CURRENT HEADS OF HOUSE

Head of Gryffindor: Avineesh Kompella, Pronouns: He/Him

PREVIOUS HEADS OF HOUSE

2018-2019:

Head of Gryffindor: Katrina Hough

Hello All!

My name is Katrina Hough and I am a third year double major in Neurobiology and English. You might think those are two majors on the opposite ends of the spectrum but I like to think of them as close together in discovering and analyzing humanity and the human condition. My likes include reading (of course), attempting to cook/bake new recipes based on Tasty videos, and super soft blankets. My dislikes include nuts (because I’m allergic, I went through a phase in middle school where I was totally bitter about never having peanut butter, but I’ve moved on and I digress), loud noises, and anything that requires body coordination.

The DA has become a place I feel really comfortable and special around people who make me laugh. I’m super proud to be a part of something so amazing and encourage everyone to join. We, in the DA, like to welcome everyone with open arms and I can’t wait to meet the new members come Fall. One thing I love about the club is that it is always open to new members, so please come by to a meeting, at any time. Whoever you are, reading this, I can’t wait to meet you. Until then…

Head of Hufflepuff:

Heather Stantial

Hey everyone!

As seen above, my name is Heather and I am the 2018-9 Head of Hufflepuff. I am a 2nd year transfer student with an AA in Social and Behavioral Sciences and am currently double majoring in Criminology, Law & Society (CLS) and Psychology and Social Behavior (PSB).

My hobbies include reading fanfiction (multi-fandom), listening to music, playing video games, and watching youtube videos/television shows. Some video games I like include: Fallout 4, Far Cry 3-5, Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition. Some TV shows I enjoy are Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Criminal Minds, Vikings, and Stranger Things.

DA means the absolute world to me; I have made so many fantastic friends (more like family) and I will forever be grateful to have been given the opportunity to leave my own mark on the clubs legacy. My goal for this year is to give everyone who joins a magical experience and to further expand my amazing DA family!

That being said, come talk to me whenever about whatever! I love you all! Bye-bye now~

Head of Ravenclaw: Emma Dorn

Hello, my loves! I’m Emma and I am soooo excited to be your Head of Ravenclaw this year! I am a third year Campuswide Honors Program student, majoring in Psychology and Social Behavior with a double minor in Medical Humanities and Spanish. After undergrad, I want to go into a PsyD. program and become a pediatric clinical psychologist. Aside from the DA, I am also involved with Hillel, a Jewish organization on campus, and Harmonium, a subset of Choirs@UCI. As you can probably tell from my picture, I love cosplay and anime. I’m also way too into video games, especially Overwatch (D.Va main!) and GTA V. The Harry Potter universe is so much more than a series of books and movies to me, so I can’t wait to share my love of all things Potter with you! My goal is to make sure that the DA is an inclusive space where everyone can feel welcome, so if there’s ever anything I can do for you, from club suggestions to just venting, please let me know. Okay, I love you, byeeee!!!!

Head of Slytherin: Cat Tran

Hello and welcome to the club of the bold and brave, kind and dedicated, clever and creative, and cunning and proud. I am Cat, Head of Slytherin. I am a second year transfer student, or in other words a senior. I’m aiming to get my bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Science. Dumbledore’s Anteaters is the only club I have attended because it was the only club I had an interest in. I study most of the time because my major is challenging for me. If I have the time, I would try to watch anime or cartoons, read manga, play games, or go out with friends. I like watching RWBY, Voltron: Legendary Defenders, Steven Universe, One Punch Man, etc. I like playing the Harvest Moon/Rune Factory Series as well as Stardew Valley and Pokemon. I consider Dumbledore’s Anteaters to be one of my top priorities below classes. At this point, I have invested too much of my time and interest not to be in this club. I will do the best I can as a Head in order to help my fellow Slytherins achieve their goals.

2017-2018:

Head of Gryffindor: Julia Asher

Hey, I’m Julia Asher and I’ll be the head of Gryffindor this year! I am a second year Cognitive Sciences major and I love reading, playing soccer (or quidditch), and watching TV. I like to think my patronus would be a sea turtle or otter. I am super excited to see what I can bring to the DA community and hopefully inspire more love of the Harry Potter universe as well as all things nerdy. I am a bit obsessed with Gilmore Girls and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I’m always looking to meet new people and make new
friends, so feel free to contact me whenever.

Head of Hufflepuff: Emily Price 

Hello! My name’s Emily and I am the head of Hufflepuff this year. This year, I plan to boost my house’s image and make Hufflepuffs stand out. I am a second year political science major from the Sacramento area. Last summer I interned at the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission. I love cats, reading,  and magic tricks. My favorite shows are Supernatural, Criminal Minds, and Sherlock. I look forward to making new friends and meeting new people.

Head of Ravenclaw: Caitlin Callaghan

Hi I’m Caitlin Callaghan, head of Ravenclaw House. Whether you know every line from the books or are just toeing the Harry Potter waters, welcome to DA! I’m a senior mechanical engineering student, and transferred to UCI two years ago. I’m an analyst by nature and love to explore the details of Harry Potter, as well as the creative side of fandom.  In my free time I sew and do other crafts (usually something nerdy), and I’m also a fan of Star Wars, The Adventure Zone, Homestuck, and Pokemon. Any questions about DA, UCI, what even is the deal with The Cursed Child? Feel free to shoot me a message!

Head of Slytherin: Dominique Chen

Hello there, friends and fellow anteaters! My name is Dominique Chen, but feel free to call me Dom. ^_^ I’m a 2nd year Psychology and Social Behavior major with a minor in Management. Usually you can find me reading, zoning out while listening to music, or a combination of the two. I write fiction short stories occasionally, when I have the time and motivation to. Outside of Harry Potter, I enjoy a variety of Korean bands, anime, and any tv shows or cartoons that happen to spark my interest at any given moment in time. Don’t hesitate to talk to me! I’m open to talk to about anything and everything.

2016-2017:

Head of Gryffindor: Sylvia Alejo

Hi there! I’m a 4th year Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major at UCI with a plate full of stress and a side of fun. XD I’ve been in DA since I transferred over Fall 2015. Last year was such a blur; some notable events I remember  are the Sorting Hat Ceremony, Halloween Party, Yule Ball and Beach Day. Seeing friendship blossom out of mutual interest in anything/everything Harry Potter related, made DA my home away from home. On my spare time I like to do marathons of the Netflix, Crunchyroll and Hulu kind. I have a variety of interest (outside of the Harry Potter fandom): LoTR, GoT, TNG, DS9, Sense 8, Doctor Who, Anime/Manga, tabletop RPG, etc. I’m down to hang outside of club meetings, and chat up on pretty much anything.

Head of Hufflepuff: Adam McInnes 

Hello! My name’s yours, what’s Adam? I’m a fourth year Computer Science major, and I’m your head of Hufflepuff! As the head of the most respected, liked, and sought-after house, my goal this year is to finally bring some humility to the Hufflepuff house. I know everybody’s tired of Hufflepuff always hogging the spotlight, but it’s just so hard for Hufflepuffs to blend in when we shine so brightly. Outside of club, I enjoy the typical jock things: the Internet, computers, drag queens, Dungeons and Dragons, World of Warcraft, Disneyland, corgis, Game of Thrones, and Broadway musicals. If you’d like to talk about any of these things, or about UCI, life as a transfer student, or what the weather is like up here, just shoot me a message!

Head of Ravenclaw: Steven Shinder

Hm? Oh, hello! I almost did not see you there. I am Steven Shinder, a third year student majoring in English with a Creative Writing emphasis and minoring in Literary Journalism. Currently, I am also president of the Creative Writers Guild at UCI. I enjoy writing fiction, lyrics, poetry, and Facebook posts. When I am not myself, I participate in improv workshops. Though I am a Harry Potter fan, I also like a bunch of other things that I listen to, read, and watch. On some episodes of the Delusions of Granular podcast, you can find me reviewing some Star Wars stories, whether they be considered canonical or Legends. Maybe we can geek out about various things together. Saying things is one of my strengths. I apologize in advance for my puns.

Head of Slytherin: Oscar Portillo

Hello, I’m a 4th year Psychology & Criminology Double major. I’m also an expert in using Legilimency and Occlumency. When I’m not looking up Harry Potter lore and facts I spend my time watching main stream shows on the internet. Academically, I spend my time studying for my classes, researching, and supporting my other club Psychology Student Association. If you have any questions about D.A or me please don’t hesitate to ask!

2015-2016:

Heads of Gryffindor: Heather Lee Hermesman & Katie Mills

“Welcome to the DA! I’m a 3rd year BusAdmin and English major at UCI and have been in DA since I was a wee first year. I hope to continue creating magic in our club and make D.A. a place future generations can call home. Ouside of club, I enjoy tabletop board games, karaoke, adventuring in SoCal, and pretty much everything  nerdy. My new nerdy goal is to learn to sew my own cosplays :3 I’m always down to hang out and grab a bite to eat. Don’t let my sarcasm fool you, I’m pretty nice and will always make time to chat or answer any questions you’ve got!” – Heather

“Hello! My name is Katie Mills and I am one of your heads of Gryffindor for the 2015-2016 year! I am a third year Drama major with a minor in Film & Media Studies, so if you ever want to know about performances and art projects on campus then I am the person to go to. Obviously my hobbies include performing (acting, singing, and dancing) and watching movies, but I also love to read, write short stories and poetry, hang out at Disneyland, and cook/bake. Do NOT hesitate to come talk to me or ask me any questions because I can talk your ear off about any subject (especially Harry Potter)! Potterheads unite!” – Katie

Head of Hufflepuff: Brittany Ottoson

“Hey everyone! My name is Brittany and I’m a fourth year Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major. When I’m not in class, I enjoy watching fish swim around, reading fantasy novels, and working on projects in the campus greenhouse. I’m excited to celebrate our love of Harry Potter together this year!” – Brittany

Head of Ravenclaw: Bella Dorado

“Hello everyone! Welcome to the DA! I’m a 3rd year political science major with a firm belief that there are positive outcomes to all situations. My hobbies include dancing, choreographing, watching insane amounts of TV, and trying to bring a little more justice into this world. I also love to cook and bake so I’m always down to have a potluck dinner and hang out with y’all! I want to be the happiest and most energetic Ravenclaw you know! I also want to be the most helpful! So feel free to talk to me about or ask me anything about anything!” – Bella

Head of Slytherin: Miguel Ochoa 

“Hey there! Besides being your local Parseltongue expert, I’m also a second-year at the Ayala School of Biological Sciences. I also run a Spanish radio show called Radio El Nopal on KUCI, and my hobbies include riding the bus, making macaroni art of Ronald Reagan, and answering any questions you may have about the DA or UCI” – Miguel

2014-2015

Head of Hufflepuff: Tara Leederman

“Hi there! I’m a PhD student in UCI’s English Literature program and a TA for freshman composition classes. For club, I loved setting up and running Harry Potter themed crafts, as well as quarterly discussions. In my free time, I enjoy planning and placing in tabletop games and LARPs, solving puzzles, and writing novels. I’ve been through college, transfers and much of grad school, so if you have doubts and questions, or just need someone to listen, please feel free to come to me” – Tara

Head of Ravenclaw: Maranda Li

“Hello! I’m a second year bio/music double major (I play cello). I was Chair of the Yule Ball Planning Committee – my job was to make sure the Yule Ball was the best one yet. In my free time, I own a wand carving business: Praeclarus Wands” – Maranda

Head of Slytherin: Heather Johnson

“Hello! I’m a Psychology and Social Behavior and Education double major. For DA, I constructed and ran our quarterly trivia competitions in addition to sending out weekly reminder owls via email and Facebook. In my free time, I like to go to Disneyland, go hiking, and read, with my favorite books being the Harry Potter series of course! If you have any questions regarding the club or just life in general, please feel free to ask me!” – Heather J

2013-2014

Head of Ravenclaw: Viral Shah

I solemnly swear I’m up to no good! There, now that you can read this; though Gryffindor at heart, I am the Head of Ravenclaw House. I graduated as a third year Computer Science major with a minor in Film and Media Studies. In my free time, I am a huge bookworm, and also enjoy writing and travelling. I have also interned for several of the VFX for the Harry Potter films as well as many other recent films. The highlights of which were flying out to several of the sets and enjoying a butterbeer with the cast and crew. By the time you read this I will have long been gone, but the DA is a wonderful and warm group of Potterheads who will truly make your life here at UCI a treat. Feel free to approach any of us the current officers and Alumni if needed be if you have any questions. Finally I leave you with a challenge: When I was still a student, I have left a horcrux of some sort right in Aldrich Park. (Don’t worry no one was harmed in doing this). Inside it you will find some authentic Harry Potter memorabilia, of which one is signed by the cast and some letters and other treats. Good Luck! Mischief Managed!

Head of Slytherin: Alejandro Komai

My name is Alejandro Toyofusa Komai, PhD, King of Kings. Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!