2026 Spring Conference:
”Kintsugi” Speakers
Tony Crisp
Allen Lai
Allen Lai, a fourth-year Data Science and Software Engineering major at UC Irvine. Driven by a passion for continuous self-improvement and compassion for others, he balances his technical pursuits with a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit. Whether he’s coding, snowboarding, DJing events, or working behind the camera, Allen thrives on building community, pushing boundaries, and taking on new challenges.
Deepti Pandita
Deepti Pandita MD is the VP of Informatics, Clinical AI officer and Chief Medical Information officer at University of California Irvine Health, and Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at UCI. She leads AI governance for UCI and has implemented several solutions to drive Clinician proficiency using AI. Her organization is a founding member for CHAI (coalition for health AI) which is the largest public-private entity leading health AI landscape in the US.
Casey Vanderlip
Casey Vanderlip is a MD/PhD student and doctoral researcher at the University of California, Irvine studying early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. His work focuses on digital cognitive assessments and blood-based biomarkers to identify subtle brain changes years before symptoms emerge. By combining neuroscience, data science, and scalable technology, he aims to transform how we measure brain health and make early detection more accessible. Casey is a UCI Grad Slam champion and is passionate about translating complex science into ideas that empower people.
Cherise Lesesne
Cherise Lesesne is a writer and storyteller who blends a journalist’s rigor with a creative’s eye for character-driven narratives. With a strong foundation in essays and screenwriting for TV and film, her work explores complex themes centered around community and advocating for marginalized people to be immersed in the mainstream while staying rooted in relatable, human stories. Her background as a journalist sharpens her storytelling instincts, allowing her to bring a sense of authenticity and depth to every script and scene she crafts. Her writing unearths compelling narratives in everyday life and translates those moments into impactful, engaging stories that resonate, entertain, and provoke thought.
Tammy Tresor
Tammy Tresor is a gemologist, jewelry designer, and social entrepreneur. Raised in an immigrant family of jewelers, she inherited not only a craft but a deep reverence for earth’s rarest treasures, and a passion for giving back. She studied Biology at the University of California, Irvine, grounding her creative path in scientific inquiry before specializing in Gemology. Tammy is passionate about shaping the mindset and future of young people, believing that confidence and opportunity are as precious as any gemstone.
Linh Tran
Linh Trúc Trần is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and proud alumna of the UCI Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing. She returns to campus today to speak about youth mental health and the quiet struggles many young people carry. Specializing in early intervention, suicide prevention, and trauma-informed care, Dr. Trần draws on the spirit of kintsugi, to remind us that healing doesn’t erase our cracks; it helps us integrate them with strength.
Makiah Eustice
Makiah Eustice is an engineer and officer in the U.S. Air Force driven by a deep passion for human spaceflight. Her astronaut dreams have shaped an unconventional path: one that includes three space analog missions, a parabolic research flight, space outreach, and even designing for a space-inspired fashion show. She has served as a flight test engineer planning and executing aircraft modification tests on platforms like the C-130 Hercules, and now works as a program integrator supporting space contract surveillance.