YCRSB Leadership

Amy Zhuang is the President of the inaugural Executive Board for Yale Club of Riverside/San Bernardino. Amy received her Master of Art degree in Economics from Yale Graduate School of Arts and Science in 2003, and is currently a Senior Relationship Manager with Wells Fargo Bank, covering the Inland Empire Region.

As the President of the Board, Amy is looking forward to leading the efforts of revitalizing the club, strengthening the connection between Yale University and local alumni, promoting Yale programs (undergraduate and graduate level) to local talents while cultivating a sense of community among members of the club in the Riverside/San Bernardino region.

Farshad Ghodoosi serves on the Executive Board for Yale Club of Riverside & San Bernardino as Executive Vice-President. He is a graduate of Yale Law School (’12 LLM, ’15 JSD) and is currently an assistant professor of business law at California State University, Northridge. His research focuses on law & technology and contracts among other areas. As the Executive Vice-President, Farshad is excited about launching the club, fostering a network of alumni, and creating mentorship and career opportunities for college students in the area. He would also like to work alongside other members to help students pursue their desired opportunities at Yale. If you have suggestions, please feel free to reach out to Farshad.

Hugo Martinez serves on the Executive Board for Yale Club of Riverside & San Bernardino as the Vice President of Educational Endeavors and Secretary. Hugo graduated from Yale College class of 2011 with a major in American Studies and has worked in education and the nonprofit sector over the past ten years. Hugo is looking forward to supporting the club by creating opportunities for alumni to connect in the area, as well as bringing a stronger presence of the Yale community to the Inland Empire. He is also committed to supporting intellectually curious youth and scholars from the Riverside and San Bernardino area to pursue higher education opportunities with the undergraduate and graduate programs at Yale. Feel free to reach out to Hugo for ideas for events, topics of discussion to bring to the attention of our board, or initiatives that would support our club in cultivating stronger relationships among alumni in the area to each other, the region, and the larger Yale community.

Karyl Newman has served on the Executive Board for the Yale Club of Riverside & San Bernardino since the rejuvenation of the regional club in 2021. She graduated from the David Geffen School of Drama, DGSD '96. 

Newman is the president and founder of PositionalProjects.org, which creates empathy of place through outdoor happenings at historic sites, sharing public humanities, art and AR installations, creative activities, stewardship, and walking tours. She happily returned to Yale as a 2016-2017 research fellow at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library studying the Llano Del Rio Utopian experiment in the Antelope Valley. A grant from the CA Creative Corps and the California Arts Council recently supported her ongoing work. She is committed to encouraging the pursuit of higher education at Yale and cultivating belonging within the alum community through the varied offerings of our vast region and beyond.

Erika Wells serves on the Executive Board for Yale Club of Riverside & San Bernardino as the Yale Alumni Association (YAA) Delegate. Erika received her Ph.D. in Cellular & Molecular Physiology from Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) in 2011. Following graduation, she returned to the Southern California region and is currently working for Abbott Rapid Diagnostics as a Global Scientific Affairs Manager. In the role of YAA Delegate, she is enthusiastic to increase recognition of Yale and encourage students throughout Riverside & San Bernardino to broaden their higher education goals. Erika is excited to represent the Inland Empire region and build strong connections with other Yale Alumni Clubs. Please feel free to contact Erika, especially for event and engagement suggestions.