7601 Irvine Blvd.
Irvine, CA 92618
(424) 366-0897
ssope@ucanr.edu
Biography
Saoimanu (Saoi) Sope joined University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) as a communications specialist in early June 2022.
Prior to her arrival, Sope worked in tobacco control policy for the state of California and focused on how to generate effective messaging when targeting elected officials and priority populations. In her role as a project coordinator, Sope successfully launched a policy-based podcast as a new communication platform. She produced episodes featuring representatives from cities that successfully phased out the sale of commercial tobacco products such as John Mirisch, former Mayor of Beverly Hills.
When she first joined the workforce, Sope worked as a communications specialist for Driscoll’s in Watsonville, CA. It was the time she spent with the plant scientists and researchers that Sope developed a passion for environmental health and fascination with food production.
Sope earned a BA in film and digital media as well as community studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a MPH in environmental health science and certificate in toxicology from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
Given her background in film and public health, Sope is eager to take UC ANR’s storytelling to the next level. Her goal as a member of the Strategic Communications team is to not only make UC ANR a household name, but to employ innovative communication mediums that can engage communities severely affected by environmental threats to take action.
Based at the UC ANR offices in Irvine, she can be reached at ssope@ucanr.edu. Her Twitter handle is @saoimanu.