The mission of the Dean’s Advisory Council is to assist the Division of Social Sciences to:

• Improve the Division in every way;
• Recruit and educate students, as well as help them find career opportunities;
• Conduct creative cutting-edge research;
• Serve the community, nation, and world;
• Initiate innovative new programs;
• Enhance public awareness of and support for the Division;
• Raise financial contributions for Divisional needs;
• Advise the University‘s leadership and administration of the perspectives and priorities of the Division;
• Assist in such other ways as the Dean may request in promoting the goals and mission of the Division.

Sam Armstrong is Vice President of Investments at Wachovia Securities, LLC in La Jolla. Sam received his B.A. in Economics from the Arizona State University. He is a Cancer Center Foundation board member and past president. Sam co-founded the Cancer Center Luau.

Nils Clark ‘99 (Management Science, Marshall College) is Assistant Vice President of Wells Fargo Investments LLC, Wealth Management Group.

Jeff Elman is Dean of the Division of Social Sciences and a Professor in the Department of Cognitive Science.

Gary Jacobs ‘79 (Management Science, Revelle College) is Managing Director of Jacobs Investment Company, LLC and owns the Lake Elsinore Storm, a Padres affiliated minor league baseball team. Gary is also an education consultant and a member of the UCSD Board of Overseers and numerous community boards.

Doug Kurtz ‘97 (Communication, Muir College) is Director of Development for the Division of Social Sciences.

David Lake is Associate Dean of the Division of Social Sciences and a Professor in the Department of Political Science.

Joanna Mancusi ‘82 (Literature, Muir College) is Assistant Dean of the Division of Social Sciences.

Ray Peet retired from the U.S. Navy with the rank of Vice Admiral. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a member and former chairman of the UCSD Board of Overseers and is a member of Chancellor‘s Associates. Ray sits on the board of Cubic Corporation.

Bob Scurlock was a founder and CEO of Personalogic, an internet company acquired by AOL in 1998. He is a former Vice President of Teldyne Ryan Aeronautical, and retired from the U.S. Air Force as Director of the Budget in Washington, with the rank of Major General. He holds a B.S. from Ohio State University, an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California, and an M.S. in International Affairs from George Washington University. He is a former member of the UCSD Board of Overseers.

Cynthia Sener ‘93 (Sociology, Muir College) is the Vice President of Global Marketing at Solatube, a leading manufacturer and marketer of Tubular Daylighting Devices. She also holds an MBA from UC Irvine.

Chris Tolles ‘90 (Computer Science and Economics, Warren College) is the CEO and a co-founder of Topix. Topix is the leading news community on the Web, connecting people to the information and discussions that matter to them in every U.S. town and city. Prior to Topix, Chris was a co-founder of Spoke Software and NewHoo (acquired by Netscape), as well as a veteran of AOL, Netscape and Sun Microsystems.

Daniel Yankelovich is Chairman of three organizations — the Public Agenda, a not for profit public education think tank, DYG Inc., a social and marketing research firm, and Viewpoint Learning, Inc., a La Jolla based organization that specializes in dialogues on public policy issues. His education background includes: B.A., Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard College, Rantoul Fellow in Clinical Psychology, Harvard University, and graduate studies at The Sorbonne in Paris. He holds Honorary Doctorates from George Washington University, Washington University and St. Bonaventure University, and has served as Research Professor in Psychology at NYU and at the Graduate Faculty of the New School For Social Research.

Neville Billimoria (‘82 Communication, Muir College) is SVP Membership/Marketing and Chief Advocacy Officer for Mission Federal Credit Union. At Mission Fed, he has accountability for a strategic array of crucial member-focused and outward facing functions including; leading and managing the Marketing, Community Relations, Business Development and School Business Services departments. This includes shared responsibility with the President and CEO for promoting Mission Fed.s public image and brand. Neville also serves on the Mission Federal Credit Union Community Foundation Board of Directors and the UC San Diego Alumni Board of Directors.

Dr. Ed Fong (‘75 Economics, ‘80, PhD Economics, Muir College) is currently the Director of Market Services for San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Gas Company. He is responsible for directing, managing and planning various customer services projects and analyses that pertain to integrated and comprehensive strategies for customer services, including customer experience management strategies, rate strategies and other key strategic initiatives, including evaluating and developing new products and services. Prior to assuming his current position Mr. Fong was Director of Customer Services Strategies from 207-2010, Director of Customer Operations from 2005-07, Director of AMI Regulatory Policy & Strategy from 2004-05, Director of Measurement & Meter Reading from 2002-04, Director of Customer Services Solutions from 2000-02, and Director of Revenue Cycle Services for from 1998-2000. Mr. Fong has directed and managed measurement, meter reading, billing, call center, branch office, credit and collections, customer services staff, direct access services and other customer services operations at SDG&E.

Prior to joining SDG&E in 1998, Mr. Fong held various management positions with the Southern California Gas Company in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Customer Contact, Customer Services Operations Staff, Information Technology, Operations Research and Planning.

Mr. Fong has testified before the California Public Utilities Commission on numerous occasions covering a variety of topics ranging from rates, demand response, advanced metering infrastructure, cost of service, measurement and meter reading to billing systems implementation. Mr. Fong is a graduate of University of California, San Diego with undergraduate and graduate degrees in Economics.

Barbara Lee is Research Director at Viewpoint Learning,Inc, a La Jolla based organization that specializes in dialogues on public policy issues. As a consultant, she has developed studies and consulted on strategy development for such organizations as the the UCSD Civic Collaborative,the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton), the San Diego School District, the Children's Television Workshop, the American Heart Association and the Adult Literacy Media Alliance. Previously she served as Director of Social Research at CBS and held executive positions with other research organizations. She has an MA from the University of Chicago in Social Psychology.

Sam Armstrong is Vice President of Investments at Wachovia Securities, LLC in La Jolla. Sam received his B.A. in Economics from the Arizona State University. He is a Cancer Center Foundation board member and past president. Sam co-founded the Cancer Center Luau.

Nils Clark ‘99 (Management Science, Marshall College) is Assistant Vice President of Wells Fargo Investments LLC, Wealth Management Group.

Jeff Elman is Dean of the Division of Social Sciences and a Professor in the Department of Cognitive Science.

Michelle Glenn ‘89 (Economics, Warren College) is the Director of Development for the Division of Social Sciences.

Alan Greenway is a retired hotel executive/owner. He founded a publicly traded company that was the operator of the largest chain of hotels in the SouthWest Pacific. Alan is also former Chairman of the Australian Tourist Commission. He is a former member of the UCSD Board of Overseers and a member of Chancellors Associates.

Gary Jacobs ‘79 (Management Science, Revelle College) is Managing Director of Jacobs Investment Company, LLC and owns the Lake Elsinore Storm, a Padres affiliated minor league baseball team. Gary is also an education consultant and a member of the UCSD Board of Overseers and numerous community boards.

Gary Kaufman ‘86 (Management Science, Muir College) is the past owner of a chain of Bassett Furniture Direct stores. He sold his interest in late 2006. He also has an MBA from UC Irvine.

Robert Koenigsberger ‘87 (Political Science and History, Muir College) is Co-Managing Partner at Gramercy Advisors, LLC, an emerging markets hedge fund manager. He holds an M.A. in International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania‘s Wharton School of Business.

David Lake is Associate Dean of the Division of Social Sciences and a Professor in the Department of Political Science.

Joanna Mancusi ‘82 (Literature, Muir College) is Assistant Dean of the Division of Social Sciences.

Alan Nevin is the Director of Economic Research at MarketPoint Realty Advisors, a real estate consulting firm that provides market analysis, feasibility studies, litigation support and research databases for builders, developers, lenders, mortgage bankers and attorneys. He holds an M.A. in Market Research from Stanford University and an M.B.A. in Real Estate Economics from American University. Alan is a founding member of the UCSD Economics Roundtable, as well as a member of its Steering Committee.

Ray Peet retired from the U.S. Navy with the rank of Vice Admiral. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a member and former chairman of the UCSD Board of Overseers and is a member of Chancellor‘s Associates. Ray sits on the board of Cubic Corporation.

Bob Scurlock was a founder and CEO of Personalogic, an internet company acquired by AOL in 1998. He is a former Vice President of Teldyne Ryan Aeronautical, and retired from the U.S. Air Force as Director of the Budget in Washington, with the rank of Major General. He holds a B.S. from Ohio State University, an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California, and an M.S. in International Affairs from George Washington University. He is a former member of the UCSD Board of Overseers.

Cynthia Sener ‘93 (Sociology, Muir College) is the Vice President of Global Marketing at Solatube, a leading manufacturer and marketer of Tubular Daylighting Devices. She also holds an MBA from UC Irvine.

Chris Tolles ‘90 (Computer Science and Economics, Warren College) is the CEO and a co-founder of Topix. Topix is the leading news community on the Web, connecting people to the information and discussions that matter to them in every U.S. town and city. Prior to Topix, Chris was a co-founder of Spoke Software and NewHoo (acquired by Netscape), as well as a veteran of AOL, Netscape and Sun Microsystems.

Daniel Yankelovich is Chairman of three organizations — the Public Agenda, a not for profit public education think tank, DYG Inc., a social and marketing research firm, and Viewpoint Learning, Inc., a La Jolla based organization that specializes in dialogues on public policy issues. His education background includes: B.A., Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard College, Rantoul Fellow in Clinical Psychology, Harvard University, and graduate studies at The Sorbonne in Paris. He holds Honorary Doctorates from George Washington University, Washington University and St. Bonaventure University, and has served as Research Professor in Psychology at NYU and at the Graduate Faculty of the New School For Social Research.