International Affairs Leadership Team

Dr. Cristina Alfaro
Dr. Alfaro leads all of ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏ꿉۪s International Affairs activities as Senior International Officer (SIO). In this role, Alfaro works with campus stakeholders to advise on all international issues and works to further the internationalization of the campus. She also advises President Adela de la Torre on global affairs and the campus' role in international programs and partnerships. Alfaro previously served as ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏ꿉۪s Provost Chair for Faculty Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and as Chair of the Department of Dual Language and English Learner Education, where she directed the largest bilingual teacher education program in California. She led the California State University (CSU) International Teacher Education Program for more than a decade and has received numerous teaching awards, including the National Outstanding Latina in Higher Education Award. She sits on the boards for both the California Association for Bilingual Education and the National Association for Bilingual Education. She has a doctorate in International Bilingual Teacher Preparation from the Claremont Graduate University and ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø.
Email: [email protected]

Dr. Noah Hansen
Dr. Hansen leads the operations and implementation of international programs as the Senior Director for International Affairs. In his role, Hansen serves as the right hand of the AVP for International Affairs, overseeing ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏ꿉۪s International Student Center, the Global Education Office, Program Development and Partnerships, the ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø Passport Office, and International Safety, Security and Risk. Hansen also serves as the resource manager for International Affairs, managing personnel and budgetary planning considerations. In addition to these roles, he also serves as a representative and liaison for the campus on international issues and works to further global understanding and internationalization efforts on the campus and in the greater international education community. Prior to being appointed as senior director, Hansen served as the director of ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø's International Student Center for six years, and has held various roles in international education at ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø since 2004. Hansen has a master's degree in Pacific International Affairs from UC San Diego and a bachelor's degree in Latin American and Iberian Studies from UC Santa Barbara. Hansen earned his doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø in 2023.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (619) 594-1982

Dr. Maria Keckler
Dr. Keckler directs the development of strategic communications related to ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏ꿉۪s internationalization efforts and the collaborative implementation of the Global Strategic Plan. She is also the architect of ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏ꿉۪s annual Re:Border conference, which spotlights cross-border issues and fosters collaboration in the San Diego/Tijuana region. As a research fellow with ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏ꿉۪s Virtual Immersive Teaching and Learning (VITaL) Research Center, her research focuses on neuro-education, immersive learning, and empathy. A published author with two decades of experience developing and coaching executives, scientists, engineers, and educators, she’s worked with global companies across the U.S., Mexico, and Eastern Europe to develop kinder cultures where employees can thrive. Keckler has a Ph.D. in transdisciplinary education research from Claremont Graduate University and ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø.
Email: [email protected]

Ricky Paniagua
Paniagua leads the International Student Center office staff and operations, as well as the international student services and programs offered to nearly 2,000 international students. Paniagua also provides advising to campus stakeholders and administration on international student immigration matters, international student employment, and campus immigration compliance. Prior to joining the ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø International Affairs team, Paniagua worked in the International Students & Programs Office at UC San Diego serving more than 10,000 international students. His wide-ranging experience includes advising international students, developing streamlined programs and services, admissions, and recruitment. Paniagua holds degrees in Organizational Leadership and Behavioral Sciences. He also holds formal certifications in Leadership, Management, and is a Lean Six Sigma-Green Belt.
Email: [email protected]

Dr. Chris Kjonaas
Dr. Kjonaas oversees the ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø Global Education Office (GEO) team, which supports ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø students seeking study abroad programs, international internships, and international fellowship opportunities; and also supports inbound exchange students during their process of applying to spend a semester at ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø. Kjonaas and her team collaborate on safety and risk management, provide advising according to academic major, and work with ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏ꿉۪s community and cultural centers to promote international education opportunities to ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏ꿉۪s diverse students. Her diverse experience as an International Educator includes serving as a Global Education Advisor at ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø, an on-site coordinator at a U.S/Mexico binational nonprofit organization, a university relations representative for a private study abroad program provider, and most recently Director of Assessment for ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø International Affairs. Chris earned her doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø in 2021.
Email: [email protected]

Dr. Vinod Sasidharan
Dr. Sasidharan serves as director of Transborder and Regional Faculty Engagement. His research focuses on sustainable development, tourism, and community empowerment in the California-Baja Mexico transborder region, international tourism, tourism and technology, tourism certification, sustainable development goals (SDGs) assessment, interdisciplinary analyses of sustainable development, tourism and corporate social responsibility, and indigenous tourism best practices. He is a leader in integrating transborder engagement and collaboration into the ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø experience for both students and faculty. He serves as the program director for the university’s annual Re:Border conference, which addresses binational issues and solutions through partnerships in the borderlands region.
Email: [email protected]

Jessica Romero
Romero leads the Program Development and Partnerships team, which is responsible for the vetting, creation and implementation of international opportunities at ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø, including establishing international partnerships, course articulations, ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø Custom Programs Abroad, and helping faculty incorporate Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) and Glocal learning opportunities into their existing courses. Her team works with faculty and leadership within the academic colleges, as well as with the Global Education Office, to create international opportunities that are thoughtfully developed and align with academic and international priorities. Romero also is responsible for creating policies and protocols for implementing these international opportunities at ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø. Prior to her current role, Romero served as the International Programs Coordinator within ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏ꿉۪s College of Arts & Letters. Prior to joining ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø, Romero worked in the international education field serving in a variety of roles for Queens College, CUNY, NYU, and the Institute of International Education (IIE) in New York City. She holds a master’s degree in international education from NYU.
Email: [email protected]

Tyne Truong
Truong leads international safety and security programs to ensure the well-being of ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø constituents studying, researching, and conducting university business abroad. Prior to joining ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø, Truong completed a 25-year career in federal law enforcement, most recently as Assistant Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In that role, he directed award-winning national security, counterterrorism, and public safety missions. Truong served as a National Program Manager for Homeland Security’s National Undercover Operations Unit, where he was responsible for developing, writing and implementing strategic and operational policies related to the agency's worldwide undercover operations. He joined federal law enforcement after earning a bachelor’s degree in economics/international development from UCLA, and he later received a master’s in organizational leadership from Georgetown University. He is an Institute of Strategic Risk Management Fellow and a Distinguished Homeland Defense Fellow at National Defense University.
Email: [email protected]
