Undergraduate Student Services Team - USST

Photo of Undergraduate Student Services Team

Welcome to the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering Undergraduate Student Services Team!

The Allen School’s Undergraduate Student Services Team (USST) is a dynamic group of professional staff members working hard to provide timely information and resources to our Allen School undergraduate and prospective students, faculty and staff. Our mission is to provide accurate, compassionate, guidance to students so they can make the most informed decision about their academic path. Please read on to get to know our staff a little better!

First, we are organized into three groups: Undergraduate Advising Team, Diversity & Access Team and Administrative Support Team. You may contact any of us via our general advising email: usst (at) cs (dot) washington (dot) edu

Crystal Eney

Title: Director of Student Services
Email: ceney(at)cs.uw.edu
Name Pronunciation: Crystal Ee-nee
Pronouns: she/her
Fun Facts: At various times in my past I’ve studied Hawaiian dancing, Krav Maga, sailing, improvisational theater and was an avid Husky Marching Band member back in my ‘college days’ (Clarinets Rock!). These days family life is a bit more mellow and I’m loving hiking, camping, biking, friends and family.

Expanded Bio - Crystal

Thank you for taking some time to get to know the USST staff here in the Allen School. I love working with this amazing group of people. I started in the Allen School as an entry level adviser in 2000. It’s been a wild ride since then but I absolutely love the passion, enthusiasm, dedication and empathy this school stands for in their daily work. Our students, staff and faculty inspire me every day. Although I was born in Hawaii, I moved to Washington when I was quite young so I’m about as native Washingtonian as you can get without being born here. I wanted to be a Husky from the time I could talk. My father retired from a 20 year Navy career and then started UW as a freshman so my first memories of my Dad are him studying hard in our living room and playing with us on breaks. I loved my time here as a student at UW. I earned a history & psychology double degree with a minor in music (but really, a minor in Marching Band as I was in the Husky Band for the 5 years of my double degree). When I graduated I decided I’d had so much fun as a student that I wanted to stick around to help the next generation of Huskies find their passion. I’m excited about all the changes here in the Allen School and I'm thrilled to lead three vibrant teams all committed to their missions. I’m passionate about equity and access and look forward to helping our team guide students to find their passion in this world to make it a better place for all of us. I hope to get to know many of you as you journey through the University of Washington and beyond.

Undergraduate Advising Team:

The Allen School Advising team strives to provide relationship-focused advising and holistic support to solve problems, navigate barriers, & empower Allen School students in their journey through higher education.

We do this by:

Providing helpful information and guidance to prospective and current CSE students.
Fostering a school atmosphere where all students feel welcomed and included.
Reviewing and updating Allen School services and policies to ensure CSE students receive an excellent educational experience.

Contact: ugrad-adviser (at) cs.washington.edu

Aubrey Weaver

Title: Assistant Director of Undergraduate Advising
Email: weavera(at)cs.uw.edu
Name Pronunciation: Aw-bree Weaver
Pronouns: she/her
Fun Facts: I grew up in a small farming town in Oklahoma, and my high school graduating class only had 22 students. I have a golden retriever named Murphy who I am likely to bring up in most conversations because he's the best boy!
Expanded Bio - Aubrey

Thank you for taking time to learn more about the Allen School Undergraduate Student Services Team and our academic advising staff. Our team has an incredible passion for working with students to help them achieve their educational goals and aspirations. We strive to provide robust support to our students and work alongside them as they navigate their college journey. As a first generation college student from rural Oklahoma, I know firsthand the impact that a college education can make on the trajectory of a student's life. I earned my Bachelor's of Arts in Journalism and Broadcasting in my home state and recently earned my Master's of Arts in Organizational Leadership. I started my career in education working in undergraduate admissions, and I'm excited to use my knowledge of recruiting and serving prospective students to support current UW students throughout their academic journey. Although I did not attend the UW, I consider myself a Husky at heart after working at the university, and I look forward to meeting you during your time at the UW and in the Allen School. In my freetime, I enjoy spending time outdoors hiking, camping, skiing, snowshoeing, and running. I also enjoy a good book or TV series, and I've been known to watch the same TV series multiple times, even though I already know the ending.

Austin Browning

Title: Lead Academic Adviser
Name Pronunciation: Aw-S-tin Br-OW-ng
Pronouns: he/him
Fun Facts: I love traveling and have been to 10 countries across Asia, Europe, South America, and North America. I have a personal goal to visit all continents by age 40. I also love cooking and baking and am always excited to get new recipe recommendations!
Expanded Bio - Austin

I am originally from rural small town Idaho, but have learned that I am a city dweller at heart. After high school, I moved to Oregon where I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Linfield University. While I enjoyed the STEM classes and research I was involved with, the most impactful experiences I had were outside of my coursework. Studying abroad in Hong Kong, competing with the Speech & Debate team, and my student-employee jobs as a TA, Peer Adviser, and Admission Ambassador were all experiences that helped me discover my love for teaching and empowering students, and that drastically changed my interests and career path. After college, I spent time teaching English abroad, worked as an AmeriCorps member, and as a Professional Recruiter, and eventually realized I loved my college experience so much that I never wanted to leave! What drives me is working with students to help them articulate future interests and goals, and connect that to a plan to help get you there! I am a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, and know first-hand how important it is to provide safe and accessible spaces for all students to learn and grow. I am currently working towards my Master’s of Education in Adult & Higher Ed, and in my free time I love exploring the beautiful PNW, camping, playing board games, and binging shows on Netflix.

Rakeb Million

Title: Lead Academic Adviser
Name Pronunciation: Ruh-keeb Mil-ee-uhn
Pronouns: she/her
Fun Facts: I usually get questions about my last name. It is actually my father's first name. My family is from Ethiopia and naming conventions don't typically include family names, instead you are given your father's first name so the only other person in my family with the same last name as me is my sister!

Expanded Bio - Rakeb

I am a proud first-generation college student and graduate of the University of Washington where I received my bachelor’s degree in Biology. I’ve loved being part of the UW community for over a decade as a student and staff member in various roles from working as a research assistant to advising graduate students and now undergraduate students! My passion is supporting students as they navigate their educational goals through a holistic advising lens. I immigrated from Ethiopia with my family over 20 years ago and have called Washington home ever since. Community is very important to me and I spend my free time with family and friends, playing and eating delicious food.

Charlotte Emigh

Title: Senior Academic Adviser
Name Pronunciation:Ch-AR-li-T Ayy-me
Pronouns: she/her
Fun Facts: I love to be creative! During undergrad, I made jewelry out of broken china and sold it at local farmers markets to help pay for tuition. I also love to sing. I joined my first choir at the age of 8 and I've been a member of Seattle Ladies Choir since 2015. So far, I am the only member to have been in every section (Soprano 1 through Alto 2)
Expanded Bio - Charlotte

I love living in Washington, and think that my hometown, Walla Walla (the town so nice they named it twice) is one of the cutest gems in the state. I have a Masters of Education in College Student Services Administration from Oregon State University and a passion for supporting first generation college students. I've worked at UW for almost a decade and love working with Engineering students.

Hector Rodriguez

Title: Academic Adviser
Name Pronunciation: Hek-tr Raw-dree-gez_{[American-English]}, Eh k t oh r R oh d r EE - g eh s_[Spanish]
Pronouns: he/him
Fun Facts: - I love playing guitar and other instruments and attending local shows and concerts!
I love to run and hike and am currently training to do a half marathon!

Expanded Bio - Hector

I was born in Texas and throughout my life have moved frequently and have lived in California and Oregon. I eventually settled back to Austin, where I began studying political science and eventually changed majors to Business at Seattle University, where I graduated with a Bachelors in Arts. I began working at Seattle Central College after graduating and eventually made the move to University of Washington, moving into an Academic Adviser role. In my free time, I enjoy playing guitar, listening to music, running and traveling.

Jill Louthian

Title: Academic Adviser
Name Pronunciation: J-ih-l Loh-the-in
Pronouns: she/her
Fun Facts: I am a Seattle sports fan, a bagel and ice cream enthusiast, a skier, and a forever Husky!

Expanded Bio - Jill

I was born and raised in Spokane, Washington and moved to Seattle in 2014 to pursue my undergraduate degree at the UW and have been here ever since. A true Washingtonian! I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Biology and more recently with my master’s degree in Leadership in Higher Education also from the UW (go dawgs!). Through various volunteer experiences including with the Pipeline Project at UW, and at the Neighborhood House, I realized my passion for working in education and directly with students. This led to a career change and pursuit of a master’s degree which has now brought me to the Allen School as an Academic Adviser! I strive to create inclusive, engaging, and meaningful learning environments where students from all backgrounds and walks of life feel supported and comfortable to be their true authentic selves. In my free time, I love exploring all of the amazing outdoor spaces Washington and the PNW have to offer. I enjoy hiking and being on the water in the summer, and skiing in the winter! I also always love a movie night with my favorite ice cream, moose tracks.

Cassie Tyrrell-Davis

Title: Academic Adviser
Name Pronunciation: KA-see T-AIR-uhl DAY-vis
Pronouns: she/her
Fun Facts: I love to run, go camping, and be active outdoors! After moving to Seattle, I began mountaineering, and my favorite trip to date has been summiting Longs Peak in Estes Park, CO with my husband. It was our first 14er (i.e., mountain that is at 14,000 feet or higher)! Our next goal is to summit Mount Rainier.

Expanded Bio - Cassie

A Midwesterner at heart, I grew up in a suburb of Kansas City, Kansas with my family. After high school, I moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota where I completed my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of Minnesota. As an undergraduate, I did research on the public harassment of runners, was an officer of the Minnesota Running Club, and worked in several student services roles on campus. Once I graduated, I moved to Seattle with my husband and started in an administrative role at UW before joining the Allen School as an Academic Adviser. I'm very passionate about my hobbies and love to stay busy when I'm not supporting students! Right now, I'm spending my free time running with Club Northwest, mountaineering, learning CrossFit, traveling and camping on the weekends, trying new vegan recipes, and volunteering with the National Intercollegiate Running Club Association. In addition to my hobbies, my family and friends are very important to me, and I make it a priority to visit and spend time with them as much as possible!

Alan Ramirez

Title: Academic Adviser
Name Pronunciation: Al-Uhn Rrah-mee-rehs_{[American-English]}, AA-l-aa-n Ra-mi-rez_[Spanish]
Pronouns: he/him/el
Fun Facts: Back in Texas, I was a freelance journalist who covered local historical and community events. During my formal years, I was passionate in culinary arts and competed in various cooking and baking competitions.
Expanded Bio - Alan

Howdy y’all! I am new to the PNW and originally from South Texas (Rio Grande Valley) . My partner and I moved to Washington during the summer of ‘23. I obtained my bachelor’s in Social Work along with a minor in English from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley where I later became a Computer Science, Cybersecurity, and Engineering Advisor. Through my past professional and personal experiences, I have found my passion in higher education and more specifically, in guiding students through the intricacies of their educational journeys. As a first-generation Chicano Mexican American graduate, I aspire to create a safe space where students from varying paths can pursue their goals and feel supported in their choices. During my free time, I enjoy traveling, cooking, watching documentaries/horror movies, and learning new things every day.

Arielle Perreault

Title: Front Desk Coordinator & Advising Assistant
Name Pronunciation: AIR-ee-uhl Per-roh
Pronouns: she/her
Fun Facts: I’m a huge foodie - I’ve been to over 200 restaurants/cafes/dessert shops in Seattle, with about 80 of those restaurants being in the U-district. Some of my favorites in Seattle include Kin Len Thai, A+ Hong Kong Restaurant, Nana’s Green Tea, Salt & Straw, and Snowy Village.
Expanded Bio - Arielle

I grew up in Everett, a suburb north of Seattle. I moved down to Seattle where I attended UW and received a B.S in Psychology and Statistics. While in university, I was a research assistant for a few different labs/studies and also a student employee for the Allen School. After graduation, I started working full time at the Allen School. In my free time, some of the things I enjoy doing are baking, reading, watching Great British Bake Off and sitcoms, exploring new places, trying new cafes and restaurants, and spending time with my friends.

Undergraduate Diversity & Access Team:

The mission of the Diversity & Access team is to attract and educate the next generation of outstanding computer scientists and computer engineers who reflect the many dimensions of diversity in Washington State and the diverse needs, backgrounds, and experiences of technology users around the world. We do this by broadening participation in computing at the K-12 level, focusing our outreach and recruitment efforts on students who are underrepresented in the computing field, and ensuring that students of all backgrounds feel that they belong and can thrive in the Allen School. We build on the National Science Foundation definition of underrepresented in the computing field, which includes students who are women, African American, Hispanic, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, Native Pacific Islander, and students with different disabilities. Our definition is more expansive, however, and includes but is not limited to students who have different gender identities, who identify as LGBTQ+, who are Black and Latinx, who are from different economic backgrounds, and who are first-generation college students. We also consider the intersectionality of different identity dimensions.

Contact:ugrad-diversity (at) cs.washington.edu.

Chloe Dolese Mandeville

Title: Assistant Director for Diversity & Access
Email: cdolese(at)cs.uw.edu
Name Pronunciation: Clo-E Doe-lee-see Man-de-ville
Pronouns: she/her
Fun Facts: I was on Team USA for jump rope in 2010. Additionally, I love to read! You can always find an education-related book and a fiction book in my bag!

Expanded Bio - Chloe

I was born and raised on Bainbridge Island, WA and am a proud “double dawg” receiving both my bachelor’s degree in Psychology and my master’s degree in Leadership in Higher Education from the UW. My academic experiences have led me to take a community-based approach to the work that I do. During my freshman year of college at the University of Michigan, I did not find a community on campus and ultimately transferred to UW. Intent on finding a community, I joined the UW Dream Project which supports high school students with college and postsecondary planning. My experience in Dream Project provided a welcoming space on campus and also sparked a passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion work. When I graduated from UW, I worked in the Office of Admissions before joining the Allen School in 2016. More recently, I had the opportunity to attend graduate school in the UW College of Education. During that time, I relied heavily on my communities as I learned how to juggle being a full-time student while working full-time, started exploring my identity as a biracial Indonesian-White American, and began to develop my scholarly identity by studying how to improve access to computing in higher education. These experiences and my communities have helped shape my professional practice and are applied to how I approach my work with students and my team. I firmly believe that forming a community is an essential foundation for the work we do together! In my free time, you will find me rock climbing or hiking with my husband, spending time with my family, and spending time with my black lab named Harlow!

Leslie Ikeda

Title: Senior Allen Scholars Program Manager
Name Pronunciation: l EH s - l ee EE kee dah
Pronouns: she/her
Fun Facts: I was on the Bravo TV show, Top Chef Seattle Restaurant Wars episode and I met my lifelong partner (who also happens to be an Allen School alum) during our first week of college at UW.
Expanded Bio - Leslie

I am a proud 206-Seattle local where the mountains, evergreen trees and rainy seasons have always been my home. I received my bachelor's degree from the University of Washington in American Ethnic Studies and my master's Degree in education at Seattle University. As a yonsei fourth generation Japanese American woman, granddaughter of Executive Order 9066 internees, first-generation college student, and women's youth basketball coach, I draw upon my personal and professional experiences in working with students. I joined the Allen School in October 2018 and have loved supporting students in pursuing their CS endeavors. I enjoy playing, watching and coaching basketball (BRING BACK THE SONICS), snuggling with my two cats (Kaelo and Miyu), and experiencing all of life's adventures with my partner, Garrett.

Christina Huynh

Title: Allen Scholars Academic Adviser
Name Pronunciation: k r iss - t EE - n uh h w ih n
Pronouns: she/her
Fun Facts: I am semi-ambidextrous. I write with my right but I do most other things with my left (basketball, volleyball, opening jars).

Expanded Bio - Christina

I was born and raised in Los Angeles County and moved to Bremerton, WA from San Diego in March 2022. I received my bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics with a minor in Education Studies of University of California, San Diego. I also completed my master’s degree in Education Psychology - Learning Analytics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. I started my work in higher education as a student ranging from being a math tutor, workshop facilitator, and mentor, and after graduating, I started my professional role as a Supplemental Instruction Coordinator where I grew my passion for higher education and supporting students throughout the academic journey. In my free time, I do a lot of different crafts, for example, LEGOs, crocheting, knitting, painting or watercoloring. If I am not crafting, I'm spending my time cuddling with my two cats Mango and Mimo.

EJ Pinera

Title: Student Leadership Development Coordinator
Name Pronunciation: Ee Jay Pin-YE-ruh
Pronouns: he/him
Fun Facts: I can be found on most music platforms (including Spotify) under the artist name Elijah James, which is what 'EJ' stands for. My goal is to become a more developed recording artist, so hopefully by the time you read this I've uploaded more songs online!
Expanded Bio - EJ

I am a first-generation graduate from Seattle University, where I majored in Psychology. While in college, I wanted to explore opportunities to help me engage with my identity as a low-income, bi-racial man of color, which led me to serve in a first grade Extended Learning Program at Bailey Gatzert Elementary for 2.5 years. I fell in love with working in extracurricular academic work, and after completing my degree worked at Rainier Scholars as an Academic Counselor. I am very passionate about working to empower and advocate for underrepresented young folks, which led me to this amazing opportunity to work with the Diversity & Access Team! Outside of work, I typically enjoy attempting recipes from cooking tutorials on YouTube, writing music, going for walks/jogs, binging shows with my partner, and spending time with family & friends.

Fernanda Jardim

Title: Senior K-12 Outreach Specialist
Name Pronunciation: Fer-nahn-dah J are- jeen
Pronouns: she/her
Fun Facts: I’m a dog mom to Ivy (as in Poison Ivy from the DC comics), I have taught her multiple tricks, including giving me hugs (she probably regrets learning it). I enjoy spending time in nature and I’m a certified Wilderness First Responder. I have the goal of climbing all 5 Washington volcanoes (I have climbed 3 of them). I enjoy using parenthesis (a lot!).
Expanded Bio - Fernanda

I’m a first-generation college student and graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism from a university in Brazil and an associate’s in Business from North Seattle College. I’m also the first person in my family to visit and immigrate to a different country. I have a diverse professional background - ranging from program management around EDI, STEM, event planning to the travel industry - A constant in my life has been my passion for working and connecting with people.
In my free time, I enjoy being outdoors, volunteering, reading books, finding yummy food around Seattle and scrolling through social media. I’m beyond excited to be a part of the Diversity & Access team and work together to continue to further its mission!

Kayla Shuster Sasaki

Title: Senior Program Manager for Recruitment & Admissions
Name Pronunciation: KAY-luh SHOOS-ter Suh-SAH-Kee
Pronouns: they/she
Fun Facts: I have a service dog named Sailor and we frequently go dinghy sailing with my partner, Clayton, who is a Ph.D. candidate at UW.

Expanded Bio - Kayla

I was an East Coaster for 22 years before I flew to Seattle in Spring 2020. I had just graduated from Ithaca College with a double major in Music Theory and Social Psychology and minors in Education and Gender Studies. In college, I discovered my passion for college access work which inspired me to start an M.A. in Higher and Postsecondary Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Shortly after arriving in Washington, my graduate program announced that the next academic year would be online, so naturally, I never booked a return flight and proceeded to live out of a suitcase for the year. Through what felt like a million zoom meetings, I got to dive deep into the issues and barriers surrounding college access for underrepresented student populations. After 18 months, I decided to move the rest of my belongings to Seattle and put down some roots here. I am thrilled to be on the Allen School’s Diversity & Access team as a Recruiter where I can apply my graduate research and continue to work toward building pathways to college in a city I have come to adore. Outside of work, I enjoy dog training, using TikTok for disability advocacy and raising awareness about service dogs, cooking, and learning guitar.

Agaziyan Mengesha

Title: Recruiter for Diversity & Access
Name Pronunciation: A-ga-zee-yahn Men-geh-sha
Pronouns: he/him
Fun Facts: My name means "liberate" or "free" in the Amharic language, and I’m ambidextrous! Outside of my work at UW, you can usually find me playing sports, exploring new interests, or on the hunt for the One Piece!

Expanded Bio - Agaziyan

I was born and raised in South Seattle to Ethiopian and Bosnian immigrants, and I’m proud to be a first-generation college graduate. I earned my undergraduate degree from the University of Washington, having previously attended Cleveland High School and Asa Mercer Middle School. Before returning to UW, I worked as a Program Manager at Amazon, where I developed my passion for supporting diverse teams and initiatives. My academic journey has taken me through various fields, including communications, business, software, psychology, history, and music. I truly believe that while school may end, learning never does, and I’m excited to continue growing alongside the students I support.

Sailor Shuster Sasaki

Title: Service Dog
Pronouns: he/him
Fun Facts: I post service dog advocacy content on both Instagram and TikTok

Expanded Bio - Sailor

Hi! I’m Sailor and I am a psychiatric service dog. Service dogs are task-trained to help one person with disabilities. They are different from Emotional Support Animals and Therapy dogs - Emotional Support Animals are often for one person who has a disability but do not have to be trained, and Therapy dogs are trained to help groups of people, often in hospital and school settings. Service dogs usually go through 1.5 - 2 years of training before they begin working with their handler full-time. The training includes two types of training: public access, which means being able to be focused and obedient in public places, and task training which is the unique training done to help them mitigate their handlers' disability. There is no official registration or certification process and sometimes people put service dog vests on untrained dogs to try and use our public access rights, which can be dangerous and distracting for us and scary for the untrained dog. I was born in Mexico where there are lots of stray dogs but I was lucky to be rescued and brought to the US where I was adopted. It is rare for a rescue dog to make it through service dog training but I did and now I come to the Allen School to help my mom stay safe every day!

Administrative Support Team:

Our Program Operations Specialist serves as the primary individual responsible for curriculum management and coordination of filling more than 300 teaching assistant (TA) positions per quarter. This position is also the point person for all new faculty hires to get them trained up on various tools and course teaching resources. Our Student Services Assistant/Gates Center Front Office Coordinator assists all members of the USST team with various administrative tasks and runs the front desk of Gates Hall when we are operating in person.

Contact: csetimes (at) cs.washington.edu

Pim Lustig

Title: Program Operations Specialist
Name Pronunciation: Pim (rhymes with Tim) Lus-tig
Pronouns: he/him
Fun Facts: Born the exact same day as the pro wrestling great The Undertaker (and often mistaken for him too). I am also Dual citizen with a Dutch passport!
Expanded Bio - Pim

I was born in New Jersey, grew up in the Philadelphia area, and have lived in Seattle since before the turn of the century. My degree as a film major was excellent preparation for the variety of service industry jobs I would soon have (on multiple continents!) but also got me working in production and news programming at a community radio station in St. Louis for several years. Working with computer audio and video production led to a greater interest in programming and web development and eventually (after a few years as a stay-at-home dad) landed me here at the Allen School where I have been ever since. I love working with our students and I am continually impressed and inspired by their talents and accomplishments. Outside of work, I enjoy following Dutch soccer, petting my cats, and sitting on the couch with my family.

Maude Lustig

Title: USST Operations Assistant
Name Pronunciation: MAWD LUS-tig
Pronouns: she/her
Fun Facts: In college I had a summer internship at a theater where I wrote, directed, and performed an original one-woman show. I was also the editor of my school newspaper's Humor section!
Expanded Bio - Maude

I grew up in Seattle, and graduated from Whitman College with a degree in Film & Media Studies. I studied computer science throughout college and high school--I even worked as a counselor for UW's DawgBytes computer science camp! I am very excited to be back working at the UW, welcoming students to the Gates Center and assisting the advising team. Outside of work, I like to write, visit museums, and watch Love Island.