Hector Rodriguez
Title: Academic Adviser
Email: hexx(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: he/him
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 throughout my life have moved frequently and have lived in California and Oregon. I eventually settled back to 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, moving into an Academic Adviser role. In my free time, I enjoy playing guitar, listening to music, running and traveling.
Jill Louthian
Title: Academic Adviser
Email: jlouth(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: she/her
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
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.
Cassie Davis
Title: Academic Adviser
Email: cassiekc(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: she/her
Fun Facts: I love to run and be active, and my biggest running accomplishment to date was completing the Boston Marathon in 2022! My mom and my partner are both also runners, so we often spend quality time by going on a run together.
Expanded Bio - Cassie
A true Midwesterner at heart, I grew up in a suburb of Kansas City, Kansas with my family. After high school, I moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota where I completed my bachelor's degree in psychology at the University of Minnesota. As an undergraduate, I did research on the public harassment of runners, was a leader of the Minnesota Running Club, and worked in several student services roles. Once I graduated, I moved to Seattle with my partner and started in an administrative role at UW before joining the Allen School as an Academic Adviser. My passion lies in supporting students - from navigating academic decision-making, to finding community on campus, to understanding complex policies, I am here to support you! In my free time, I volunteer with the National Intercollegiate Running Club Association and enjoy running, mountaineering, traveling, and trying new vegan food.
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 disabilities. 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
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 Allen Scholars Program Manager
Email: ikedal(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: she/her
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.
Christina Huynh
Title: Allen Scholars Academic Adviser
Email: chuynh(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: she/her
Fun Facts: I am semi-ambidextrous. I write with my right but I do most other things with my left (basketball, volleyball, opening jars).
Expanded Bio - Christina
I was born and raised in Los Angeles County and moved to Bremerton, WA from San Diego in March 2022. I received my bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics with a minor in Education Studies of University of California, San Diego. I also completed my master’s degree in Education Psychology - Learning Analytics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. I started my work in higher education as a student ranging from being a math tutor, workshop facilitator, and mentor, and after graduating, I started my professional role as a Supplemental Instruction Coordinator where I grew my passion for higher education and supporting students throughout the academic journey. In my free time, I do a lot of different crafts, for example, LEGOs, crocheting, knitting, painting or watercoloring. If I am not crafting, I'm spending my time cuddling with my two cats Mango and Mimo.
EJ Pinera
Title: Student Leadership Development Coordinator
Email: epinera(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: he/him
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: Senior Program Manager for K-12 Outreach
Email: quebatay(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: she/her
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 Sasaki
Title: Recruiter for Diversity & Access
Email: kmss82(at)cs.uw.edu
Pronouns: they/them
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
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.
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.
Crystal Eney
Crystal Eney
Jenifer Hiigli
Jenifer Hiigli
Chelsea Navarro
Chelsea Navarro
Austin Browning
Austin Browning
Rakeb Million
Rakeb Million
Hector Rodriguez
Jill Louthian
Cassie Davis
Chloe Dolese Mandeville
Leslie Ikeda
Christina Huynh
EJ Pinera
Juliet Quebatay
Kayla Shuster Sasaki
Sailor Shuster Sasaki
Maude Lustig
Maude Lustig