Talking to a Peer is Like Hanging Out With a Buddy

Let's face it. Sometimes college can seem scary. It can also be confusing and stressful. The most important thing to remember is you are not alone at UC Riverside. Whatever you're dealing with, whether problems with a roommate, difficulties in a class, or a health issue, UCR has assembled an entire team of peer superheroes ready to fly to your rescue.

Talk to a Peer

• Learn From Other Students
• Get a Life Coach
• Ask Anything You Want
• Make an Educational Plan
• Talk in an Informal Setting
• Meet with a Peer Regularly

Advisors List

Power of the Peer Manual

Former Keynote Speakers & Closing Speakers

• Vice Provost & Dean of Undergraduate Education Dr. Louie F. Rodriguez

  Keynote: Fall 2023

  Louie F. Rodriguez is the Vice Provost and Dean of the Division of Undergraduate Education at the University of California Riverside.  He is also a Professor and Bank of America Endowed Chair in Education Leadership, Policy, and Practice in the School of Education. He is also the Founding Director of the Center for Educational Transformation at UCR. He served as Interim Dean of the UCR School of Education from 2019-2022 and was responsible for hiring 30% of the School’s faculty making the UCR School of Education the most diverse faculty across all UC Schools of Education, raised $3 million during the pandemic for emergency and endowed scholarships, and built several teacher pipeline programs. His research examines issues in Latina/o/x education, Participatory Action Research, and educational equity.  He recently led an initiative focused on understanding Latinx students’ sources of excellence at home, school, and the community.  Dr. Rodriguez earned an A.A. from San Bernardino Valley College, a B.A. from CSU, San Bernardino, and two master’s degrees and a doctorate from Harvard.  He is the author of nearly 50 publications and 4 books, including Intentional Excellence:  The Pedagogy, Power, and Politics of Excellence in Latina/o Schools & Communities and The Time is Now:  Understanding and Responding to the Black and Latina/o Dropout Crisis in the U.S.  He has received numerous honors including the American Education Research Association (AERA) Hispanic Research Issues SIG Award for Research in Elementary, Secondary, and Postsecondary Education in 2019, recognition by the Harvard Latino Alumni Alliance in 2019, Outstanding Latino Faculty by the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) in 2015, and was designated as an “Emerging Leader” in 2014 by Phi Delta Kappa International in Washington, DC in 2014.

   

• Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Dr. Brian Haynes

  Speaker: Fall 2022

  Brian Haynes, Ph.D., currently serves as Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of California, Riverside, an appointment he has held since August of 2018. He currently oversees and leads a division of staff and administrators in programs that support student engagement and success. Haynes has spent his entire career in higher education supporting diverse students with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.  This includes serving at Ohio University, Gettysburg College, East Carolina University, the Florida Board of Regents (now Board of Governors), Florida International University, Clayton State University and California State University, San Bernardino.

• Panda (Alex) Armendariz

  Speaker: Fall 2022

  Alex “Panda” Armendariz is a Native scholar and professional at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Panda is a descendant of the Mescalero Apache, but was born and raised in Pomona, CA. He attended Citrus College as a community college student and transferred to the University of California, Riverside, where he completed his B.A. in Liberal Studies with a minor in Native American Studies. Panda currently serves as the Interim Coordinator for the Native American Student Center at Cal Poly Pomona. He is also a graduate student in the M.S. Regenerative Studies program through the Lyle Center at Cal Poly Pomona. His research is focused on Indigenous Communities, Indigenous Food Systems, and Indigenous Sovereignty. Panda currently has been working with the Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians and Pauma Tribal Farms.