Fall 2024 Peer Advisers
The schedule for peer advisers is available below.
Did you know that the Economics Department hosts a team of trained student peer advisers ready to help anyone seeking to enhance their university experience? We encourage everyone to use this resource to ask questions, seek advice, and receive help to make informed, efficient decisions.
Trained peer advisers are available to assist student peers with:
- personal academic plans
- general questions about the majors and courses
- major declaration assistance
- Study Abroad Department approval forms
Peer advisers can be reached by email for appointments and advising at econpeer@ucsc.edu or directly by Zoom via our advising calendar. (Zoom meetings are limited to UCSC students).
Our trained peer advisers are economics majors who strive to make your college journey a little smoother. "We speak from our own personal experiences and are extremely happy to help out anyone who seeks it."
Our team currently consists of one lead peer adviser, Richelle Miao and one soon-to-be lead, Divya Ramesh, and seven peer advisers enrolled in a two-unit course designed to fully capture the peer advising experience. If you are interested in peer advising and have the enthusiasm and aptitude to help others, we typically accept applications every quarter and encourage you to apply here!
Kira Brown
econpeer@ucsc.edu
Schedule: T 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, W 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Hello! I am an incoming fourth-year at UC Santa Cruz, Cowell affiliate with a business management economics major. I love hiking, thrifting, watching videos essays on YouTube, and hanging out with my family and dogs. I’m looking forward to having a relaxing summer and then coming back to Santa Cruz in fall quarter and helping with any questions you may have as a peer adviser!
Amishi Chokshi
econpeer@ucsc.edu
Schedule: MW 11:00 a.m. - 12 noon, TTh 3:00 - 4:00 p.m., F 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Hey all! My name is Amishi (she/her) and I am a fourth-year business management economics major with a minor in technology information management. I am part of two main organizations on campus: a co-ed business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi, and the Indian Acapella Team, UC Santa Cruz Taza Tal! In my free time I love to paint, cook, and be active outdoors. I look forward to joining this team and answering any of your questions -- feel free to reach out!
Richard Chung
econpeer@ucsc.edu
Schedule: M 3:00 - 4:00 p.m., W 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, 2:30 - 4:00 p.m., F 2:30 - 4:00 p.m.
Hi everyone! My name is Richard (he/him) and I am a third-year business management economics major with minors in technology information management and statistics. I am also a part of the professional business fraternity on campus, Alpha Kappa Psi! In my free time, I love listening to music, playing volleyball, and spending time with loved ones! I am super excited to join the peer advising team this fall! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Vedaant Katariya
econpeer@ucsc.edu
Schedule: M 1:30 - 4:00 p.m., Th 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, F 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Hi everyone! My name is Vedaant and I am a fourth-year Cowell affiliate. I am a double-major in economics and politics, and I will be doing a minor in technology information management. I love playing the guitar, soccer, golf, and randomly socializing! Feel free to reach out to me with any questions!
Kushi Keertipati
econpeer@ucsc.edu
Schedule: TTh 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, Th 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Hello everyone! My name is Kushi and I am currently a second-year student and a John R. Lewis affiliate majoring in business management economics. In my free time, I enjoy reading, hiking, and gardening. I am very much looking forward to being a peer adviser and hope to help you all out with any questions you may have!
Richelle Miao (Lead)
econpeer@ucsc.edu
Schedule: M 9:00 - 11:30 a.m., T 1:00 - 3:30 p.m., W 9:30 - 11:30 a.m., F 9:00 - 10:00 a.m., 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Hello everyone! My name is Richelle (she/her), and I am a fourth-year student majoring in business management economics with a concentration in accounting. I studied abroad with UCEAP in London in summer 2023, so I'm happy to help with any questions regarding my experience. Feel free to reach out!
Zach Perkel
econpeer@ucsc.edu
Schedule: M 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, TTh 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Hello everyone! My name is Zach and I'm a rising senior economics major affiliated with Oakes. In my free time, I enjoy hitting the ocean, running, or spending hours on Wikipedia reading about stuff that's not very important. This summer, I landed an internship at a startup in Palo Alto. I'm considering law school, so I've been studying for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). If you have any tips or need some, give me a shout. I am looking forward to helping out with advising in the fall!
Divya Ramesh (Soon to be Lead)
econpeer@ucsc.edu
Schedule: TTh 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, T 2:30 - 3:30 p.m., F 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Hi everyone! My name is Divya, and I am a third-year transfer student majoring in economics/mathematics. I'm an international student from Malaysia, and am affiliated with Merrill College. Outside of class, I love playing my guitar and bass, and I am also learning photography. Please reach out to me with any questions you may have!
Shilpa Suresh
econpeer@ucsc.edu
Schedule: T 3:00 - 4:00 p.m., W 1:30 - 3:30 p.m., F 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Hi everyone! My name is Shilpa (she/her) and I am a junior majoring in economics with a minor in statistics. Some of my hobbies include: hiking, reading, and playing volleyball. After I graduate, I would love to travel and pursue my master’s degree. I am super excited to join the peer advising team, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
David Zhou
econpeer@ucsc.edu
Schedule: MF 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Hi guys! My name is David and I am a third-year Stevenson affiliate, double-majoring in business management economics with accounting concentration and technology information management. In my free time, I enjoy lifting, hiking, playing basketball, hanging out with family and friends, traveling and exploring places. I'm here to help you with any questions you may have!
