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Student Affairs Staff

 

Please note, the Student Affairs Office operates under a hybrid work model. We respond to inquiries via email at ercstudentlife@ucsd.edu. If you need to speak to someone, we are available Monday - Friday 8AM - 4:30PM. Please leave your name and contact information (phone/email), so we can respond to your request in a timely manner.

For all other departments, please use contact information below:

  • Mario Garibay - Dean of Student Affairs

    Mario Garibay - Dean of Student Affairs

    Mario serves as your Dean of Student Affairs for ERC. Born and raised in Los Angeles county, he obtained his BA (Sociology and Ethnic Studies) and a Masters in Leadership Studies at the University of San Diego before completing his EdD at UC San Diego. He had previous roles in Residential Life and Housing and the Office of Student Conduct at UC Irvine before becoming the Coordinator of Student Activities at Warren College and then the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at Muir College. Mario has a passion and commitment towards Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) work and Restorative Practices, including working with the FirstiGen and URM student populations. In his free time, Mario enjoys spending time with his family, reading Marvel comics, making frequent visits to Target and Disneyland, and takes full advantage of his AMC A-List movie pass.
  • Imani Harvin - Assistant Dean of Student Affairs

    Imani Harvin - Assistant Dean of Student Affairs

    Imani was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and earned her B.A in Liberal Studies from Temple University. She received her M.S.Ed. in Higher Education from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. Imani has extensive experience in student affairs including student group advising, programming, crisis management, and providing individualized student support. Additionally, Imani has large scale project management experience for events such as orientation and commencement. In her spare time, she likes traveling, anything art related, taking walks in nature, and is very much open to restaurant recommendations as a new San Diegan!
  • Cynthia Austin - Executive Assistant to the Dean of Student Affairs

    Cynthia Austin - Executive Assistant to the Dean of Student Affairs

    Cynthia is a native San Diegan and hails from San Diego State University where she studied Liberal Studies with an emphasis on Ethnicity Race and Gender.

    She has extensive experience in large campus support and project management.

    In her spare time, she likes to craft, read and enjoy the beautiful beaches of San Diego.
  • William Songer - Senior New Student Programs Specialist & Interim Assistant Dean of Student Affairs

    William Songer - Senior New Student Programs Specialist & Interim Assistant Dean of Student Affairs

    Will was born and raised in Riverside, California and attended UC San Diego where he studied Psychology and Educational Studies. Will’s passion for student services began during his undergraduate career where he served on multiple levels of the new student orientation team at Thurgood Marshall College. After graduation, Will worked for UC San Diego’s Center for Mindfulness before joining the ERC Student Affairs team in January of 2022. Will now serves as the Senior New Student Programs Specialist in ERC, supporting incoming students with their transition into UC San Diego and beyond. Will loves collecting sneakers, playing video games, and golfing!
  • Jenny Kressel - Student Care & Accountability Specialist

    Jenny Kressel - Student Care & Accountability Specialist

    Jenny (she/her/hers) was born and raised in Portland, Oregon and earned her BA in Sociology and Ethnic Studies from the University of Oregon. She received her MA in Higher Education Administration from San Diego State University. Jenny first began working at UC San Diego in 2005 at the Career Services Center, followed by 10 years in the Center for Student Involvement where she advised student organizations, supervised student leaders and managed campus-wide events. Jenny holds certifications from the National Conflict Resolution Center in mediation and conflict resolution. In 2021, Jenny completed a year-long certificate program through University of San Diego in Restorative Justice Leadership & Facilitation. In her spare time, you'll catch Jenny hanging out with her sons Ezra & Ezekiel, biking with her husband (a UCSD alum) and enjoying walk 'n talks with friends. 
  • Sonya Stepacheva - Coordinator of Student Activities

    Sonya Stepacheva - Coordinator of Student Activities

    Sonya was born and raised in San Diego, California. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from CSUSM with a BA in Literature and Writing Studies and a Minor in Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies. She then went on to get her MA in Postsecondary Educational Leadership specializing in Student Affairs at SDSU. Sonya has experience working with Orientation, New Student and Family Programs, Fraternity and Sorority Life, and cultural student organizations.

    Sonya centers her work around making the campus community an inclusive and holistic space and supporting student leaders to be active members within the community. In her spare time, Sonya loves to explore new food spots in San Diego, create artwork, and hang out with her 2 dogs, Chocolate and Rex.