The Biology Academic Success Center (BASC)—the one-stop-shop for academic support and advising services for undergraduate students in the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences—welcomed five new employees to the Aggie family this year. The additions include four new academic advisors and a program coordinator, who will all assist in guiding the academic journeys of the over 6,500 undergraduate students spread across the college’s 11 majors.

“This year, I am really eager to harness the lessons we have learned over the time we were remote and learn how we can usher our services into a new era,” said BASC Director Ebony Blackwell. “The BASC will be moving forward as a hybrid workspace, providing both in-person and virtual advising opportunities. We want to ensure our services are accessible to students especially if students can better access advising by not making a trek to or across campus to connect with an advisor.”

With the new additions, BASC’s professional advising team is now operating at full capacity.

“It is a trying time for advising on campuses across the country as folks return to campuses,” said Blackwell. “Our team is at full strength and I am proud of what that means for supporting students. While we always wish to continue growing to further support student needs, our team has been doing phenomenal work as is.”

New BASC academic advisors and program coordinator 

Daniela De La Cruz Telles, M.A. – Academic Advisor for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Genetics and Genomics. De La Cruz Telles is a UC Davis alum and has worked in various departments on campus including the AB540 and Undocumented Student Center and advising for the College of Letters and Sciences. De La Cruz Telles also currently serves as BASC’s Peer Advisor Supervisor and supports BASC in programming for Orientation and Decision Day events.

Victor Preciado, M.S. – Academic Advisor for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. Preciado joined the team from Fresno State, where he assisted science and mathematics students with co-curricular opportunities. In addition to major advising responsibilities, Preciado supports our Academic Standing team, which helps students experiencing academic difficulty,

Sarah Sachs, Ph.D. – BASC Program Coordinator. Sachs earned a Ph.D. in Sociology from Columbia University and joined the BASC team from Cornell University, where she recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Science & Technology Studies. Sachs is also a UC Davis alum and is hard at work reviewing and improving BASC resources to better support CBS students, while also working with CBS programmers to streamline course scheduling processes.

Teresa Nguyen, Psy.D. – Academic Advisor for Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. Nguyen is the newest member of the BASC team. She earned her M.S. and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology and is joining the team from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she held various roles, including Academic Advisor for the UW-Madison College of Letters and Science.

Jessica Ildefonso – Academic Advisor for Human Biology; Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. Ildefonso joined the BASC team from California State University, Sacramento, where she worked in student support services and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Counseling. In addition to major advising, Ildefonso sits on the BASC Orientation Committee, supports front desk operations, and maintains the BASC website.