Master of Finance | Meet Our Team

Jana Cheng is the Programs Director of Recruitment and Admissions for the Specialty Masters Programs at UC Irvine’s Merage School of Business. In this role, Jana oversees recruitment strategies, enrollment management and marketing lead for 4 programs including the Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA), Master of Finance (MFIN), Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAc) and Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MIE) programs.

Melanie Coburn is a seasoned admissions, recruiting and marketing professional with expertise in recruiting business professionals into an MBA program. She has over 20 years of progressive management experience in higher education and has worked in many diverse work environments, including four different institutions across the country. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in Literature and Rhetoric as well as a master of arts degree in English from Binghamton University in New York and an MBA from University of Baltimore in Maryland. Most recently, she is the Sr. Director of Recruitment & Admissions for all MBA and Specialty Masters Programs at University of California, Irvine’s Merage School of Business.

Erica Espejo is the Recruitment and Admissions Officer for the Master of Finance (MFin) and Master of Professional Accountancy (MPac) programs. She joined the UCI Paul Merage School of Business in 2023. Erica comes from a background of 10 years of experience in college and career counseling and admissions enrollment services. She is thrilled to meet with prospective students in the Specialty Masters Programs. She manages reading applications and cannot wait to welcome incoming students to the Merage School!

Before joining the Merage School, Erica served as a college & career counselor at Capistrano Unified assisting high school students in their college applications. She has also worked in graduate and undergraduate admissions at Soka University. In addition, Erica holds a Master’s Education in School Counseling from Loyola Marymount University. In her free time, Erica enjoys exploring California’s hidden gems, enjoying new restaurants and food, and writing.

Florence Lam is the Recruitment and Admissions Coordinator in the Specialty Masters Programs department. In her role, Florence oversees student application processing for the Master of Finance (MFin) and Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAc) programs, manage the SMP KFS reimbursements, organize graduate fairs, and oversee student assistants. She is a recent graduate from UCI, holding two bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration, and Public Health Policy. In her senior year, she was a Peer Councilor for the Merage UG Program. In her spare time, she likes to try new coffee shops, read, and garden.

Quincy Lim is the Assistant Director for the Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAc) program as well as the Master of Finance (MFIN). In his role, he assists students with their academic needs and guides them through their time in the program.

Deanna Rule is the Associate Director of Advising at the Paul Merage School of Business.

Natalia Sanchez is the Sr. Recruitment and Admissions Associate for the Master of Finance (MFin) program. She joined the UCI Paul Merage School of Business SMP team in 2019. In her role, Natalia oversees recruitment strategies, enrollment, and marketing for the Master of Finance program. She focuses on prospective student outreach initiatives, recruitment travel, candidate interviews and applications assessments and reviews. She manages the supporting team and Student Ambassadors. She is also one of the founding members of the Merage School Latinx Initiative.

Lisa Shulman is the Manager of MBA and Specialty Masters Programs, Strategic Initiatives. She manages all aspects of building graduate school pipelines, community initiatives, and supports current affinity groups with the focus of supporting our increasingly globally diverse graduate student population. She also works in creating partnerships with the Merage School and UCI community to ensure we have spaces for our diverse graduate student population.

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Burt Alvaro Slusher is the Assistant Dean of MBA and Specialty Masters Programs at the University of California, Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business. In this role, Burt oversees the School's current portfolio of graduate programs consisting of three MBA Programs (State-supported Full-Time MBA, and self-supporting Fully Employed MBA and Executive MBA) and four self-supporting Specialty Masters Programs (Master of Finance, Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Master of Professional Accountancy and Master of Science in Business Analytics). In addition, this role also oversees the Master of Science in Biotech Management program in tandem with leaders from the School of Biological Sciences. Burt also serves as part of the School’s senior leadership team.

Michelle Steinman is a valued member of the team at The Paul Merage School of Business and the University of California, Irvine. She contributes to our highly personalized environment with her commitment to be responsive and respectful to everyone in the Merage School Family, from prospective students to the business community at large.