J. R. DeShazo
Director, Luskin Center for Innovation and the Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Vice Chair of Public Policy, UCLA School of Public Affairs

J.R. DeShazo is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Policy and Social Research at the University of California at Los Angeles. (B.A., College of William and Mary, M.Sc., Oxford University, Rhodes Scholar; Ph.D., Harvard University) He was a faculty associate at the Harvard Institute for International Development (1997-2000) and is currently Director of the Luskin Center for Innovation and the Lewis Center for Regional Studies at UCLA.  He is on the editorial council for the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management.

He was awarded the Professor of the Year, Masters Program in Public Policy, UCLA in 2001, 2005, and 2007. He received the Center for American Politics and Public Policy Fellowship at UCLA in 1999. He was the Commencement Marshal at Harvard University in 1997, received the Harvard University Fellowship in 1992-1995, was a Rhodes Scholar, and was a Marshall Scholar Nominee in 1989.

His research expertise includes environmental economics and policy; local public finance, with applications to urban infrastructure and protected areas; political economy; financial management of public services.

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Colleen Callahan
Deputy Director

Colleen Callahan is Deputy Director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation. Previously, Colleen was the Manager of Air Quality Policy for the American Lung Association. She has also worked for the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute and Adi Liberman and Associates, a public and government affairs practice specializing in environmental policy.  She is a founding Board Member of the Los Angeles Sustainability Collaborative. Colleen graduated from Occidental College with a B.A. in Urban and Environmental Policy, Phi Beta Kappa and holds a Masters in Urban Planning from UCLA. 

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Teresa Lara
External Affairs

Teresa Lara manages the external relations for the Luskin Center and the Center for Community Partnerships at UCLA. Prior to joining Luskin Center, she was special projects manager for the Center for Community Partnerships, and has worked in UCLA's Local Government and Community Relations and the UCLA Law School. Her background includes extensive experience in the non-profit realm, from running after-school programs for under-privileged youth to teaching citizenship classes to the elderly and homebound residents, to Development and Alumni Relations. Recently, Teresa was the Program Coordinator for the non-partisan Zócalo “Public Square” Lecture Series in Los Angeles. She serves on the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department Grants Program and was a 2008 recipient and member of UCLA’s Professional Development Program (PDP). Teresa holds a B.A. in Behavioral Science and Masters of Science in Organization Development from Pepperdine University.

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Ryan Matulka
Project Manager

Ryan Matulka is a Luskin Center Research Project Manager working on the study commissioned by the Los Angeles Business Council, “Assessing the Promise of a Solar Feed-in Tariff Policy for Greater Los Angeles.” The purpose of this study is to provide regional policy makers with a useful guide to designing an effective Feed-in Tariff program for the region. The study assesses how rooftop and parking lot solar projects can contribute to the ambitious clean energy and economic development goals maintained by the Los Angeles region. Ryan has worked for wind, solar, and traditional energy companies. He recently completed a Master in Business Administration from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning from the UCLA School of Public Affairs.

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Juan Matute
Program Director

Juan Matute is the Program Director of the UCLA Program on Local Government Climate Action Policies.  Prior to that, Juan developed The Climate Registry’s implementation guidance for the Local Government Operations Protocol for the Quantification and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventories.  The Protocol was jointly developed by the California Climate Action Registry, the California Air Resources Board, ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability), and The Climate Registry.  While at The Climate Registry, Juan also worked on projects related to the management of greenhouse gas measurement and the Western Climate Initiative.
Juan is a 2009 graduate of UCLA with an MBA from the Anderson School of Management and an MA in Urban Planning from the School of Public Affairs.  While at UCLA, Juan took leadership positions in several organizations that promote sustainability, serving as Director of the Graduate Students Association Sustainable Resource Center, Graduate President of Bruins for Traffic Relief, and President of the UCLA Anderson chapter of Net Impact.  Before attending UCLA, Juan worked as a product manager for a location-based internet application service.  Juan holds a BA in International Relations from Pomona College.

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Michelle Pervaiz
Operations Manager

Michelle Pervaiz is the Operations Manager for the Luskin Center and the Center for Community Partnerships at UCLA. She previously worked at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society where she was a Development Manager and responsible for logistics for all Southern California Chapter events. Prior to that, she held positions at community-based organizations, the Venice Family Clinic and the Archer School for Girls. Michelle is a UCLA alumna and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Classical Civilizations.

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