2025-26 Executive Board
Sameer Faizyar
CO-PRESIDENT
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About Me
Hello Everyone! My name is Sameer Faizyar and I am one of your Co-Presidents this year! I am a fourth year Biochemistry-Molecular Biology major and I’ve been in PDS since my freshman year. Coming to ucsb, I had no clue where to begin in pursuing a career in dentistry and thankfully PDS fulfilled that aspect when I first joined. Whether you’re looking for guidance, fun manual dexterity labs, or a space of like-minded individuals, I highly encourage you to come out to the meetings and get to know the Pre-Dental Society here at ucsb.
My advice for new and returning students would be to come out to as many events as possible and get to know your peers, who knows when a job may open up or valuable insights can be shared. My fondest memory was likely going on the UCLA School of Dentistry Tour my freshman year and meeting everyone while touring the facilities. Seeing everything helped materialize that dream of working in the dental field. I look forward to seeing you all this upcoming year and please do reach out if you ever have any questions!
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Brian Calimquim
CO-PRESIDENT
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About Me
Hey guys, my name is Brian Calimquim, I am a 4th year Bio major, and I’ll be one of your Co-Presidents for this year.
PDS has made a big impact for me with much needed guidance on my path to dentistry thanks to the great community of people I’ve met along the way. I like playing basically any sport, mainly volleyball, and watching new shows/movies. Feel free to reach out!
Jaden Lee
VICE PRESIDENT
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About Me
Hello everyone! My name is Jaden Lee and I a a fourth year general biology major serving as the PDS Vice President. Some of my hobbies are cooking, volleyball, and board games. What I love about dentistry is the community and how I get to build real connections with patients while helping them build healthy habits. Plus, it's so rewarding to see the difference I can make right away! PDS has provided me support, mentorship, guidance, and this club is a great way to start/build on your pre-dental journey. PDS offers so many opportunities to discover more about the field and ways to grow your dental experience. One thing I love about PDS is our manual dexterity workshops!
Casey Logue
TREASURER
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About Me
Hey everyone! My name is Casey and i'm so excited to be your treasurer this year! I'm a third year molecular and cellular biology major from sonoma county and joined PDO last year. PDO has helped me so much with making friendships with other pre-dents and learning about the pathway to dental school. I love how I can connect with others with similar interests and learn more about dentistry!🦷
Kaede Juarez
INTERNAL AFFAIRS/EVENTS COORDINATOR
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About Me​
Hi! My name is Kaede and I’m a fourth year Biology major. I am so excited to be apart of PDO as the Internal Affairs and Events Coordinator this school year.
I remember attending my first PDO meeting as a Freshman eager to learn as much insight as possible as a pre-dental student. I have since met so many amazingly driven and supportive people, who I know will all make great future dentists! PDO has given me countless resources and tips I hope to pass along this school year.
Nika Abdiashtiani
COMMUNITY OUTREACH CHAIR
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About Me
Hi everyone! I’m Nika Abdiashtiani, a third year biology major, I’m very excited to serve as PDO’s community outreach chair this year!
Some of my favorite things to do are going on walks, anything artsy, and spending time with friends and family! I chose the pre-dental path because it has always stood out to me as a career built on true connections and creating smiles that change lives! By joining PDO, I’ve had the opportunity to meet other pre-dental students who share similar goals and passions, and gain so much insight into what pre-dental truly is about!
One thing I love about PDO is how friendly and welcoming everyone is and all the fun activities we do! Feel free to reach out, excited for a great year!
Sofia Gupta
MARKETING/PUBLICITY CHAIR
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About Me
Hi everyone! My name is Sofia Gupta and I am a third year Biopsychology major. I am so excited to serve as the Marketing and Publicity Chair for PDS! Some of my favorite things are drawing, listening to music, and yoga :) I chose to join PDS my second year and this club solidified my decision to pursue pre-dental. I have met so many amazing upperclassmen through this organization that have guided me and I have learned so much through our various workshops and guest speakers. PDS is an incredibly vibrant and dynamic community and I am grateful to have such supportive people around me! I am so excited to meet all the new members this year, feel free to reach out!
Natalie Ohanes
DENTAL SCHOOL COORDINATOR
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About Me
Hi! My name is Natalie Ohanes and I am a third year Biology major. I am super excited to be your Dental School Coordinator this year! Some of my hobbies include cooking, drawing, and photography. I chose to join pDS because I wanted to find a group of like-minded people who are going through the same challenges as me as a pre-dental student. Beyond meeting new people with similar interests, I also wanted the opportunity to be a part of a club that provides resources to help me prepare for dental school applications, whether that's listening to guest speakers or connecting with mentors. One of my favorite parts of being in PDS is touring dental schools together and getting a glimpse of the places we've been working so hard toward!
Josh Tobi
SOCIAL CHAIR
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About Me
My name is Josh Tobi and I'm a 3rd General Biology major. I love playing volleyball and video games. I joined PDS to really understand the path to becoming a dentist since I didn't know much. Ended up learning so much about what I needed to do and gained so many connections with the people in PDS.
Averi Wong
APPLICATION CHAIR
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About Me
When I first transferred to UCSB, I found it a little challenging to adjust. I didn’t know many people, and building new friendships felt overwhelming at times. Through PDO, I was able to connect with individuals who shared similar interests and goals, and over time, I built meaningful friendships. Everyone in PDO was incredibly welcoming. When I transferred to UCSB last year, I was still not 100% sure that I wanted to pursue dentistry. But after speaking with members of PDO, listening to guest speakers at meetings and hearing their reasons on why they want to purse dentistry, I began to realize that dentistry was the right direction for me as well. Joining PDO not only helped me find a supportive community but also gave me clarity and confidence in my career goals.
Previous Officers
2018-19
Katherine Yale
President
Ryan Davis
Vice President
Omeed Soltanalipour
Treasurer
Gentille Javidzad
Internal Affairs Coordinator
Kia Payani
Community Outreach Chair
Mackenzie Velk
Marketing/Publicity Chair
2019-20
Mackenzie Velk
President
Youssef Gabraiel
Vice President & Treasurer
Samuel Aguilar
Internal Affairs Coordinator
Vivian Long
Community Outreach Chair
Ruchi Panjwani
Marketing/Publicity Chair
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2020-21
Vivian Long
President
Ruchi Panjwani
Vice President
Joe Cho
Treasurer
Tala Al Awwad
Internal Affairs Coordinator
Alise Cung
Community Outreach Chair
Amy Jiang
Marketing/Publicity Chair
2021-22
Alise Cung
President
Amy Jiang
Vice President
Joe Cho
Treasurer
Tala Al Awwad
Internal Affairs Coordinator
Pauline Hobbs
Community Outreach Chair
Jacquelyn Chau
Marketing/Publicity Chair
2022-23
Joe Cho
President
Pauline Hobbs
Vice President
Anushka Larson
Treasurer
Madison Lam
Internal Affairs Coordinator
Jacob Young
Community Outreach Chair
Rachel Park
Marketing/Publicity Chair
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2023-24
Madison Lam
President
Rachel Park
Vice President
Mark Lu
Treasurer
Arielle Rashtian
Internal Affairs Coordinator
Faith Johnson
Community Outreach Chair
Joyce Cao
Marketing/Publicity Chair
Chloe Messian
Dental School Coordinator
Jake Damico
Application Chair
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204-25
Arielle Rashtian
President
Faith Johnson
Vice President
Jennifer Robbins
Treasurer
Sameer Faizyar
Internal Affairs Coordinator
Jaden Lee
Community Outreach Chair
Susanna Poghosyan
Marketing/Publicity Chair
Brian Calimquim
Dental School Coordinator
Helen Walton
Application Chair
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