View our organization chart.
Amy Gardner
Executive Director | amygardner@berkeley.edu
In her role as executive director, Amy leads the strategic framework for campuswide partnership collaboration and engagement, working directly with campus stakeholders to identify and cultivate “industries of opportunity” while ensuring partnership opportunities are in alignment with UC Berkeley’s values and mission of teaching, research, and public service. Additionally, she leads the University of California Partnership Programs initiative for UC Procurement. Utilizing the partnership model developed at UC Berkeley, she collaborates across UC campuses to develop and launch multicampus and systemwide partnerships. Amy is a national leader in the industry, serving as a founding board member of the non-profit University Partnerships Community of Practice.
Prior to joining UPP in 2015 , Amy served as the director of corporate and community relations with the San Francisco Bowl Game where she was responsible for sponsorship development, event planning, and game operations. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a double major in psychology and economics and received a master's degree in sport management from the University of San Francisco.
Jane Christen
Executive Assistant | jchristen@berkeley.edu
Jane provides executive support to Executive Director Amy Gardner and the team members of University Business Partnerships & Services. In addition, she assists with complex scheduling, strategic problem solving, event logistics and meeting coordination, while working on special assignments designed to meet and benefit the needs of UBPS.
Prior to joining UBPS, Jane served as an executive assistant in the Letters & Sciences Deans’ Office where she acted as the primary liaison between senior executives and university administrators, donors, faculty, and the general public. Jane received her bachelor’s degree in resource management from the University of California, Berkeley and earned a master’s in environmental law and her juris doctor from Vermont Law School.
Anissa Hagedorn
Partner Relationship Manager | anissahagedorn@berkeley.edu
Anissa serves as the partner relationship manager for UBPS. She oversees the campus’s long-term relationships with University Partnership Program partners and campus stakeholders. Anissa acts as an intermediary between our partner community and the University, ensuring these partnerships are well represented at UC Berkeley while prioritizing campus stakeholder’s needs. She is responsible for bringing to life the engagement and impact of each unique relationship. Additionally, Anissa supports specific departments with their own sponsorship programs, including, but not limited to New Student Services, Recreational Sports, the ASUC Student Union and the Berkeley International Office.
Anissa graduated from UC Davis with a bachelor's degree in rhetoric and communication. She has over 18 years of experience in both marketing and management.
Amber Hopkins
Director of Communications & Brand Management | amber.hopkins@berkeley.edu
As director of communications and brand management for UBPS, Amber is responsible for overseeing and implementing the department's strategic communications plan including the website, social media, public relations, marketing, publications and presentations. She works as a direct liaison to match the interests and needs of external partners with the strengths of campus stakeholders and the UC Berkeley brand. In addition, Amber leads multicampus and systemwide communications for the University of California Partnership Programs. In this capacity, she oversees the launch of new partner relationships and works directly with the UC campuses on partner marketing campaigns and communications.
Prior to joining UC Berkeley in 2015, Amber worked as a communications coordinator at Texas A&M University. She has over 22 years of experience working in corporate and higher education marketing and communications. Amber earned a bachelor of business administration in marketing from Texas A&M University.
Brandon Schneider
Director of Strategic Partnerships | bschneid@berkeley.edu
Brandon develops innovative collaborations between UC Berkeley and leading businesses. These opportunities include campuswide partnerships, as well as tailored engagements with individual Berkeley units and faculty. He works through prospecting, qualification, cultivation, proposal, execution and evaluation to craft and maintain mutually beneficial relationships in fields ranging from the arts to entrepreneurship. Additionally, Brandon liaises with campus financial departments to coordinate, evaluate and implement the revenue streams from our campus partnerships and oversees the department’s budget.
Brandon earned a Ph.D. from the UC Berkeley Department of Italian Studies and a certificate in new media from the Berkeley Center for New Media. He holds an M.A. in political science with a concentration in transatlantic studies from the Transatlantic Masters Program of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as a B.A. in political science with a concentration in international relations from the Department of Political Science at UC Santa Barbara. Brandon also completed a certificate in arts management through UC Irvine.
Deborah Tallyn
Project Manager | dtallyn@berkeley.edu
As project manager of the University of California Partnership Programs (UCPP), Deborah works closely with the campuses to develop operating principles, program processes and policies, and a governance model for multi-campus partnerships. Additionally, she will oversee the development of a UCPP partnership “Tool Kit” to help guide campuses on how to strategically engage and manage campus partners.
Deborah joined Berkeley after a successful corporate career in product development, marketing and project management. She supported the initial setup of UPP, researching other programs and connecting with campus stakeholders to build out a governance model and early partnership processes. In addition, she has worked on other revenue generating projects on campus, most recently serving as project manager with Haas School of Business for the launch of Chou Hall. Deborah has an M.B.A. from Stanford University.
Ethan Phwan
Activations Assistant | ethan.phwan@berkeley.edu
Ethan serves as the activations assistant for University Business Partnerships & Services. He is responsible for managing partner activation sheets and asset folders. In addition, he tracks partner campus activations, develops new partner timelines and works with our campus stakeholders and partners to collect metrics and verify proof of performance.
Ethan is a first-semester transfer student at UC Berkeley, pursuing a degree in Economics with a certificate in Entrepreneurship and Technology through the Sutardja Center. He was previously involved in pro bono consulting and market research efforts at his former academic institution, UC Davis, through the Davis Consulting Group and UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, following the NBA, and attending concerts.
Julianne Chen
Marketing & Communications Assistant | juliannechen@berkeley.edu
Julianne serves as the marketing and communications assistant for University Business Partnerships & Services. She is responsible for developing, executing, and assessing strategies that include the creation of a comprehensive multimedia strategy for UBPS. Additionally, Julianne composes engaging content and graphics for print, newsletters, and a variety of social platforms and serves as the department marketing liaison among UPP partners and UC Berkeley stakeholders.
Julianne is a second-year student at UC Berkeley, pursuing a degree in business administration. She is involved in the marketing committee of multiple on-campus organizations, including the Berkeley Project and Ascend. A few of Julianne’s favorite things include concerts, dogs, and anything food related.