Meet the Emmons Wellness Center Team
Assistant Dean of Students for Emmons Wellness Center
She/Her/Hers
Devon received a B.A. in Women's Studies from the University of California Riverside, and a Master of Public Health from George Washington University. She has health education experience in both clinical and classroom settings, having worked in adolescent health for Planned Parenthood...
Medical Services
Medical Director
Lily Nourmand attended UCLA where she received a B.S. in microbiology. Dr. Nourmand received her M.D. from the UCLA School of Medicine and finished residency in Family Medicine at Stanford- San Jose Medical Center. She takes a special interest in preventive medicine.
Nurse Practitioner
She/Her/Hers
Evelyn Chan is a Family Nurse Practitioner who has been working in healthcare since 2010. She attended UCLA, where she earned a BA in Business-Economics and Specialization in Computing. She worked in Healthcare IT for several years when she realized her calling was as a healthcare...
Nurse Practitioner
Rashilda has been in healthcare for 15 years working as an RN 1st in NYC and later obtaining her Masters of Science at Hunter College. Rashilda moved to California in 2016 with a focus in Adult-Geriatric Medicine for 5 years before shifting to student health here at Occidental College. She has a...
Psychological Services
Director of Counseling Services
He/Him/El
Alejandro leads a team of therapists at Emmons Wellness Center, oversee Emmons' counseling services and resources, and work collaboratively with Emmons staff and the rest of the Oxy community to support the mental well-being of our student body.
Alejandro is a Licensed Marriage and...
Staff Therapist and Training Coordinator
She/Her/Ella
Dr. Paloma Franco is a compassionate mental health professional and proud native of Los Angeles. She earned her Doctor of Psychology in Applied Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Mount Saint Mary’s...
Staff Therapist
She/Her/Ella
Claudia is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker born and raised in southeast LA and an Oxy Alumna. Claudia received her BA in Psychology and her MSW from the University of Southern California. Claudia identifies as Latinx/Chicanx and aspires to honor all of her clients' and students'...
Staff Therapist
He/Him/His
Tyler is a social worker by training, and holds deeply his profession’s values of client advocacy and social justice. He received a Master of Social Work degree from Florida State University and Bachelor of Arts from Boston College. Tyler has served as a therapist in a variety of...
Staff Therapist
He/Him/His
Eric Robinson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist born and raised in Venice, California. Eric attended Antioch University – Los Angeles where he received his BA in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Creative Writing and his MA in Clinical Psychology. Eric’s clinical work began...
Counseling MFT Trainee
She/Her
Karen Kushell is excited to join Emmons' Counselign team as a Clinical Practicum Trainee while pursuing her MA in Clinical Psychology (MFT/PCC) at Pepperdine University. She earned a Bachelor's degree in communication studies from UCLA and completed post-baccalaureate work in psychology at...
Staff Psychiatrist
Dr. Azad Paul Kurkjian is a board-certified adult and child psychiatrist specializing in neuropsychiatry. Dr. Kurkjian’s clinical interests include mood disorders, psychotic disorders, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, ADHD and autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Kurkjian completed his undergraduate...
Nutritionist
Melissa is a Registered Dietitian and Board Certified in Sports Dietetics. She provides nutrition counseling for the general population and athletes to manage and address health conditions and optimize performance. She has experience working with college students to improve their health, athletic...
Health Promotion
Health Promotion Specialist
She/Her/Hers
Laura has been a social worker and advocate since 2014. She received her Master’s in Social Work from Hunter College in New York City in 2018 and her BA from UC Berkeley in 2010. She has worked in many different settings including reproductive health...
Project S.A.F.E.
Project SAFE Director and Survivor Advocate
Lizzy Denny (she/her/hers) is originally from Louisville, Kentucky but has lived in Los Angeles for the past 8 years. She received her undergraduate degree from Earlham College in Comparative Languages and Linguistics as well as Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. It was at Earlham that she...
Project SAFE Prevention Education & Program Manager
Schedule a meeting with Alexia
Pronouns: they/them/elle
Born in East Los Angeles and raised in South Los Angeles, Alexia Sambrano is an educator, artist, writer, and organizer with a history of advocacy, research, prevention education, harm reduction, and outreach. Alexia's objective is to apply...
Support Services
Manager of Clinical Operations
Ana attended Cal State Los Angeles where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Administrative Management. She was working in the hospitality industry in various roles and found her calling providing customer service. Working for Emmons Wellness Center, she considers it a pleasure to have the...
Student Benefits & Insurance Specialist
Krista is the Student Benefits & Insurance Specialist at Emmons Wellness Center. She joined the Emmons team in July 2015. Krista has been working in the insurance and medical billing field for over a decade. Not only does she help students navigate their insurance policy provided by Occidental...