Desi Owens, MS, MSW, LCSW, a graduate of UC Berkeley's Master's program in Social Welfare, accepted the Academic Coordinator and Campus Planner position with the UC Berkeley Academic Geriatric Resource Center in August 2005. Desi has worked in the field of aging for about 17 years in various capacities including direct clinical work, program development and management, applied research, education, and administration. In addition, she was the Project Director for 5 years at the UC San Francisco Institute for Health and Aging on a DHS-funded Breast Cancer Rescreening Evaluation Study, a Project that sought to improve access to breast and cervical cancer screening among underserved women in California.

Desi has worked in a variety of settings including community mental health centers, a range of long-term care settings, adult day health care programs, community health clinics, and academic settings. Her select areas of interest include: aging and the arts, Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, caregiving, death and dying, healthcare among underserved communities, long-term care, and mental health issues.