Our Team

Each FCE front line team member is aligned with a specific core of external partners and internal schools, colleges and units. Our FCE analysts provide the research and support needed to assess, coordinate, manage and market the impact of our corporate and foundation engagement.

FCE Team

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Amy Skehan

  • Assistant Vice Chancellor, Foundation and Corporate Engagement
Amy Skehan is the assistant vice chancellor of Foundation and Corporate Engagement at UC Davis. Amy most recently served as the Strategic External Partnerships and Government Contracts lead in Research and Advanced Engineering at Ford Motor Company. Prior to that role, Amy served as University Program Manager, External Alliances, R&A at Ford where she was responsible for managing the Ford/University of Michigan relationship, Ford’s largest and most comprehensive university collaboration.

Jody Dahms

  • Director, Corporate Engagement
Jody joined the FCE team in 2020 and brings nearly 25 years’ experience in both the corporate sector and as a fundraising professional for large regional nonprofit organizations, where she oversaw all aspects of marketing and philanthropic engagement among key community stakeholders, donors, foundation and corporate partners, government entities and professional advisors to assure a lasting source of funds for the benefit of the capital area.

Traci Galbaugh, Ph.D.

  • Managing Executive Director, Foundation Engagement
Traci started her position at UC Davis in 2015. In addition to managing a team of two, she focuses on working with faculty in the basic and biomedical sciences (Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Veterinary Medicine) to identify and pursue funding opportunities from non-governmental entities as well as building relationships with these foundations.

Robyn Ireland

  • Associate Director, Foundation Engagement
Robyn joined the FCE team in 2020, where she leverages her background in the small health, advocacy, education nonprofit world to identify opportunities for partnership between smaller and mid-size companies and UC Davis faculty, students, programs, and events to achieve shared goals.

Kimberly Jones, MBA

  • Associate Director, Corporate Engagement
Kimberly most recently worked as a development professional for City of Hope, a non-profit, comprehensive cancer center in Duarte CA. There, she managed various fundraising campaigns in support of cancer and diabetes research and treatment programs. Kimberly is a U.C. Berkeley alumna, class of 2008 and she earned her M.B.A. from Mills College in 2016.

Jamie Jordan

  • Research and Analytical Strategist, Foundation and Corporate Engagement
Jamie Jordan joined the Foundation and Corporate Engagement Team in 2024. As Research and Analytical Strategist, Jamie is responsible for providing highly customized and strategic information in support of comprehensive corporate and foundation engagement efforts. She reports to Amy Skehan, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Foundation and Corporate Engagement.

Charlie Lemcke

  • Associate Director, Corporate Engagement
Charlie joined the FCE team in 2019. Often serving as a direct liaison between industry partners and the University, he coordinates with colleagues to match unique UC Davis assets with emerging business needs and solutions. Charlie’s work involves connecting faculty, students and staff with our partners to achieve shared goals.

Jennifer Prahl

  • Director, Foundation Engagement
Jen Prahl joined the FCE team in 2022. She’s been at UC Davis since 2017, working in the College of Biological Sciences and prior to that, the Office of Research. In her role, she works closely with faculty across campuses to gain a deeper understanding of their philanthropic priorities and to identify foundation partners to support students, research, and programs.

Jamie Shattuck, Ph.D.

  • Managing Executive Director, Corporate Engagement
Building upon her academic training in the life sciences, Jamie is the executive director of corporate engagement within Development and Alumni Relations, working broadly to support industry partnerships at UC Davis. Often the first point of contact with companies wanting to engage with campus, she works to understand the needs of companies and match them with the university’s authentic strengths.

Alexandra Schwarz

  • Assistant Director, External Engagement and Corporate Sponsorships
Alexandra Eller Schwarz is the Assistant Director of Corporate Engagement, where she helps create partnerships between companies and UC Davis. She  previously worked at PRIDE Industries—a nonprofit that creates employment for people with disabilities—and led their fundraising and marketing campaigns. Alexandra is also a proud UC Davis Alumna.

Unit Corporate and Foundation Engagement

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Karen M. Block

  • Executive Director of Development and External Relations
  • Energy Efficiency Institute/Institute of Transportation Studies
Karen M. Block has been serving as the senior director of development and external relations for the Energy and Efficiency Institute (EEI) and Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS-Davis) since 2016. In this role, she manages all foundation relationships for energy and transportation programs, and all industrial relationships for the EEI. 

Melissa Haworth

  • Senior Director, Corporate and Foundation Engagement
  • College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Melissa has spent the past 15 years of her career with the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in development and corporate engagement.

Will Lamb

  • Director of Development
  • COSMOS & Provost's Initiatives
Will Lamb has been with UC Davis DEVAR for more than six years. His background is in fine arts and non-profit development in the SF Bay Area and his first role at UCD was with the Manetti Shrem Museum. Since 2020, he has been a major gift officer for several areas on campus including the UC Regents STEM summer program known as COSMOS.

Beverly Parayno

  • Senior Director, Corporate Engagement | School of Veterinary Medicine
Beverly Parayno is Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Engagement in the School of Veterinary Medicine. She started in her role on October 26, 2023. She has over twenty years of development experience raising funds for nonprofits and universities, including Stanford University, The University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings), and University of the Pacific.

Ready to take the next step?

UC Davis’ Office of Foundation and Corporate Engagement (FCE) works with corporate and foundation partners, as well as university faculty and staff, to foster meaningful engagement with these external entities and to advance the university’s education, research and service mission.

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