VP of Admissions
The VP of Admissions is one of 14 elected MBAA officers and serves as the primary student liaison to the Berkeley Haas Admissions team. In this role, the VP represents student perspectives in admissions strategy, leads student involvement in recruitment and yield efforts, and helps create an inclusive, authentic experience for prospective and admitted students.
Haley Carruthers | MBA 27
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Undergraduate University & Major(s): Texas A&M University, Urban and Regional Planning
Prior Industry: Urban Planning
Future Industry: Real Estate / Consulting
Involvement: Consortium, Haas Consulting Club, Real Estate Club, BBSA
Favorite thing(s) to do in the Bay Area: Exploring Oakland, Running along Berkeley Marina and Berkeley bowl trips.
How did you know Haas was the right place for you: Catching the sunset during my first campus visit sealed the deal.
Ask Me About: Gym memberships, urban planning, notion, where to live, cute MBA fits.
Student Ambassadors
Jhalak Agarwal | MBA 27
Hometown: Bhopal, India
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Undergraduate University & Major(s): Hidayatullah National Law University, India with a major in Corporate Law, Intellectual Property Rights, and Economics and a minor in Political Science and Sociology
Prior Industry: Non-profit / Social Impact / Consulting
Future Industry: Consulting / Ed-tech / Ethics, Public Policy & AI
Involvement: Co-President, South Asian Business Association; VP Events @ Haas Consulting Club; Haas Tech Club; Haas AI Club, Redwoods @ Haas, Berkeley Board Fellow; Working with Responsible AI Initiative at Berkeley AI Research Lab
Favorite thing to do in the Bay Area: Exploring new food joints with fellow Haasies! Badminton at RSF on campus!
How did you know Haas was the right place for you: I knew Haas was the right place for me because of the incredibly warm and authentic interactions I had with my interviewer and the Haas Student Ambassadors during the application process. Every conversation felt genuine and supportive, and it gave me a glimpse into the kind of community I wanted to be a part of. From the get-go, Haas came across as a place where people don’t just talk about impact - they live it, and empower others to do the same.
Ask Me About: Coming from a non-traditional background, first time moving to the U.S., managing long-distance with my spouse, best Asian food spots in Berkeley, anything related to tennis or cricket, community building activities at Haas, dance - Bollywood, or Kathak, or career in consulting or tech.
Schedule a meeting with Jhalak
Ramil Aleshkin | MBA 27
Hometown: Moscow, Russia
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Undergraduate University & Major(s): National Research University, Higher School of Economics, Business Informatics
Prior Industry: Fintech / Health Tech / Cloud Services / Social Media / Entrepreneurship
Future Industry: Consulting / Deep Technology
Involvement: Haas Consulting Club, Haas AI Club, Bear & Axe Run Club, Redwoods @ Haas, Teams@Haas Student Coach, Perplexity AI Campus Leader
Favorite thing to do in the Bay Area: I love weekend 10K runs and hikes around the Bay Area, discovering new routes with friends. As a coffee enthusiast, I’m always trying new cafés and their signature brews. I also frequently head into San Francisco for networking and tech events.
How did you know Haas was the right place for you: I knew Haas was the right place for me when the Defining Leadership Principles stopped being words on a website and became something I genuinely felt. My decision crystallized during a Zoom call with a current student—he was sincerely invested in my story and helped me think through my path without trying to “sell” the school. That authenticity showed me the culture in action.
The more people I spoke with, the more I noticed the same mix of intelligence and humility. Everyone was responsive and genuinely supportive. It became clear that Haas attracts the kind of leaders I want to learn from and grow with. Coupled with its deep resources and location at the heart of global innovation, it felt like the environment where I could bring my full self and truly thrive.
Ask Me About: Consulting recruiting, AI and robotics, how software engineers can thrive in business school, human psychology, the best running routes around UC Village, standout coffee spots, and the latest films from A24.
Schedule a meeting with Ramil
Travis Fraser | MBA 27
Hometown: Redwood City, CA and Mission Viejo, CA
Pronouns: He/Him
Undergraduate University & Major(s): UC Berkeley, Global Studies (Economics and Global Development). Saddleback College, Japanese.
Prior Industry: Oil and Gas, Industrial Products, Aerospace, Networking Electronics, Consulting, and Cycling
Future Industry: Technology: Fitness-tech, Health-tech, AI
Involvement: Haas Tech Club, Haas AI Club, Product Management Club, Haas Beer Club, Redwoods, ACR (Academic Cohort Representative), GSI (Graduate Student Instructor)
Favorite thing to do in the Bay Area: Biking, hiking, trail-running, exploring, and breweries
How did you know Haas was the right place for you: I’m a double-bear (triple in some circles)! I owe so much to this school for the opportunity to be a re-entry undergrad student, and a former non-student teaching assistant for Haas undergrads. I can’t imagine being anywhere else. Yet, and maybe most importantly, the people here are just incredible.
Ask Me About: Being an older MBA student, non-traditional background, sharing this experience with my spouse, biking and hiking in the bay, good breweries, and all things Japan.
Schedule a meeting with Travis
Sofia Kakumanu | MBA 27
Hometown: New Delhi, India
Pronouns: She/Her
Undergraduate University & Major(s): Manipal Institute of Technology, Bachelor of Technology in Electronics & Communications Engineering
Prior Industry: Financial Services
Future Industry: Technology
Involvement: Q@Haas, Haas Tech Club, Haas Consulting Club, Haas Finance Club, Women in Leadership
Favorite thing to do in the Bay Area: Biking around the bay!
How did you know Haas was the right place for you: My first conversation with a student at Berkeley drove it to pretty much the first place and every conversation after that just sealed the deal further. In addition, Berkeley is and remains one of the safest places to be out.
Ask Me About: Being an international student moving across the world, deciding between career paths, technology.
Schedule a meeting with Sofia
Kumar Kilambi | MBA 27
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Undergraduate University & Major(s): San Diego State University, Business Administration Management, Entrepreneurship
Prior Industry: Venture Capital
Future Industry: Consulting or Tech
Involvement: Co-President, Sports Business Club. Club Memberships: Tech Club, Consulting Club, Partners Club, Beer Club
Favorite thing to do in the Bay Area: I love exploring new restaurants and breweries in the Bay Area with my partner! I also love playing pickleball, spikeball volleyball, and other games at the park with other Haasies!
How did you know Haas was the right place for you: I knew Haas was the right place for me because I wanted to be in an environment where tech and innovation weren’t just buzzwords but part of the everyday ecosystem. Being surrounded by the Bay Area’s tech scene felt like the perfect fit for the kind of work I want to do. Just as importantly, every Haas student and alum I met felt incredibly down-to-earth, genuine, and collaborative. That combination of cutting-edge opportunities with real, grounded people made the decision easy.
Ask Me About: Relationships and human behavior, sports, early stage venture capital, career pivots, startups, coming to business school with a spouse / partner.
Schedule a meeting with Kumar
Dani Morales | MBA 27
Hometown: Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Pronouns: She/Her
Undergraduate University & Major(s): University of Southern California, Public Policy & Diplomacy on the Nonprofit, Philanthropy, and Social Innovation Track with a minor in Social Entrepreneurship
Prior Industry: Affordable housing real estate development
Future Industry: Affordable housing finance
Involvement: BREC Co-President, VP of Finance ALMA, Member of Asian Business Club, Q@Haas, & Consortium
Favorite thing to do in the Bay Area: Hiking, biking, exploring, and eating yummy food 🙂
How did you know Haas was the right place for you: One of the things I love most about Haas is how genuinely curious and open-minded people are. Early on, I asked some of my classmates half-jokingly: ‘If you were a tree, what tree would you be and why?’ Instead of brushing it off, everyone gave thoughtful, creative answers. That moment reaffirmed one of the many things that I love about Haas. The people are warm, intellectually playful, and willing to think differently. It’s a welcoming community where I am comfortable being my most authentic self. A place where I can ask unconventional questions and people eagerly engage.
Ask Me About: Cities/urban planning/real estate, addressing homelessness, reading, latest podcast I’m listening to, or my latest hobby!
Schedule a meeting with Dani
Kureem Nugent | MBA 27
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Pronouns: He/Him
Undergraduate University & Major(s): Hamilton College, Sociology
Prior Industry: Tech (UX Research)
Future Industry: Tech (Product Management), Education
Involvement: Consortium, BBSA, MBAA , Haas Tech Club. Product Management Club, Education Club, Haas <> Cameron Institute Mentorship Program
Favorite thing to do in the Bay Area: Watching the sunset from Grizzly Peak and trying to find my new favorite restaurant.
How did you know Haas was the right place for you: Days at Haas, 100 percent. I felt an immediate sense of community and met people who cared passionately about education, sustainability, housing, and tech, but who also did not take themselves too seriously. I could tell right away that I was joining a tight-knit community and meeting people who would be in my life for a long time. At the welcoming dinner, I even found myself sitting next to someone who later became one of my roommates. By the end of the weekend, I knew Haas would be my new home.
Ask Me About: Technology, social life and community at Haas, moving from the East Coast, powerlifting, film photography.
Schedule a meeting with Kureem
Dipti Vaithiswaran | MBA 27
Hometown: Alpharetta, GA
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Undergraduate University & Major(s): Purdue University - Strategic Management and Economics
Prior Industry: Financial Services
Future Industry: CPG / Retail
Involvement: Co-President of SABA, Women In Leadership, Redwoods at Haas, Tech Club, Tentative VP of Marketing for Berkeley Female Founders and Funders Club
Favorite thing to do in the Bay Area: I love going on long drives and exploring new places. California has so much to offer in terms of scenery and hiking trails. Additionally, I love the food scene here and exploring the different neighborhoods in San Francisco.
How did you know Haas was the right place for you: I knew Haas was the right fit for me the moment I arrived for Days at Haas. As soon as I stepped on campus, I felt an immediate sense of belonging and with it, the confidence that, backed by such a renowned institution, anything was possible. Being in San Francisco, at the epicenter of innovation and design, also gives me the freedom to confidently explore my entrepreneurial aspirations.
Ask Me About: Product management, fashion, singing, dancing, content creation, traveling.
Schedule a meeting with Dipti