Kirsten Quanbeck
Assistant Executive Vice Chancellor
Director, Title IX/Sexual Harassment Officer

Kirsten is responsible for ensuring the University's compliance with federal and state discrimination and sexual harassment laws. She provides educational programs for students, staff and faculty regarding discrimination and sexual harassment. Kirsten also mediates and investigates allegations of discrimination and harassment. She selects and oversees sexual harassment advisors, who assist in responding to allegations of harassment. In addition, she trains peer educators to facilitate discussions with other students concerning sexual harassment. Kirsten brings a wealth of experience to her new position. She earned a B.A. from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, a Master¹s degree in Education from Saint Louis University in Missouri and a J.D., magna cum laude, from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan. Prior to joining UCI, she worked in the Office of Sexual Harassment Prevention and Policy at University of California, San Diego, and as a staff attorney at Michigan State University.

Gwendolyn Kuhns Black
Associate Director

Gwen supervises the development of the annual affirmative action plan and oversees the affirmative action programs coordinated and offered by OEOD. She serves as a resource for UCI administrators, committees, and departments involved in addressing affirmative action, equal opportunity, nondiscrimination, and diversity issues, and works to ensure that UCI faculty and staff employment policies and procedures comply with all relevant Federal, State, and University equal employment opportunity and affirmative action requirements. Gwen came to UCI in February of 2001 after spending over seven years in Institutional Research & Planning at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from UC Santa Barbara and her certificate in Conflict Management and the Use of Alternative Dispute Resolution from UC Irvine.

Raid Faraj
Senior Investigator / Diversity Educator

Raid (pronounced Rah-ed) is responsible for conducting formal and informal investigations of complaints alleging discrimination, retaliation, and sexual harassment at the UC Irvine Campus, and responds to complaints filed with outside agencies including the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and the Office of Civil Rights (OCR). He also conducts a variety of presentations and workshops on sexual harassment, discrimination, diversity, cultural awareness, and cross-cultural communication for students, faculty and staff. A graduate of Chapman University in Orange, California, he earned his B.A. in Peace Studies with a minor in Communications and an M.A. in Organizational Leadership. Additionally, he has a graduate certificate in Human Resources from Chapman University and a certificate in Mediation from the Orange County Human Relations Commission. Raid has many years of experience in the fields of peace-making and conflict resolution, cultural awareness, employment law, interfaith dialogue, and community and media relations.

Janet Prichard
Senior Investigator / Sexual Harassment Educator

Janet has been with the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity since July of 1996. Janet is a graduate of UCI twice over. She has earned a Master of Business Administration, focusing her studies on Organizational Behavior, and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Ecology, specializing in Psychology and Social Behavior. Janet conducts formal fact finding investigations of complaints alleging discrimination, retaliation, and sexual harassment. Janet investigates both internal and external (DFEH, EEOC) complaints at the UCI campus, the College of Medicine, and the UCI Medical Center. This formal process involves conducting interviews, analyzing documents, determining a finding of cause or no cause based upon investigation evidence, and utilizing appropriate state and federal laws and university policy. She also researches state and federal laws and legal precedents regarding discrimination and equal opportunity laws and regulations, and performs specialized studies, analyzing and summarizing complex reports and data related to the status of equal opportunity both on the campus and nationwide.

Prany Sananikone
Diversity Relations and Educational Programs

Prany is known as Mr. Ambassador for his knowledge, sensitivity, and commitment to multiculturalism. Prany attended the University of Hawaii and was awarded a B.A. in Education (specializing in Second Language Education) and a B.A. in Sociology (specializing in Community Development). Prany also earned a Masters in Communication: Strategies and Planning. In 1990, he began working at UCI at the University Extension as the Director of Health, Education, and Community Programs. In 1994, he joined the OEOD. Prany designs, develops and implements community outreach plans and programs; facilitates the development and execution of workshops on various equal opportunity/diversity topics; and works with the community agencies, UCI offices/departments, and university committees and associations that are involved in diversity-related issues. Prany coordinates the Diversity Development Certificate Program and co-directs the Diversity in Medicine course. He also serves as a mentor to students and interns who work with him on diversity programs.