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Undergraduate Programs

Engineering Peer Advising Program

The Engineering Peer Advising program exists to provide additional information and support to our first-year and transfer engineering students as they learn the ropes at Santa Clara University and the School of Engineering.

Peer Advising Staff 2023-2024

A staff of sixteen returning engineering students serve as Peer Advisors who are trained and readily available to assist new students in understanding their academic requirements (both for the Core and their majors), as well as the many campus resources and engineering opportunities that are available to them.

Each new student is assigned a Peer Advisor in their department for individual mentoring and advising throughout their first year. Peer Advisors reach out to their students during the year to connect and provide assistance as needed. Students are also encouraged to contact their assigned Peer Advisor with any questions they may have about their requirements, the School of Engineering, or Santa Clara University. The Peer Advising resource exists as a supplement to students' faculty advisors, with whom new students will interact regularly as well.

If you have any questions about the program or your assigned Peer Advisor, please contact nekanathan@scu.edu. 


Mandatory Fall and Spring Advising Sessions

All new engineering students (first-years and new transfers) are required to meet with their faculty advisor in the fall and spring mandatory advising periods prior to course registration. To prepare for these faculty meetings, all first-year and new transfer engineering students must participate in advising sessions, facilitated by our Engineering Peer Advisors. During these sessions, Peer Advisors will assist students in identifying courses for their next quarter's schedule and will help acquaint them with the advising and course planning resources available to students. Upon completion of a session, Peer Advisors will sign a completed advising form for students to take to their faculty advisor meeting. Your assigned faculty advisor can be found on Workday. Students who do not complete the Mandatory Advising processes will have a hold on their record, preventing them from registering for courses until it is completed.

The fall quarter mandatory advising period takes place from October 30 - November 10. To prepare for these faculty meetings, new students must attend one group academic advising session, facilitated by our Engineering Peer Advisors. There are several sessions scheduled between October 23 - November 3. We strongly encourage students to choose a session led by your assigned Peer Advisor, though students may register for any of the listed sessions regardless of major if needed. To register for a session, click here.

Peer Advising Events

Be on the lookout for information about several events each quarter tailored towards first-year and new transfer students hosted by Peer Advisors. Examples of typical events include:

  • Academic Success Workshops
  • Professional Development Workshops (research opportunities, career fair/resume prep)
  • Social Events
  • Study Abroad Info Sessions


Meet Our Engineering Peer Advisors!

Our peer advisors are returning undergraduate students representing many of the degree programs in the School of Engineering. Each Peer Advisor is currently an upper division student who is heavily involved at the School of Engineering, through research and student organizations. They are eager to assist our new students and share their knowledge of Santa Clara University academic requirements, campus resources, and engineering opportunities!

2023-2024 Peer Advising Staff

Neena Ekanathan

Neena Ekanathan

LEAD PEER ADVISOR
Major
: Computer Science and Engineering
Minor: Technical Innovation, Design Thinking and the Entrepreneurial Mindset
Pronouns: she/her
Year: Senior
Hometown: Portland, OR
Involvements: Tau Beta Pi, Society of Women Engineers, Peer Educator, Intramural Basketball, Intern at Nike and New Relic
Yared Calderon

Yared Calderon

Major: Mechanical Engineering
Pronouns: she/they
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Keizer, OR
Involvements: Hermanas Unidas, Latinx Student Union, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, LEAD Scholar
 
Jerry Chen

Jerry Chen

Major: Computer Science and Engineering
Minor: Mathematics
Pronouns: he/him
Year: Junior
Hometown: Fremont, CA
Involvements: Association for Computing Machinery, Forge Garden Club, TailorED Project, Undergraduate Research
Sophie Criscione

Sophie Criscione

Major: Bioengineering
Pronouns: she/her
Year: Senior
Hometown: Granite Bay, CA
Involvements: Tau Beta Pi, Engineering Tour Guide, Biomedical Engineering Society, Theta Tau,, Society of Women Engineers, CHAARG, Undergraduate Research, NSF REU Internship, Intern at Codexis
Julia Lin

Julia Lin

MajorComputer Science and Engineering
Pronouns: she/her
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Milpitas, CA
Involvements: Alpha Phi Omega, Asian & Pacific-Islander Student Union, Society of Women Engineers, Association for Computing Machinery
Abem Lucas

Abem Lucas

Major: Computer Science and Engineering
Minor: Mathematics
Pronouns: he/him
Year: Junior
Hometown: Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
Involvements: National Society of Black Engineers, Santa Clara Investment Fund, Theta Tau, Ciocca Center of Innovation, Engineering Tour Guide, Intern at Chevron and CC Tech Consulting, Intramurals
Rianna Maulino

Rianna Maulino

MajorCivil Engineering
Pronouns: she/her
Year: Senior
Hometown: San Ramon, CA
Involvements: Barkada, American Society of Civil Engineers, Associated General Contractors, Intern at City & County of San Francisco and Level10 Construction
Cooper McCarthy

Cooper McCarthy

Major: Mechanical Engineering
Pronouns: he/him
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Everett, WA
Involvements: Club Tennis, Intramurals, Into the Wild, Tour Guide, Radio Host
Maya Murphy

Maya Murphy

Major: Electrical and Computer Engineering
Pronouns: she/her
Year: Junior
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Involvements: Club Rugby, Intramurals, Engineering Tour Guide, Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers, National Society of Black Engineers
Farhaan Pishori

Farhaan Pishori

Major: Computer Science and Engineering
Pronouns: he/him
Year: Junior
Hometown: Sammamish, WA
Involvements: Association for Computing Machinery, Intern at Redefine
Alan Rieger

Alan Rieger

Major: Electrical and Computer Engineering
Pronouns: he/him
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Involvements: Tennis Club, Ski and Board Club, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Alyssa Rossio

Alyssa Rossio

Major: Bioengineering
Pronouns: she/her
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Honolulu, HI
Involvements: Theta Tau, Ka Mana'o O Hawai'i, University Honors Program
Zara Shariff

Zara Shariff

Major: Mechanical Engineering
Minor: Aerospace Engineering
Pronouns: she/her
Year: Senior
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Involvements: Alpha Kappa Psi, Santa Clara Community Action Program, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Maker Lab
Serena Thompson Rael

Serena Thompson Rael

Major: Engineering Physics and Mathematics
Pronouns: any/all
Year: Junior
Hometown: Mountian View, CA
Involvements: Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Society of Physics Students, Intern at Pfizer
Itzel  Vargas

Itzel Vargas

Major: Civil Engineering
Pronouns: she/her
Year: Junior
Hometown: Vallejo, CA
Involvements: LEAD Scholar, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers, Latinx Student Union, Engineering Tour Guide, Intern for Whiting Turner Contracting
Michelle Yavorskiy

Michelle Yavorskiy

Major: Web Design and Engineering
Minor: Studio Art
Pronouns: she/her
Year: Senior
Hometown: Redwood City, CA
Involvements: SCU Student Art League, The OWL - Undergraduate Arts Publication, Society of Women Engineers

Contact Us

Engineering Undergraduate Programs
Santa Clara University
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053

Heafey-Bergin, Bldg. 202

408-551-3604