Biography

Jana Avila (she/her) is the Chief of Staff for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) at UC San Francisco. A people-centered organizational design strategist, she brings nearly two decades of experience across multiple University of California campuses. In her current role, Jana provides administrative leadership, oversees people strategies, and offers executive guidance to GEPA’s leadership team. She is currently pursuing an EdD in Leadership and Innovation, with a focus on designing organizational communication structures that support employee engagement, an area that is central to her work. Prior to joining UCSF, she held roles across UC Davis Health that spanned the hospital system, focusing on experience, people, finance, and operations.

Jana recently joined the UCSF Staff Assembly and serves as one of two CUCSA delegates. At UC Davis Health, she previously served as Staff Assembly Chair from 2020 to 2022. Jana is committed to elevating staff voices and advancing initiatives that strengthen staff engagement and representation in decision-making at the highest levels of the University of California system.