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< Back Athena Castro Executive Director Athena began working at Caltech in 1994, where she has filled a number of roles. She began her current position as Executive Director of the Caltech Y in 2000. She earned a BA in English Literature at Scripps College, an MS in Education and PhD in Higher Education from Azusa Pacific University.

< Back Leslie Maxfield Leslie Maxfield (BS ’95) is the director of Caltech Academic Media Technologies. Leslie is passionate about the co-evolution of humans and technology and its impact on the future, especially in education. She is a graduate of Caltech and the University of California, Berkeley. You can often find her out watching rocket launches and walking her beagle on the beach. Committee Affiliation: Communications & Marketing Committee Co-Chair Previous Next

< Back Mabell Garcia Paine Mabell is President of Viridis Consulting, a Pasadena-based clean energy consultancy. She has over two decades of experience in clean energy program strategy and implementation, with a focus on energy efficiency and distributed energy resources. A native Angeleno, Mabell has lived in Pasadena for over 25 years and spent two years living in France while attending California State University, Northridge. She serves as Chapter President of Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) Los Angeles and as a City of Pasadena Commissioner. Mabell earned a BA in Liberal Studies from California State University, Northridge, and an MS in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the University of Southern California. Committee Affiliation: Advancement Committee Previous Next

Student ExComm President < Back Shrujana Kunnam* Student ExComm President Shrujana (’26) is an undergraduate at Caltech studying Computation and Neural Systems. She is a member of the Rutishauser Lab, where she studies how the human brain represents meaning. She is also part of Dhamaka, Caltech’s Bollywood-fusion dance team. Outside of school, she enjoys baking, reading, and playing cards with her friends. As the President of the Student ExComm for the Y, she is excited to expand the Y’s impact by strengthening arts and advocacy initiatives, continuing to lead interactive STEM workshops for local youth, and deepening partnerships across the community. Committee Affiliation: Student ExComm, Executive Committee Previous Next

RISE PROGRAM Please read the eligibility requirements and apply b elow. Para ver esta pagina en Español. For the Muir program click here: https://www.caltechy.org/muir-rise About the Program! The Rise Program is a low-cost afterschool math and science-focused tutoring program that serves public school students between grades 8 and 12. The tutoring is provided by Caltech undergraduate and graduate students. The program is designed to help students gain greater competency in math foundations, improve skills in math and science, and prepare students for college-level math and science. Students have the option of attending tutoring in-person or online. *Data includes the Rise Program, Rise Program at Muir, Y-Tutor Program, and STEM Summer Experience in 2023-2024. Tutoring Schedule: Tutoring is offered 4 days a week Mondays through Thursdays from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Caltech's campus. Remote tutoring is offered to students who need a more flexible schedule. Students must attend 2 days a week. The staff will work with students and families to try to accommodate different schedules. Location: Tutoring takes place in the Hameetman Student Center on Caltech's Campus or online. More details about tutoring options will be provided during the orientation. Participation Fees: $200 for the academic year. Payments: Payments can be made in 1 or 2 installments within 30 days of start date. We accept cash, credit cards or check (payable to the Caltech Y). If you require installments over a longer period of time due to financial difficulty, please speak to a staff member during enrollment. Scholarships: Need-based scholarships are available. To apply for a scholarship please submit a completed application to rise@caltech.edu The student participation fees are for administrative costs (program staff and online platform fees) and are not reflective of the tutoring service. The tutoring service is free of charge and will continue to be provided by Caltech students. New Students: Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) students will be admitted first. PUSD students have until December 1st to apply for the program. After December 1st , if space allows, students outside of PUSD will be enrolled in the program. In addition to filling out the online application (linked below) new students need to submit the following: Teacher Recommendation Form Unofficial Transcript After collecting these documents please email us at rise@caltech.edu to schedule an online orientation meeting. VIEW THE RISE CALENDAR To apply for the Rise Program, each student must meet the following criteria: Be a student between the 8th grade and 12th grade Be enrolled in a public school (including charter schools) within a 10-mile radius of the California Institute of Technology (or a reasonable driving distance to be on time). Priority is given to PUSD students. Be receiving a C+ or lower in math and/or science or experiencing steadily declining grades in math and/or science. Have an overall GPA of 2.0 or above. Be a student with a commitment to working hard, completing homework and “doing whatever it takes” to be a better student in math and science and a successful college student. student eligibility 1. Complete the online application. All new and returning students are required to fill out the online application. 2. New students and at least one parent/guardian must come to an online orientation meeting prior to the first day of tutoring. Appointments can be made Monday – Friday. At the orientation meeting, there will be a discussion of the student’s needs and parents are asked to sign a Waiver of Release and Liability to complete enrollment. 3. Students and parents will be notified by email or phone of the tutor match and start date. Students should arrive to the first session with all materials (books, notes, assignments, etc.) and ready to discuss their academic and classroom situation so that tutors can more efficiently work with them. application process APPLY HERE Questions: Questions? Contact us at rise@caltech.edu

< Back Rachel Tham* Rachel is a materials science graduate student in Engineering and Applied Science (EAS) at Caltech. Her research focuses on studying two-dimensional materials for photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications. She is a Womxn in EAS steering committee member, and she enjoys dancing, gardening, and traveling. Through the Caltech Y, she enjoys planning and going to the Explore LA Cultural Cuisine Tours, in addition to going to events organized by the Y’s Student Activism Speaker Series. She hopes to support and encourage the Caltech community to get involved with Y events. Committee Affiliation: Student ExComm, Communications & Marketing Committee Previous Next

< Back Rashmi Dhungel Office Manager Rashmi joined Caltech Y in April 2023. She holds a master’s degree in arts from Tribhuvan University Kathmandu, Nepal. With a background in various administrative roles, she has prioritized customer service throughout her career and finds joy in assisting others. She is excited about the opportunity to work with the Caltech community. During her leisure time, Rashmi finds joy in pursuing her passions for cooking and traveling.

< Back Nate Thomas Nate is a software/thermal engineer, working in the clean tech startup space since 2018. While a grad student at Caltech, he co-chaired the Social Activism Speaker Series. He completed his PhD in Materials Science at Caltech in 2019. Committee Affiliation: Advancement Committee Previous Next

Marketing & Communications Co-Chair < Back Ann Motrunich Marketing & Communications Co-Chair Ann joined Caltech as a writer in 2008, creating materials that attract and celebrate philanthropic support for Caltech research, education, and student life. In 2020, she joined Caltech’s Office of Strategic Communications, taking on a broader variety of communications and a role in neighbor and community relations. She holds an MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of Arizona and a BS in environmental interpretation from Western Washington University. Committee Affiliation: Communications & Marketing Committee Co-Chair 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!

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