Skip to sections. Skip to content.

Sections

UCLA Graduate Division

Graduate Opportunity Fellowship Program (GOFP)

This one-year fellowship program provides recipients with a $18,000 stipend plus tuition (and nonresident supplemental tuition if necessary). The program supports a limited number of entering students pursuing either terminal or professional master's degrees. Students pursuing doctoral degrees (e.g., PhD, MD, DDS, etc.)  are not eligible for funding. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or undocumented students who qualify for nonresident supplemental tuition exemptions under AB 540 (Eligibility for undocumented AB540 students is effective January 1, 2013). Individuals from cultural, racial, linguistic, geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds that are currently underrepresented in graduate education are especially encouraged to apply. The intent of this fellowship is to provide access to higher education for students who might otherwise find it difficult or impossible to successfully pursue graduate study. Applicants should review the GOFP Application Instructions and complete both the Fellowship Application for Entering Graduate Students and the Admissions Application Diversity Statement. These forms will be reviewed as part of your fellowship application.

Say hello to some Graduate Opportunity Fellowship Program Fellows

Gregory DavisGregory Davis
UCLA Departments: Afro-American Studies and Law (joint-degree)
Year Entered Graduate School: 2010

Research Interests

I focus on how African-American lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) youth find, confirm, and fortify their identities in the face of possible social discrimination and prejudice based on their race and/or sexual orientation. I also study the intersections of law, public policy, minority groups, and identity, and have particular interest in the discourses surrounding 2008's California Proposition 8.

Brief Biography

I was raised in Detroit, MI and am a proud product of the Detroit Public Schools. For college, I chose to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, and graduated with a B.A. degree in psychology in 2010. Immediately afterward, I entered UCLA and will complete my joint-degree program in law and Afro-American Studies in the spring of 2014. Afterward, I wish to enter into a PhD program in sociology to further my research.

If stranded on a deserted island with only one type of meal to eat every day, what would you want it to be?

Breakfast - pancakes, eggs, and turkey bacon.

If you did not pursue a graduate degree what would you have pursued?

International super-spy or tech billionaire.

Stephanie VivancoStephanie Vivanco
UCLA Department(s): Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences
Year Entered Graduate School: 2010

Research Interests

My research interests include minority health disparities, environmental justice, and how the built environment affects public health.

Brief Biography

Hello! I graduated from Loyola Marymount University in 2010 with a B.S. in Biology. As an undergraduate I was involved in residence life, volunteer work, and social justice activities. I am currently a Master of Public Health Candidate at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health studying Environmental Health Sciences. In the summer of 2011, I had the opportunity to intern at California's Department of Toxic Substances Control where I evaluated an environmental justice platform based in Imperial County, CA. I am looking forward to graduating and excited to apply my education and skills to a career in the environmental field. My hobbies include being active outdoors, visiting new places, and enjoying the company of friends and family.

If stranded on a deserted island with only one type of meal to eat every day, what would you want it to be?

Peanut butter and banana sandwiches.

If you did not pursue a graduate degree what would you have pursued?

World traveling.

Maria Kathleen OrtegaMaria Kathleen Ortega
UCLA Departments: Medicine and Management
Year Entered Graduate School: 2008 (Medicine), 2011 (Management)

Research Interests

My research interests include hospital operations and process improvement, medical errors, patient safety, and health care access. Between the first and second year of medical school, I participated in the Medical Administration Fellowship with the Medical Director and Associate Director of the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital of UCLA. In addition to engaging in the everyday activities involved in running the hospital, I studied the differences that exist among health insurers regarding authorization of payment for inpatient psychiatric cases. During the second year of my MBA, I plan to direct my Applied Management Research project towards hospital operations.

Brief Biography

I grew up in Santa Ana, California, with my parents and two sisters, and attended UCLA for my B.S. in Neuroscience. My love of science and interest in the clinical application of that knowledge to interpersonal relationships for the improvement of health led me to pursue a medical degree at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

During medical school, I have served as the UCLA Chapter Chair on the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) Executive Board, as a Riordan Health Care Management Mentor, LMSA Mentor, and as the Evaluations Representative of the UCLA PRIME Council. I am a member of the ACEP, ACP, AMWA, LMSA, EMRA (medical associations), and Healthcare Business Association. I have continued to pursue a career at this interface of business and medicine and I am a MD/MBA dual degree candidate for 2013.

During business school, I have sought opportunities to implement the business education I am acquiring, including competing in the Net Impact Non-Profit Consulting Challenge. At UCLA Anderson, I continue to attain the leadership training and business acumen necessary for a future career as a physician leader in health care.

Outside of school, I enjoy swimming, dancing, cooking, and "tweeting" about health care issues.

If stranded on a deserted island with only one type of meal to eat every day, what would you want it to be?

The unlikely duo of tacos and kale chips.

If you did not pursue a graduate degree what would you have pursued?

I would have pursued work as a research assistant in either clinical research or Neuroscience research. If I had not pursued a college degree in Neuroscience, I would have pursued a career in landscaping or home decor.