Meet Monica Sozinho, Events Coordinator

Monica Sozinho, events coordinator for the School of Natural Sciences, was happy to join the newest UC campus, in part because it’s in the San Joaquin Valley and she grew up in Laton, in the south Valley, but also because she’s a UC graduate herself.

Sozinho worked in retail marketing in the south Valley before joining UC Merced two years ago. She worked as the assistant general manager for a shopping center, managing the marketing and leasing programs and recruiting new retailers.

She attended UC Riverside for her undergraduate degree, and “it was a big part of my life,” she said.

These days, when she’s not working, she loves spending time with her two nieces and her dog, Lucky.

Sozinho agreed to answer our five questions.

Please describe what your job entails.

I plan and coordinate all of the events for the School of Natural Sciences. A few of the events I work on are weekly seminars, monthly graduate student events called "Think Tank," annual recruitment, Preview Day, Bobcat Day and our annual barbecue.

What are some of the most rewarding aspects of your job?

I really do love working with our staff and faculty on different events and I love seeing all the little details of an event come together.

What new initiatives/projects/plans are you looking forward to in the coming year?

I am excited to see the growth within the School of Natural Sciences as the campus continues to grow. I am excited to continue to work with our staff and faculty to create events for our students.

What are some of the biggest challenges in your job and how do you work through them, work around them or deal with them?

A challenge can be managing multiple events simultaneously and making sure you don’t miss any details, but I can say this position has taught me to become more organized and detail-oriented.

Tell us something about you that people on campus might not know.

I am currently pursuing my MBA at Fresno State, and I will be going to China for 10 days in April with my program.