Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 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.

Judy Lotfy 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.

Tanya Lozano 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.

Ashley Ramirez is the Associate Director of Recruitment and Admissions, Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. She joined the Specialty Masters team in October of 2017. 

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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.