About Us

Michelle Ponce
Executive Director

Michelle Ponce is the Executive Director of Career and Professional Development at Claremont Graduate University. She has led her career as a visionary leader with an eclectic style of engaging career professionals through individualized career self discovery and self journey. Her goal is to envision and implement innovative strategies to enlighten life-long learners. She is energetic and creative with a unique ability to influence and integrate collaboration between internal and external stakeholders.

She has dedicated her career to coaching and guiding students and alumni towards exploring and engaging in their career journeys. Her roles have included Assistant Dean and Director positions within Southern California. In addition, Michelle is a career expert recognized nationally and regionally via professional committees and various executive roles. She authored a chapter in the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) book, “Cases in Career Services: A Working Guide for Practitioners, Engaging Adult Learners Toward Their Career Journey” as well as articles and references to support the career services industry.

She is driven by her life philosophy “It’s not what you do in life, but who you are to others”.

Michelle holds a Master of Arts in Counseling from Chapman University, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University, Fullerton, and an Associate of Arts from Marymount College.

Ro Lee
Associate Director

Ro Lee is an Associate Director of Career and Professional Development at Claremont Graduate University, offering career development and professional partnership opportunities. His prior experience includes policy development in nonprofits working with underrepresented populations, heading pro bono programs for large firms in New York and spearheading employment efforts for international education companies as a Program Manager of Southern California. “I believe that Career Development is an extremely valuable resource for those seeking a return on their educational investment and should be a mandatory skillset all students should learn to advance their personal growth.” In addition to his career in academia, he has practiced law in the areas of litigation and immigration. He has taught and served students at UC Riverside, Rio Hondo College, Korea University, and is an adjunct professor at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine Caruso School of Law.

Ro earned a JD from St. John’s University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the State University of New York, Stony Brook.

Debra Nasipak
Associate Director

Debra Nasipak is the Associate Director of Career and Professional Development at Claremont Graduate University, where she designs and delivers programs that empower graduate students to achieve their professional goals. With more than seventeen years of experience in higher education, she has guided both international and domestic students through admissions, program management, and career strategy, ensuring they have the tools to thrive academically and professionally.

Before transitioning to academia, Debra built a strong foundation in financial and administrative roles across for-profit and nonprofit sectors, developing expertise in budgeting, financial reporting, and strategic planning. This diverse background informs her holistic approach to career development and organizational leadership.

A passionate advocate for students, Debra champions a student-centered philosophy that fosters inclusion, cultural competency, and mentorship. Through initiatives in team engagement, staff development, and diversity, she creates welcoming spaces for students, alumni, and colleagues to connect and grow.

Debra holds a Master of Arts in Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Azusa Pacific University. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring great food and wine with friends.

Ciara Hernandez
Digital Marketing and Communications Specialist

Ciara Hernandez is a doctoral student, pursuing a PhD in social psychology. She currently manages Dr. Michael Hogg’s Social Identity Laboratory. Ciara serves in honorary roles as a member and former Chair of the Social Socials Committee and as the Social Psychology Representative of the Psi Chi International Honors Society. Ciara’s personal research interests include the social psychological underpinnings of geopolitical current events, international conflict resolution, and diplomacy. She recently interned at President Carter’s Carter Center in the Conflict Resolution Program, in this role she researched the Israel-Palestine conflict. In her free time Ciara loves to read Shakespeare and watch the sitcom Frasier. She is a recent graduate from the University of California, Irvine, where her academic focus was cognitive neuroscience.

Katja Crusius
Data and Analytics Specialist

Katja Crusius is an international student from Germany, currently pursuing her PhD in Information Systems and Technology at Claremont Graduate University with a focus in IT Innovation and Design. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from Georg-August University Göttingen along with a Master of Science in Information Systems from Long Beach State. She has served as Vice President for Association for Information Systems and for Beta Alpha Psi, an international honor society. She is excited to give back to the community and advocate for her fellow students and make a meaningful impact in the Information Systems industry while playing an active part in shaping the future through the opportunities of cutting-edge technology.

In her free time she likes traveling and exploring new places, hiking, playing tennis and skiing. She is an alumna of Zeta Tau Alpha which promotes Breast Cancer Education and Awareness, where she volunteers and helps to organize events.

Fabiana Memmolo
Peer Career Consultant 

Fabiana Memmolo is an international student from Italy, currently pursuing her Ph.D. student in Positive Organizational Psychology at Claremont Graduate University. Fabiana is an executive coach passionate about integrating positive psychology research and coaching skills. She aims to help her clients to thrive personally and professionally. Passion, vision, and commitment have been the driving forces behind her 15+ years of expertise in leadership consulting and academic research across Europe and the USA. She has worked with small enterprises, fast-paced international companies, and not-for-profit sectors. She works with various clients, including managers, directors, and high-potential individuals with diverse social and cultural backgrounds. Her ultimate objective is to empower her clients to achieve personal and professional fulfillment, enabling them to reach their full potential and emerge as visionary leaders.

Her approach focuses on

• identifying the client’s unique career needs and aspirations,
• defining clear, achievable career objectives,
• developing essential skills such as networking, communication, and personal branding.

Through her guidance, individuals have experienced personal and professional transformation, resulting in job satisfaction and career progress.

Ascenett Martinez-Lopez
Administrative and Programs Support Specialist

Ascenett is a PhD candidate in history at Claremont Graduate University, where she focuses on 20th century Caribbean and Spanish political networks. Her dissertation explores the Spanish Falange’s influence in Puerto Rico through in-depth archival research and analysis of Spanish language sources from national archives across the globe.

Ascenett brings a passion for uncovering overlooked histories to her work, blending academic scholarship with a practical archival training. She has supported faculty-led to research projects as a Graduate Research Assistant and has further honed her archival skills and expertise in historical documentation through a graduate internship at UC San Diego Special Collections, where she transcribed and translated testimonies from the Spanish Civil War.

Ascenett earned her BA in history from Georgia State University and her MA in European history from Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. She is deeply committed to preserving underrepresented narratives and making historical knowledge more accessible.

When she’s not immersed in research, Ascenett enjoys visiting Disneyland, going to concerts, and traveling the world to discover new places and cultures.