Showcase Event

Renzo Lara
Director, Latin@ Center
Student Affairs

Dr. Renzo Lara was born in San Diego, California and raised in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. At the age of 10, he moved with his mother to the United States and has called Chula Vista, California his home. Dr. Lara’s upbringing between the international border of Mexico and United States provided life experiences related to transborder identities. Additionally, Dr. Lara is a first-generation college student and has overcome societal as well collegial barriers. Dr. Lara’s cultural upbringing and life experiences has led to his passion which lies in assisting Latin@/x students and family members achieve holistic success. Dr. Lara transferred from Southwestern College and earned his B.A., M.A., and Ed.D. from San Diego State University. Dr. Lara has 13 years of experience in: educational programming, event planning, research and assessment, inclusive excellence curriculum design, multicultural community work and higher education collaborative partnership building. 

Jennie Ruiz, Associate Dean of Students, has been at CSUSM since 2006 and has held numerous positions within Student Affairs. Jennie earned a B.A. in Sociology from Sonoma State University and an M.A. in Counseling with a Specialization in College Student Development from the University of San Diego. Jennie provides leadership in the areas of Cougar Care Network and Student Conduct & Ethical Development. Jennie has also worked extensively with campus partners to provide comprehensive and timely training and resources to provide wrap-around support for our students.

Maria Shterew
Executive Assistant to the Provost
Academic Affairs

After 23 years in the private sector working in hospitality, office suites management, and pharmaceuticals, Maria started her career in higher education at CSUSM. This was a major shift in terms of processes and culture, but the amount of energy and organization that goes into providing support for executives is very similar. Maria has supported and onboarded 8 administrators while at CSUSM, with one transition being almost entirely online during the pandemic. Maria is a proud CSUSM alum, and attributes her strong work ethic to the behavior modeled by her parents.

Shannon Honour Shaw
Process and Operations Manager
Finance & Administrative Services

Shannon serves as the Process and Operations Manager in the Office of the Vice President for Finance & Administrative Services. She has held several operational and organizational leadership roles on campus, which include the functions of travel, budget, and operations. In Shannon’s current role, she focuses on organizational development and managing the campus’s new Business Process Improvement training program. Shannon is a proud alum of CSUSM, holding a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Social Science. She also holds a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from California Baptist University and a second master’s degree in Education from San Diego State University.