Below is a list of campus partners who support the Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asia Communities at UC Davis. For more information, visit their website MENASA Student Resources.
Affaf Waseem
Director | Middle Eastern, North African, South Asian Student Resources
Email: awaseem@ucdavis.edu | Phone: 530-752-1550
Affaf works as the Director of Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian Student Resources office, providing mentorship, coaching, and programmatic support to students from these backgrounds and communities. In her role, Affaf develops programs in partnership with the community, works to minimize barriers to academic support and mental health resources, and works with cross campus units, and academic departments to provide relevant support and advocacy.
Mahum Manan
Program Coordinator | Middle Eastern, North African, South Asian Student Resources
Email: mmanan@ucdavis.edu
Mahum is the current program coordinator of the Middle Eastern, North African, South Asian Student Resources unit. Mahum helps plan programming to engage students and build community! She loves supporting students and connecting them to resources. Mahum received her B.A. in International Relations and Middle East/South Asia studies from UC Davis.
Lou Cha
Academic Success Advisor | Asian Pacific Islander Retention Initiative
Email: loucha@ucdavis.edu
Lou is a Hmong American, first-generation professional. She is the eldest daughter in her family and spends her free time with her family, dog, and friends. Lou is passionate about supporting students through their academic, personal, and professional development and advocating for student equity and inclusion. Lou received her B.A. doubling in Education and Psychology and received her M.S. in Counseling. Lou began at UC Davis as an academic advisor for the Engineering Department and CA&ES Dean's Office. She previously served as a program coordinator for the Middle Eastern, North African, South Asian (MENASA) at the Cross Cultural Center and is now serving as an Academic Success Advisor for the Asian and Pacific Islander Retention Initiative.
Makhi Jones
Program Coordinator | Cross Cultural Center
Email: mojjones@ucdavis.edu
Makhi Jones (He/Him/His) is a first-generation African American graduate of the University of California, Davis, where he earned a BS in Clinical Nutrition. He is dedicated to serving the Black Diaspora and MENASA (Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian) communities at the Cross Cultural Center, working to enhance retention and graduation rates for these groups.
In his role as a mentor with Improve Your Tomorrow, Makhi focuses on supporting Males of Color in higher education, addressing the challenges they face in achieving their academic goals. The program provides mentoring and essential resources, such as internships, to help middle school, high school, and college students thrive.
During his undergraduate years, Makhi gained valuable experience as a personal trainer at the Activities and Recreation Center and served as a Community Advisor for the African American and African Diaspora floor. He was also involved in organizations like Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., the Black Student Union (BSU), and Camp Kesem.
Makhi is committed to ensuring that every student has the support and resources necessary for success in their journey through college.
Munisa Haque
Clinical Counselor | Student Health and Counseling Services
Contact: 530-752-2349 (Student Health and Counseling Services)
Munisa identifies as Muslim-American of South Asian origin. She grew up in India, and has made California her home for the past 20 years. She received her Master’s degree in Counseling from California State University, East Bay. Munisa is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with extensive experience in Community Mental Health and has worked as a behavior therapist, crisis stabilization clinician, as well as school based mental health counselor, serving a diverse, high needs, underserved population.
Jasleen Kaur
Clinical Counselor | Student Health and Counseling Services
Contact: 530-752-2349 (Student Health and Counseling Services)
Jasleen works as a clinical therapist within Student Health and Counseling Services, where she provides mental health support to students. Jasleen received a B.A. in Psychology at UC Berkeley, and an M.A. in Mental Health Counseling at Boston College where she had a research interest in South Asian mental health, particularly acculturative stress.
Jasleen identifies as Panjabi American, with roots in both the United States and India.
Community Advising Network (CAN) Staff
The Community Advising Network (CAN) is comprised of a diverse team of counselors who are here to help students achieve their goals and address factors that may be affecting their academic success. CAN Counselors are here to support students through informal consultations and/or through therapy. Information about the Community Counselors can be found here.
Asian and Pacific Islander Community Directory
The Strategic Asian and Pacific Islander Retention Initiative (SAandPIRI) promotes academic excellence, connectedness, and empowering leadership for all students. SAandPIRI recognizes the diversity of the Asian and Pacific Islander (AandPI) diasporas at UC Davis in order to improve academic outcomes through culturally relevant programs and resources. The AandPI Directory aims to encourage purposeful storytelling, to invite members of the AandPI diasporas to amplify their voices and build relationships across campus.