Larissa Harrison has over seven years of experience securing philanthropic funding from private foundations for research, direct services, and new initiatives at UCLA. As associate director of Corporate and Foundation Relations for the UCLA College of Letters and Science, she has helped secure over $8M in grant funding and developed expertise in every step of the grantseeking process, from prospect research to relationship building to stewardship of funds. She particularly enjoys identifying new sources of funding and then moving the relationship with the foundation from initial inquiry to meaningful support.

Larissa’s international background spans the Middle East, Europe, Asia and across the United States and strongly influences her personal and professional interests. Prior to her career in fundraising, she managed UCLA’s joint research institute with Peking University, China, traveling to Beijing to facilitate research collaborations and exchanges in science and engineering – from air quality to neuroscience. During her career she has honed skills in raising philanthropic support for scholarly and programmatic priorities, managing international collaborations, building internal and external partnerships, project and program management, and leading teams. She received her MBA from UCLA Anderson in June, 2022.