The Miller Scholars Program is composed of three staff members, responsible for facilitaitng the program and ensuring student success on a holisitic level.
Peter Lê, Ed.D.
Director
Peter (he/him) is a proud East Oakland native and product of Vietnamese refugees. As a UC Berkeley first-generation college graduate, Peter has dedicated his career thus far to serving first-generation students at the K-12, community college, and university levels. Prior to joining the Miller Scholars Program, he worked for the Pre-College TRIO Programs with the Center for Educational Partnerships. Peter obtained his EdD in Educational Leadership from UC Davis, MS in Biology (Physiology and Behavioral Biology) from San Francisco State University, MPH in Community Health Education from San José State University, and BA in Integrative Biology from UC Berkeley. In addition to the Miller Scholars Program, he also serves as the Director for TRIO Student Support Services at UC Berkeley.
Pilar Jefferson, M.A.
Graduate Student Instructor
Pilar Jefferson is a PhD student in the department of Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Pilar graduated from Vassar College in 2015 with a BA in Art History and Native American Studies focused on 20th century Native American art and cultural resilience. She is an experienced museum educator and has worked as a program coordinator and teaching artist at institutions including the Museum of the City of New York and the Studio Museum in Harlem. Pilar’s pursuit of a PhD comes out of a desire to understand and support better representation of Indigenous people in museums. Her research interests include contemporary Indigenous art, representations of race in institutional spaces, theorizing museum education as a tool for decolonization, and histories of Black and Indigenous cultural resistance and resilience in the Northeastern US. She recently joined the Miller Scholars Program as a Graduate Student Instructor back in the summer of 2025.
Julio Adrián Cedillo
Peer Advocate Lead
Julio Cedillo is a BA candidate in Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. As a Miller Scholar alumni, Julio serves as a peer advisor for Miller Scholars in research methodology, project design, and academic mentorship. As a current Haas Scholar, Julio's research investigates how political identity is shaped through military service among Latinos, exploring how martial citizenship leads to belonging in the United States among minorities. Before beginning his BA, Julio earned an AA-T in Sociology and an AA in Chicana/o Studies from San Diego City College. Beyond his academic pursuits, Julio is an active participant in facilitating academic transitions among California community college students at the UC Berkeley Transfer Student Center.