Susan Allen Ortega
Assistant Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs and Dean of Students

Susan came to UC Riverside in 2000 and is in her sixth year as a Highlander . She serves as a member of the senior management team for the Division of Student Affairs and provides direction and support to a family of departments and resource centers which share the goal of facilitating and enhancing the intellectual, personal, social and ethical success and development of students and enhancing campus life.

Susan brings over twenty years of experience as a student affairs professional. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Hartford, her master’s degree in counseling from Southern Connecticut State University, and her doctorate in higher/post secondary education administration from Syracuse University.

 
Alfredo Figueroa
Assistant Dean of Students

Oronne Wami
Peer Education/Community Service Assistant

Oronne, who was born and raised in Los Angeles; accepted the position as REACH (Reaching for Empowerment, Affirmation, Community and Harmony) and Community Service Assistant in March 2009 with the Office of the Assistant Vice Chancellor/ Dean of Students. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Criminology from Cal Poly Pomona in June 2008. Fall Quarter 2008 and served as a Student Conduct Coordinator in the Student Conduct and Academic Integrity Programs. She has extensive programming experience in the areas of social justice and campus activities as a student and is very excited to continue doing so on a professional level.

 
Jen Miller
Student Development Educator/Coordinator for Peer Programs

Jen joined the Dean of Students/Student Life staff in July of 2005 as the Student Development Educator. Previously, she worked for two years as a Resident Director at UC, Riverside. Jen grew up in Buffalo, New York. She attended Oberlin College, OH, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Biology. It was her undergraduate experiences of being a Resident Advisor, working as an Athletic Trainer, and being involved in various student organizations that sparked her interest in working in Student Affairs. Sher went on to earn a Master's of Arts in Higher Education Administration from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. While at the University of Michigan, Jen worked as a Resident Director and a Research Assistant for the Women in Science and Engineering program (WISE).

Jen currently is responsible for providing programming and training resources to new peer education programs that are developing in the division of Student Affairs related to building a healthy campus climate. She also oversees the R.E.A.C.H. (Reaching for Education, Affirmation, Community and Harmony) program, the UCR Hate Bias Response Team, UCR Student Community Service Initiatives, UCR's participation with the NASPA N.U.F.P. program,and UCR's collaboration with the UC system- wide sexual assault grant. Additionally, Jen is a member of the "Common Ground Collective" of team membe  that plan programs out of the Gender and Ethnic Programming Offices.

Carmen Rivera
Management Services Officer

Sarah Pemberton
Student Affairs Case Manager

Sarah Pemberton, MSW began working at UCR in Fall 2008. After spending 6 years as a therapist in outpatient mental health clinics in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. The Student Affairs Social Worker is a new position at UCR designed to assist students struggling to successfully meet their medical, psychological, psychiatric, social financial and academic needs. This position works closely with the Counseling Center, Health Center, Student Conduct and Academic Integrity, and the AVC Dean of Students office.

Doug joined the AVC/DOS Office in January of 2008. He arrived at UCR in 1998 as a health Educator in the Campus Health Center, charged wtih develping a health education outreach program, including a successful peer education component, primarily focused on substance abuse and sexual responsibility topics. Through this effort, the Golden ARCHES Peer Health Education Program was bornand for the last ten years, the program has earned campus, regional and national acclaim, through the efforts of active student leaders and innovative programming. In January 2008, the entire Health Education and Golden ARCHES program found a new home in the AVC/DOS  unit as part of the Student Mental Health/Healthier Campus Climate initiative. 

Doug earned his B.S. in Engineering at the University of Redlands in 1989, but pursued a career in student affairs instead. He started at his alma mater as a Resident Director, after serving as Resident Assistant and Student Head Resident for the three years prior to graduating. After dabbling in Career Services to start with, he found his passion in Substance Abuse Prevention/Education and completed his M.A. in Education (Counseling) in 1992, also at the University of Redlands. While building a nationally acclaimed peer education model to address substance abuse and related health issues as his primary focus, he also took on leadership roles in intramurals/recreational sports, orientation, student activities/organizations, was Greek advisor for fraternities, and was Director of Housing before coming to UCR in 1998.