Undergraduate Student Services Team (USST) | Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering

Photo of Undergraduate Student Services Team

Team Photo During COVID-19

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: ugrad-adviser(at) cs (dot) washington (dot) edu

Undergraduate Student Services Team - USST

Crystal Eney

Title: Director of Student Services
Email: ceney(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: she/her
Key Areas of Expertise: Overall USST program manager, petitions, statistics, faculty liaison, backup on BSMS, external committees
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. In the last 4 years we’ve more than doubled the size of our student population and our staff. It’s an exciting time to be working here. I started in the Allen School as an entry level adviser in 2000. It’s been a wild ride 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 and loved my time here as a student. 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, namely our shift in admissions which allows us to work with students during their full college experience. I’m passionate about equity and access and look forward to helping our students and 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:

Our Allen School advisers help students plan and shape their undergraduate experience in the Allen School. In addition to assistance with tasks such as planning course schedules, troubleshooting registration issues, and planning for graduation, advisers engage in a broader dialogue with individual students to better clarify their academic and personal goals.

Jenifer Hiigli

Title: Assistant Director for Advising
Email: jenifer(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: she/her
Key Areas of Expertise: Advising team & Undergrad Student Services Team leadership, Allen School scholarships, Allen School exchange programs, and BS/MS program advising.
Fun Facts: Thanks to my very enthusiastic toddler, I can sing every word to every Frozen song. I’m a lifelong Husky - I was born at UW Medical Center!

Expanded Bio - Jenifer

I grew up about 45 minutes south of Seattle in Auburn, Washington, and studied psychology and education at UW as an undergraduate. While I was at UW, I participated in ASUW student government, the Pipeline Project, the Dream Project, and many other activities that helped me better understand who I was and what I loved to do. After a few years working in an elementary school, I went back to UW to earn my master’s degree in Educational Policy, and then joined the Allen School in 2012. These days, when I’m not reading a good book or heading out for a run, I spend most of my time with my husband Taylor, our son Owen, and our dog Harley. We go on lots of nature walks, watch entirely too much Disney+, and love to cook & bake together.

Chelsea Navarro

Title: Senior Academic Adviser
Email: crmn(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: she/her
Key Areas of Expertise: Prospective transfer student adviser. Supports incoming transfer students and teaches CSE 390T: Transfer Seminar.
Fun Facts: I lived and worked in Austria for three and a half years and kann ein bisschen Deutsch sprechen. I was also a college radio DJ during undergrad and love getting music recommendations from students.
Expanded Bio - Chelsea

I’m a proud transfer student and received my bachelor’s degree in sociology from San Diego State University and master’s degree in education from UCLA. As an undergraduate student, I was involved in TRIO, EOP, Upward Bound, and Talent Search programs. Driven by my experiences as a first-generation college student from a low-income background, I decided to pursue a career in higher education to provide support to nontraditional college students. I joined the Allen School in August, 2019 and enjoy connecting with students to help them achieve their academic goals. I’m originally from sunny San Diego, California and I moved to Seattle, Washington in 2019. While I miss mi familia and the beaches, I’m happy to be surrounded by the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and all of the coffee shops it has to offer. In my free time, I enjoy volunteering, watching cartoons, and exploring the outdoors with my poodle Laika.

Austin Browning

Title: Senior Academic Adviser
Email: austinbr(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: he/him
Key Areas of Expertise: Supervise Allen School Peer Adviser team. Manage CSE 301 Internship class. Facilitate undergrad CPT/OPT work authorization.
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.

Hector Rodriguez

Title: Academic Adviser
Email: hexx(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: he/him
Key Areas of Expertise: TBD
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 moved my whole life to multiple places including California and Oregon. I eventually settled in 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, where I have been for a couple of years and as of recently moved into an Academic Adviser role. In my free time, I enjoy creating websites and full stack applications, being a part of the local music community, and outdoor activities like running, fishing, and camping.

Rakeb Million

Title: Academic Adviser
Email: rmillion(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: she/her
Key Areas of Expertise: Advise BIPOC students and the Allen School OMAD-affiliated programs' students (i.e EOP, TRIO/SSS, CAMP, Champions)
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.

Jill Louthian

Title: Academic Adviser
Email: jlouth(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: she/her
Key Areas of Expertise: TBD
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.

Sean Whitson

Title: Academic Adviser
Email: whitss(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: he/him
Key Areas of Expertise: TBD
Fun Facts: I own a Dachshund (A.K.A Weiner Dog). I love playing the guitar and being active. I tend to be phase oriented and get obsessed with whatever I am interested in at that particular time. Currently, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) is one of my recent obsessions. I was also a Volunteer Firefighter/EMT. As a discretion, if you like anything listed above, don’t tell me unless you want me to endlessly blabber at you.

Expanded Bio - Sean

I am half Taiwanese and half Caucasian and grew up in Tacoma, Washington. After graduating from Foss High School I was offered admission to attend the University of Washington and said yes in a heartbeat. In my undergraduate years, I worked in the Undergraduate Advising office as both a Peer Adviser and a Student Associate and was also the president of a club named Barbell Squad that focuses in Powerlifting and Weightlifting. Fast forward to my Senior year, I found myself graduating into the COVID pandemic with a degree in Public Health and immediately began working in my home town as a temporary Case and Contact Investigator for the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department. As the temporary position’s contract was coming to an end, I brainstormed possible career paths and ultimately decided to draw back from my previous advising experience and chose to pursue a career in Academic Advising. I never would have thought in my undergraduate years that I would one day be working for the School of Computer Science and Engineering, but I am so grateful to be given this opportunity and am excited to work alongside my amazing colleagues and talented students.

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 dis/ abilities. 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.

Chloe Dolese Mandeville

Title: Assistant Director for Diversity & Access
Email: cdolese(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: she/her
Key Areas of Expertise: Diversity, equity, & inclusion efforts for the undergraduate program, Allen School admissions policies & practices and student affinity groups.
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 parents and siblings, or facetiming with my cousins in Indonesia and Australia!

Leslie Ikeda

Title: Senior Startup Program Manager
Email: ikedal(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: she/her
Key Areas of Expertise: Retention initiatives and programs such as the Startup Program and CSE 390B: Building Academic Skills Through Bottom-Up Computing, and supervise the Startup Student Leads team.
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.

Jeremy Munroe

Title: Program Coordinator for Diversity & Access
Email: jmunroe(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: they/them or he/him
Key Areas of Expertise: UW Youth Programs requirements, Allen School CS Education Week, CS4teachers, NCWIT AiC Seattle & Western Washington Affiliate Committee
Fun Facts: I have a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in Illustration

Expanded Bio - Jeremy

I have been working in the Allen School for over 8 years, supporting the fledgling outreach program part time initially as a program assistant, and now as the Program Coordinator for Diversity & Access at the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering. I have a B.F.A .in Visual Design - Illustration from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's College of Visual and Performing Arts and am classically trained in a wide variety of media as well as current design concepts. In addition to a wide range of interests, I am also a passionate apartment gardener, and have an affinity for sci-fi and fantasy in almost any media (video games, movies, tv shows, books, etc.).

EJ Pinera

Title: Student Leadership Development Coordinator
Email: epinera(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: he/him
Key Areas of Expertise: Allen School Student Groups
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.

Juliet Quebatay

Title: Outreach Coordinator
Email: quebatay(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: she/her
Key Areas of Expertise: K-12 Outreach, Allen School Ambassador Program
Fun Facts: I speak conversational Tagalog and can dance the Tinikling. I attempted to stream on Twitch and co-hosted a podcast for a year. My most played games are: PUBG, Stardew Valley, and Rainbow Six.
Expanded Bio - Juliet

I was born in Texas, but raised across the country due to having a parent in the military. I spent most of my childhood and young adulthood in Tennessee, but lived in Ft. Lewis, WA during my early elementary years and returned after receiving my BS in Communications from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Growing up in areas that lacked diversity showed me the value of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. While at UT, I co-founded the Filipino-American Association, revived the Asian American Association, and hosted the inaugural and now annual 865 Night Market event. Over the years, I built a commitment to DEIA and continue to work on this everyday. This led me to pursue a MS in Academic Advising from Kansas State University and work in the non-profit industry with After-School All-Stars Puget Sound, Girl Scouts of Western Washington, and now I am grateful to be here! Since I was an undergraduate student, I found that there is more to college than school. College is when I discovered gaming, the significance of my Filipino-American experience, self-care, how to sustain relationships and so much more. Many students do not know what to look for or expect when they think about what the college experience is. I am excited to let more prospective students know what college and Allen School has to offer for their holistic development! In my free time, I spend many hours playing video games with my husband that I met in 7th grade, enjoy baking and eating, and value my time with family and friends.

Kayla Shuster

Title: Recruiter for Diversity & Access
Email: kmss82(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: they/them
Key Areas of Expertise: College Access, Direct to Major Admissions, Transfer Admissions
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.

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.

Pim Lustig

Title: Program Operations Specialist
Email: pl(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: he/him
Key Areas of Expertise: Administrative course logistics, curriculum and time schedule management and TA assignments.
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: Front Desk Manager/Advising Assistant
Email: mlustig(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: she/her
Key Areas of Expertise: Front Desk Manager of Gates and Academic Advising Assistant
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.