SUBJECT:

Raza Resource Centro Director Hired

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Gerardo Arellano as the inaugural director for the Raza Resource Centro (RRC). Gerardo has extensive experience in student affairs and in campus diversity activities. Gerardo is an alumnus of UC San Diego. He received his Master's and Ph.D. degrees from UC Berkeley in Comparative Ethnic Studies and his Bachelor's degree in Ethnic Studies from UC San Diego. His research interests include post-secondary educational achievement and the development of institutional capacities, at the undergraduate and graduate level, to ensure Chicano academic and leadership success. He has over 15 years of experience providing academic advising, counseling, and support services to underserved students of color at the community, high-school, and university levels.

In addition to faculty responsibilities in the departments of American and Chicano studies at California State University, Fullerton, he served as the Coordinator for Program Research and Monitoring for the Enhancing Post baccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Students (EPOCHS) grant (a $2.8 million dollar federal grant designed to increase the academic success, enrollment and retention rate of Latinos in graduate school). In his role as coordinator, he helped create and successfully institutionalize the academic component of the EPOCHS grant. Gerardo has extensive experience advising and collaborating with graduate and undergraduate student organizations, as well as 12 years of experience teaching and assessing university student learning outcomes, and 9 years of experience recruiting and retaining Latino undergraduate and graduate students. He is well versed in areas of research methodology and statistics, and in developing quantitative methods to measure outcomes and determine the effectiveness of educational programs.

The Raza Resource Centro is the newest addition to UC San Diego's vibrant collection of Campus Community Centers. The RRC is open to everyone and exists to strengthen our sense of community, support academic success and retention, and promote student leadership development of UC San Diego Chicano/Latino students.

Carol Padden Interim Vice Chancellor - Equity, Diversity and Inclusion