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Your Student Affairs Team

Student Affairs comprises the staff from the Dean of Student Affairs Office, Residential Life, Counseling and Psychological Services. The Student Affairs staff provides opportunities for students to develop leadership skills and apply knowledge outside of the classroom and serve as a community resource for all students. We provide activities and services that enhance your student experience and exemplify our motto: Toward a Life in Balance. 

The Warren College Student Affairs staff are available 8AM-12PM and 1PM-4:30 PM Monday through Friday (with the exception of  university holidays).  Due to hybrid schedules, staff may be available in-person or remotely to assist you.  You may contact the person you wish to connect with via their email or contact warrendean@ucsd.edu and someone will reach out to you.   

Dean of Student Affairs Office

  • Dean of Student Affairs

    Dean of Student Affairs

    James C. Smith, Ed.D. (he/him)

    Dr. Smith is the Dean of Student Affairs here at Warren College. In this role, he works with the staff to ensure that students are connected to the proper resources and understands their role in working toward a life in balance.  James appreciated his own higher education journey as a first-generation college student and enjoys getting to know the students he works with. Prior to coming to UC San Diego, Dr. Smith worked at UC Riverside for a number of years in Housing and Residential Life. He has also held positions at UC Santa Cruz and University of the Pacific. His doctorate degree is in education from UCLA and he holds a M.A in Student Affairs Administration and a B.S in Telecommunications & Film.   James enjoys movies, concerts and travel and has appreciated learning and growing from his experiences visiting different parts of the world including Mexico, the UK, Antigua and Indonesia.  

     

  • Executive Assistant to the Dean of Student Affairs

    Executive Assistant to the Dean of Student Affairs

    Michelle Mkhlian, B.A. (she/her)

    Michelle is a 2020 Alumna of UC San Diego where she received her B.A. in Communication. As a student, she served as a Resident Assistant, TCLI Mentor Coordinator, and a member of her College council as well as UCSD Acamazing. She has worked at Warren since 2021 where she began as Program Assistant, and currently serves as the Executive Assistant to our Dean of Student Affairs. In this capacity, she supports students with Judicial Affairs requests, manages the Coffee & Dine with a Prof. Program, and processes Student Conduct and Academic Integrity cases. Michelle is a Los Angeles native who is passionate about her Armenian-American identity and enjoys art, music, cooking & baking, and being a cat lady. 

  • Assistant Dean of Student Affairs

    Assistant Dean of Student Affairs

    Katy Brecht, M.Ed (she/her)

    Katy is a graduate of UC San Diego and the University of Southern California. She has previously worked as a College Outreach Coordinator for Non-Resident Students, Coordinator for Student Activities as well as a Program Coordinator for Communication and Leadership at the Center for Student Involvement.

  • Senior New Student Programs Specialist

    Senior New Student Programs Specialist

    Alona Jackson, M.Ed (she/her)

    Alona Jackson is the Senior New Student Programs Specialist at Warren College. From her highly involved student life as a resident advisor and multi club chair, Alona truly loves being connected to student activities. After graduating from UC San Diego with a B.A. in Ethnic Studies, she carried on her passion for student affairs by obtaining her M.Ed. in Post-Secondary Administration and Student Affairs from USC. As the Senior New Student Programs Specialist, she hopes to assist new students with having a smooth, engaging, and informative transition to Warren College. Mixing in a little fun and joy along the way. From the Bay Area, Alona is a proud first-generation college student who enjoys bad movies, crime podcasts, and spending time with friends and family.

  • Student Care and Accountability Specialist

    Student Care and Accountability Specialist

    Saniesa Thomas, M.Ed (she/her)

    Saniesa is a 2017 Alumna of UC Santa Cruz (Go Slugs!) where she received her B.S. In Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Afterwards she obtained her M.ED in Higher Education from National University. She has worked at Warren since 2017 as program assistant, Coordinator of Student Activities and is now the Student Care & Accountability Specialist. Saniesa was born and raised in San Diego and is always happy to give a restaurant recommendation. In her free time Saniesa is an avid K-pop stan (NCT, EXO, New Jeans, Twice, Ateez and The Boyz) and she enjoys binge-watching random netflix recommendations, being a new puppy mom and collecting Smiski's.

  • Coordinator of Student Activities

    Coordinator of Student Activities

    Emma Charles, M.Ed (she/her)

    Emma Charles is the Coordinator of Student Activities for Warren College. She is responsible for planning co-curricular activities and serves as an advisor for many of the student organizations. Through these events and activities, she hopes to facilitate positive relationship building and community. She recently graduated with a Master’s in Postsecondary Education with an emphasis in Student Affairs. Emma supported SDSU in various areas such as Career Services, Faculty Advancement & Student Success, and Fraternity & Sorority Life. She is a proud first-generation college student and previous student ambassador. Emma loves reading, running, and spending time at the beach!

  • Program Assistant

    Program Assistant

    David Nuñez, B.S. (he/him)

    David Nunez is the current Program Assistant for Warren College. They assist with the planning and implementation of new and ongoing student programs at Warren College that aim to improve the student expereince at Warren College. They are a first-generation graduate from UC San Diego. During their undergraduate studies at UC San Diego, they worked for the Raza Resource Centro, Student Success Programs, and John Muir College's Residential Life respectively. David enjoys spending time outdoors in nature, traveling, going to concerts, staying active, and focusing on holistic wellness

  • Student Affairs Case Manager (Warren & Muir)

    Student Affairs Case Manager (Warren & Muir)

    Martina Galvan

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Residential Life Office