Ashley Garcia is a Director on the Foundation Relations team at UC San Diego where she partners with faculty to align research with philanthropy. Her current focus is in the areas of high-risk basic scientific research and biomedical research with the potential to tackle national and global problems.  Before her shift to academic research in 2016, Ashley worked at nonprofit organizations focused on behavioral health, education, children's environmental health, and communication leadership in Los Angeles. Ashley received a Master in Public Administration from the University of Southern California and a BA in International Development from UCLA.