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UC Links Statewide Office

The UC Links Office coordinates and facilitates the work of UC Links program sites in California. It is responsible for ongoing program development, assessment, and evaluation, and works to promote cross-site collaboration among programs throughout California, the United States, and in other nations. It also sponsors regular international conferences that bring together program partners from across the globe. By supporting information sharing and the collaborative development and improvement of program and evaluation strategies across the network, the UC Links Office helps university campuses and local communities work together to provide high-quality activities for after-school learning. The UC Links office is housed in the Berkeley School of Education (BSE) at University of California, Berkeley.

Mara Welsh Mahmood, Executive Director

Mara Welsh Mahmood, Executive Director of UC Links, is a developmental psychologist (Ph.D., UC Riverside) interested in learning across multiple contexts. Starting in 1996, Mara worked with UC Riverside faculty and teachers/administrators at the Riverside Unified School District to develop the UC Links after school programs and teach the undergraduate course there. Mara went on to work at the UC Links Statewide Office from 1998 to 2004 as the Director of Site Development and Evaluation. After taking a break from academia to spend time with her two children and work in the consulting world, Mara returned to the Statewide Office in 2018 as Associate Director, and also served as Interim Executive Director before assuming the role of Executive Director in 2021.

John Cano, Associate Director

John Cano is an educational technology scholar (Ph.D., UC Santa Barbara) interested in how technology-mediated learning environments can enhance the learning experience of K-12 and higher education students. John also studies student engagement; online education; digital citizenship; intercultural education; and informal learning in after-school settings. John worked at multiple universities in his home country (Colombia) as an adjunct faculty member, researcher, and instructional designer before coming to UC Santa Barbara in 2017 to pursue his Ph.D. John joined the UC Links Statewide Office in 2022.

Marisa Buenrostro, Student Assistant

Marisa, an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley majoring in educational sciences and sociology with a minor in human rights, has been a UC-Links Student Assistant since 2025. Her research interests question how social systems impact educational attainment for non-traditional, first-generation, and low-income students of color. She is a fellow at the Institute of Recruitment for Teachers and in the Higher Education Action Research for Transformation lab. Marisa has served in programs at UC Berkeley including at the Matsui Center, Center for Ethnographic Research, and bridges Multicultural Resource Center. Through UC Links, Marisa aspires to bridge the gap between underrepresented communities within education by providing a unique perspective by way of her lived and shared experiences.

Jennifer Martinez, Student Assistant

Jennifer Martinez is an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley majoring in Art Practice, with a passion for connecting creativity and education. She views art not only as a form of personal expression but also as a tool to inspire learning and bring people together. Jennifer's practice spans ceramics, painting, and digital media, and she is also developing skills in UX and graphic design, exploring how digital tools can expand access to creative learning. Before transferring to UC Berkeley, Jennifer worked as a design intern for Morgan’s Seminar Group, contributing to branding, digital content, and user experience projects, blending her interest in visual design with community-centered initiatives. Jennifer plans to continue bridging art, design, and education to inspire others and expand opportunities for creative expression. Jennifer joined UC Links as a student assistant in Fall 2025.

Samara Stamps, Student Assistant

Samara Stamps is an Education Sciences major at UC Berkeley. As a transfer student, her commitment to educational equity is rooted in a deep passion for mentorship and student success. In addition to working as a Student Assistant for the UC Links office, she also is Co-Coordinator for the Starting Point Mentorship Program (SPMP) guiding community college students through the transfer pathway, and an Undergraduate Fellow at the Center for Research on Expanding Educational Opportunity (CREEO). Across her roles, she supports research centered on empowering students while exploring how inclusive instruction and research-driven advocacy create equitable pathways for diverse communities.

Eros Najera, Former Student Assistant

Eros Najera is a UC Berkeley graduate with a Bachelor’s in History. His interest in history, education, and serving marginalized communities is what drove him to the student assistant position at the UC Links Office. During his time with UC Links, he conducted research into the macrosocial impacts over 30 years on the UC Links network. He is currently in a master’s program studying applied behavior analysis, looking for new ways to serve marginalized peoples.

Wesley Veiga, Former Student Assistant

Wesley Veiga worked in the UC Links Statewide office from 2022-2024 and continues to contribute to the UC Links network. During his time at Cal, he was awarded the African American Initiative Scholarship showing his leadership potential and willingness to contribute positively to the Black community. Additionally, Wesley was also a two-time recipient of The Leadership Award which is the largest non-academic merit scholarship on the UC Berkeley campus and one of the most prestigious. Wesley began his advocacy at Cal working in two Black-endorsed senator’s offices in the ASUC where he served as a Campus Climate Administrator and the Communications Director. Wesley then continued his work with Mixed @ Berkeley, one of the centers in the bridges Multicultural Resource Center, where he has since accepted his position as Retention Director for the upcoming year in order to continue to recruit and retain hundreds of low-income, first-generation, Mixed students of color into higher education at Cal. Wesley is currently teaching 4th grade and is a corps member for Teach for America Los Angeles ‘24.

Karla Trujillo, Student Affiliate (Ph.D. Student — University of Colorado Boulder)

Karla Trujillo worked in the UC Links Statewide office from 2020-2022 and continues to contribute to the UC Links network. She is a successful photographer, videographer, community artist and activist and came to the UC Links Statewide Office with several years of experience working with the communities of San Diego county, providing high-quality science, art and nature focused activities for youth and their families as part of the UC Links program, La Clase Mágica. Karla worked with university and community partners to develop and implement a Pop-Up Art program and other activities During the pandemic, Karla continued to work with her colleagues to develop innovative strategies to engage local youth and their families, including Pop-Up Art On the Go, that installs community-created art in a central location so families can drive-by and experience creativity in community. Karla was selected as a McNair Scholar, graduated from Cal with honors and is now persuing her Ph.D. in Learning Sciences & Human Development at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Charles Underwood, Executive Director Emeritus

Charles Underwood, Executive Director Emeritus of UC Links, is an anthropologist (Ph.D., UC Berkeley) who has worked internationally with educational programs for children and youth from underserved urban and rural communities. As an administrator at the University of California Office of the President, he organized and directed several statewide initiatives related to the development of digital, multimedia, and hands-on activities and resources for K-16 teaching and learning. He directed UC Links from 1996 - 2020. He has taught anthropology at Golden Gate University, the University of Sao Paulo, and the University of California, Berkeley.