The IDEA Center Team
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Alex Phan, Ph.D. (he/him/his)
Executive Director for Student Success
alexphan@ucsd.edu | 858-822-4636
Schedule a meeting: Faculty & Staff | Students
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.
Jackie Duerr, Ed.D. (she/her/hers)
Director
jduerr@ucsd.edu | 858-246-5268
Schedule a meeting: Faculty & Staff | Students
Responsibilities: Jackie provides leadership, supervision, and direction to the IDEA Engineering Student Center team to ensure students are supported academically, personally, and professionally. Through an equity-minded, student-centered lens, Jackie works closely with the team by providing management, strategic planning, and oversight of student programs. As the Director, Jackie strives to ensure the IDEA Engineering Student Center is pioneering cutting-edge retention and professional development programs, ensuring the pathway to engineering is possible to all students.
Sara Eckardt (she/her/hers)
Assistant Director
sleckardt@ucsd.edu | 858-822-3780
Responsibilities: Sara manages and coordinates the center's academic success programs: Engineering Learning Communities, Guided Engineering Apprenticeship in Research, and Academic Achievement Program.
Jessica Baldis, M.S. (she/her/hers)
Strategic Initiatives and Assessment Senior Analyst
jbaldis@ucsd.edu | 858-534-6779
Office hours: By appointment
Responsibilities: Jessica develops and implements methods for assessing the impact of IDEA Engineering Student Center initiatives on student retention and success.
Ruben D. Rodriguez, M.A. (he/him/his)
Program Coordinator
r1rodriguez@ucsd.edu | 858-534-9939
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. He is also advisor to the diversity student organizations NSBE, SHPE, SWE, oSTEM, WIC, and SASE.
Student Interns
Mery Phung
Administrative and Events Intern
Caroline Huynh
Design and Graphics Intern
Chanta Chea
Social Media and Graphic Intern
Karen Yan
Academic Assistant
Jean Paul
Media Intern
Ariel
Research and Assessment Intern