Irvine Divison Welcomes Newest Staff Member

By Anna Lynn Spitzer

Andrea Bell-Wheelans
Andrea Bell-Wheelans

June 22, 2004 -- The Irvine division of Calit² has hired Andrea Bell-Wheelans as executive administrative analyst. Andrea will be working closely with UC Irvine division director Albert Yee, providing administrative support, managing his calendar and handling the many diverse requests for assistance and information.



"I am looking forward to meeting and working with a dynamic group of people," said Andrea. "I hope to learn who everyone is in a relatively short period of time and then working as a team to make a difference."



Andrea already brings several years of UCI experience to her new position. For the past two years, she provided administrative support to the associate dean in the College of Medicine and served as the academic coordinator for both paid and volunteer faculty within the College.



"I was interested in joining Calit² and being part of the cutting-edge technology research on campus," she said, adding "I am very excited about helping to establish a relatively new Institute that works with all sorts of disciplines, and faculty, staff and students from all over campus."



A native of southern California, Andrea spent 16 years on the other end of the globe earning both her bachelor's degree in psychology and a Masters of Education with Distinction from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.



Andrea Bell-Wheelans
Andrea Bell-Wheelans & Director Yee

Andrea Bell-Wheelans

Andrea and Director Yee
Review Papers for Signature


In addition to her schooling, Andrea also worked as a professional counselor in New Zealand. She and her husband moved their family back to California in 2002. When asked how she enjoys spending her free time, she smiles candidly and says, "Having three children gives me no time for any hobbies except an appreciation for good wine at the end of a hard day."


Her sense of humor and welcoming attitude is a positive addition to the Irvine office where there is always plenty of activity and work to be done.