The Joy of Fundraising
UCLA staff member Janice Shintaku on becoming a Bruin
Janice Shintaku
In addition to being a die-hard Dodgers fan, Janice Shintaku (second from left), is an aficionada of all things UCLA.
By Jacqueline Jacobo | August 14, 2024
In 2020, Pritzker Hall, formerly known as the Psychology Tower, received a $30 million gift to
undergo renovations. Since then, Bruins have been able to enjoy studying under warm lighting
on the first floor or participating in psychology studies inside state-of-the-art research suites.
Despite the building’s prominence on campus, many Bruins may not be familiar with some of the
UCLA community members who helped actualize this vision.
One of those is Janice Shintaku: die-hard Dodgers fan, shortbread enthusiast, gardener and
director of development for the UCLA Division of Life Sciences. Like her interests, Shintaku’s
career trajectory makes it impossible to put her in a box.
When she was younger, Shintaku believed she would work in retail and own a clothing store. In
fact, she holds a Ph.D. in clothing manufacturing, which allowed her to work for global retail
companies in both the U.K. and China. She then became a stay-at-home mom for 18 years, all
while simultaneously volunteering at her children’s schools in Los Angeles and running two
small businesses. Today, she is responsible for working with Bruin supporters and alumni who
are interested in giving back to UCLA’s departments of psychology; ecology and evolutionary
biology; and microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics with their time and treasure.
“You just never know when you’re going to want a change,” Shintaku says.
She hopes that anyone looking to make a career change faces it with an open mind, citing that
“it takes a certain amount of courage to pivot and try something new.” She believes that people
often get stuck believing that one’s career trajectory is linear, which winds up not being the case
for most professionals. She says that one never knows who or what could end up influencing
their life.
“I look back on my life and think, oh wow, I did that — I went there. I worked there,” Shintaku
says. “I think all of those experiences shaped me in terms of how I view a lot of things in life.”
But even though she’s no stranger to fundraising — as a teenager, she was actively involved in
raising money for her high school clubs and as a parent, she found herself managing volunteers
and fundraising for her children’s schools — Shintaku started at UCLA in an events
management role. Having this fuller perspective has really helped her approach her work with a
deeper understanding and enthusiasm, too.
Janice Shintaku
Janice Shintaku posing for a photo-op with her daughter during Bruin Family Weekend, celebrating their shared Bruin pride.
Part of this enthusiasm also stems from Shintaku’s love of the life sciences at UCLA, and she’s
not alone: The division houses 30% of undergraduates on campus, with psychology serving as
one of the most popular majors across the College. By working in a section of the College that
churns out a copious amount of research that she’s naturally curious about, Shintaku is happy to
be able to learn from her work every day.
“I just love working in the life sciences because I love science,” Shintaku says.
To her, working in development means that she can foster deep relationships between donors
and campus, all while working on a team that she calls her “extended family.” She recalls fond
memories of seeing major donors recognized with the UCLA medal, of dinners at the
Chancellor’s residence and of transforming Pauley Pavilion into an intimate venue to launch the
College’s Centennial campaign. In all her work at UCLA, she finds the best reward to be
knowing that she helped donors and other community members feel proud to be part of the
Bruin family in their support of UCLA’s mission of teaching, research and service.
“Everything we do is about putting our best foot forward and making UCLA shine as much as we
can,” Shintaku says.
Although Shintaku didn’t attend UCLA for academics, she has spent 12 years here — three
times the amount of time a typical undergraduate spends on campus. Throughout her time here,
she has formed the identity of a Bruin, letting school spirit seep into every corner of her work.
“Bruins are proud, and they have a reason to be,” Shintaku says. “I’m really proud of what we do
and what we represent.”
The fact that UCLA is a public institution really inspires Shintaku. Every morning, she says,
she’s motivated to get up and come to work as UCLA doesn’t just make a huge impact, but it
truly represents the city of Los Angeles.
“I love the people I work with and doing what I do,” Shintaku says. “It’s such a great place.”
