Time TBD | Tickets: $27 | Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena CA To Participate: https://go.caltechy.org/event/817 About Join us for an exciting day at the Rose Bowl as the UCLA Bruins take on the University of Washington Huskies! Experience the energy of college football, cheer alongside fellow Caltech students, and enjoy one of LA’s most iconic sporting venues. Spaces are limited. Fill out the RSVP form to reserve a ticket. Those who secure a spot will be emailed a link and a payment deadline to complete their purchase via credit card. Spots not paid for by the deadline will be offered to participants on the waitlist. Transportation is not provided. Leaders will share a spreadsheet with participants to coordinate carpools if desired. Previous Program Next Program

Vice Chair < Back Kevin Maxwell Vice Chair Kevin is the Vice President, Corporate Controller at Alo Yoga and Bella Canvas also having served in roles at FabFitFun and Warner Bros. He began his career in PwC's assurance practice, attaining the title of Director. Kevin has a Bachelors of Science in Business and a Masters in Accounting from the University of Arizona. Committee Affiliation: Executive Committee, Finance Committee Previous Next

Muir Rise Math & Science tutoring by Caltech students All levels welcome Tuesdays & Thursdays 3:45pm-4:45pm Room A-136 Starting: Tuesday Oct 8th 2024 Application: https://airtable.com/appIGS8IvKeMJj2DA/shrRyujTlT79bDiQU For more information email rise@caltech.edu

< Back to all programs Rise at Anawakalmekak Weekly Commitment To Participate: https://go.caltechy.org/event/814 About Join the Rise Program’s newest off-site location at Anawakalmekak in El Serreno and help urban Indigenous youth achieve their academic dreams. Volunteers work one-on-one with high school students, help students get ready for the ACT, and learn from community-based approaches to science and education. Email caltechy@caltech.edu to learn more. Previous Program Next Program

< Back to all programs Emerge California with Christy Smith $0 Monday | Nov. 17 | 12-1 pm | Location: TBA To Participate: https://go.caltechy.org/event/815 About Join us for lunch with Christy Smith, current Executive Director of Emerge California - the state’s premier recruitment and training program for Democratic women - and former Democratic Assemblymember for California’s 38th Assembly District. Smith, the first Democrat to win the seat in over 6 decades, brought back vital resources to the district and took on a challenging legislative package that included charter school reform, and landmark legislation for human trafficking victim’s rights while in the Assembly. Prior to the Assembly, Smith served on the Newhall School District Governing Board and the State of California on the Delta Stewardship Council. In it’s 22-year history, Emerge CA has trained over 900 women with over 224 currently serving in office at every level of government. SASS Lunches are open to any member of the Caltech affiliated community; however, if space becomes an issue, priority will be given to students. Views expressed are solely those of the speaker(s). Previous Program Next Program

Board Chair < Back Nick von Gersdorff Board Chair Nick (MS ‘06) started his career in hydropower as an undergraduate student at Harvey Mudd analyzing critical infrastructure, which paved the way to his current position as Southern California Edison’s Chief Dam Safety Engineer. He is passionate about traveling and fostering green energy internationally and is currently working to develop hydropower in the country of Georgia. Committee Affiliation: Executive Committee, Ex-Officio Member on all committees Previous Next