Dr. Darren Lipomi (he/him/his)
Associate Dean for Students
dlipomi@ucsd.edu | 858-246-1227
Office hours: By appointment
Responsibilities: Darren Lipomi's responsibilities include management of student programs; curriculum organization and content; and management of the instructional infrastructure.
Gennie Miranda, M.A. (she/her/hers)
Director of Operations
gbmiranda@ucsd.edu | 858-822-2086
Office hours: By appointment
Responsibilities: Gennie has overall responsibility for coordinating, developing and promoting initiatives to advance the diversity, enrichment, inclusion and retention of all engineering students at the Jacobs School of Engineering. She guides staff members in the planning, coordination, staffing, budget, and resources management for all IDEA Engineering Student Center programs.
Alex Phan, Ph.D. (he/him/his)
Executive Director for Student Success
alexphan@ucsd.edu | 858-822-4636
Office hours: By appointment
Responsibilities: Dr. Alex Phan provides leadership and direction for student success-centered initiatives, programs, and curriculum refinement. He works closely with IDEA Center staff to optimize resources, create access points to programs within Jacobs School of Engineering and general campus, and develops strategies to foster students’ personal, academic, and professional excellence. As the EDSS, Alex strives to synergize the six departments within the Jacobs School of Engineering through programs, initiatives, and research focusing on areas vital to student success in engineering.
Gwen Maley (she/her/hers)
Operations and Events Coordinator
gmaley@ucsd.edu | 858-246-1556
Office hours: By appointment
Responsibilities: Gwen provides administrative, logistic, and fiscal support for the IDEA Engineering Student Center's programs and activities. She also oversees the IDEA Center's communications, office operations and courses. Gwen coordinates the Student Travel Fund, Transfer Prep, Welcome Week Engineering Fair, and Ring Ceremony.
Ruben D. Rodriguez, M.A. (he/him/his)
Program Coordinator
r1rodriguez@eng.ucsd.edu | 858-534-9939
Office hours: By appointment
Responsibilities: Ruben manages the IDEA Scholars program and serves as the instructor for the ENG 5 course. He coordinates the Engineering Overnight Program for admitted students and co-coordinates the Summer Engineering Institute.
Jessica Baldis, M.S. (she/her/hers)
Academic Success Coordinator
jbaldis@ucsd.edu | 858-534-6779
Office hours: By appointment
Responsibilities: Jessica coordinates the following academic enrichment programs for the IDEA Engineering Student Center: Engineering Learning Communities, Guided Engineering Apprenticeship in Research, and Academic Achievement Program.
Alejandra Arguelles, M.A. (she/her/hers)
Program Coordinator
marguelles@ucsd.edu | (858) 822-3778
Office hours: By appointment
Responsibilities: Alejandra serves as an advisor for the Triton Engineering Student Council (TESC) and diversity student organizations NSBE, SHPE, SWE, oSTEM, WIC, and SASE. She oversees resources for engineering student organizations including Matching Funds, Project Spaces, Engineering Leadership Summit, and DEI Requirements. Alejandra also coordinates the Jacobs School Scholars program and WISE Sessions, and co-coordinates the Summer Engineering Institute.
Sinai Cota, M.A. (she/her/hers)
Sloan Scholars Program Assistant
sicota@eng.ucsd.edu | 858-534-1335
Office hours: By appointment
Responsibilities: Sinai supports the Sloan Scholar Program with the nomination process of the awarded scholar, and organizes professional development events for the STEM scholars. She also promotes community among graduate students at the Jacobs School of Engineering by coordinating the STEM Graduate and Postdoc Professional Talks, Jacobs Undergraduate Mentoring Program, and Transfer Engineering Academic Mentorship program.
Student Interns
Chanta Chea
Social Media and Graphic Intern
Caroline Huynh
Design and Graphics Intern
Sky Li
Photographer and Videographer Intern
Haowei Li
Research and Assessment Intern
Mery Phung
Administrative and Events Intern
Simar Sharma
Graduate Climate Intern
Contact Us
Campus Location: Jacobs Hall (EBU-1), Room 1400
Map and Directions »
Mailing Address:
IDEA Engineering Student Center, UC San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0429
La Jolla, CA 92093-0429
Phone: (858) 534-6105
Email: idea@eng.ucsd.edu