Alyssa Sanchez has served as Director of Special Events in the Biological Sciences School for eight years. In that role, Alyssa manages all events for the school, ranging from the public lecture series to conferences, Dean’s Distinguished Lectures, seminars, the Biological Sciences School Holiday party and more. She believes that a successful event starts with identifying the mission or objectives of a program. Additional secrets to success are staying very organized with time management, paying attention to details, and being flexible in case there is a change in plans on event day. Alyssa also shares that she’s been involved in many memorable events. The most notable lectures that come to mind were dynamic speakers whose topics strongly resonated with the audience, including “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers” given by Dr. Robert Sapolsky, Dr. Jared Diamond’s talk on the “Evolution of Diabetes, Hypertension, and Other Diseases of the Western Lifestyle”, and “The Hype and Hope of Stem Cells” presented by Dr. Susan Bryant. According to Alyssa, “It is rewarding to work incredibly hard on a project that begins as a simple idea in the planning stage and ends as an impressive event that enhances the Biological Sciences School and UCI’s image and areas of excellence.”