Ms. Mani A. Jad's role in the International Institute began in 2002 when she started working with Professor Spiegel as a conference coordinator in the Burkle Center for International Relations. In 2005, Professor Spiegel and Ms. Jad created the UCLA Center for Middle East Development. Over the years, Mani’s role in the center evolved from conference coordinator to chief administrative and financial officer of the center. 

Her responsibilities include: overseeing the different aspects of CMED's conferences, maintaining the center’s budget, acting as the point of contact for donors and sponsors, liaising with the UCLA community, and stepping in for the director when he is not available. Mani graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a degree in Psychology. She speaks fluent Arabic.  When she's not saving the Middle East, you can find Mani loving on her nephews, listening to murder mysteries, cooking molokhia, and blogging about the beauty industry.