Dean's Office Staff
Executive Assistant
As the Executive Assistant to the Dean for the College, Keri serves as the primary
liaison and strategic partner for the Dean’s Office, managing high-level communications,
staffing recruitment processes, and the end-to-end execution of college events ranging
from donor stewardship and corporate visits to all-college faculty and staff meetings.
She contributes to the college’s digital presence, including the website and social
media, while also serving as the primary safety officer and coordinator for donor
stewardship initiatives.
Prior to joining SJSU, she worked in operations and development at Santa Clara University.
Education
B.S. (Business Administration/Marketing) California Polytechnic State University,
San Luis Obispo
Email: keri.barton@sjsu.edu
Digital Access Architect
As our Digital Access Architect, Derek manages the College's CMS sites, develops and
extends custom software for the college, and oversees a team of student assistants.
The web development team responds to a broad array of technical requests from our
growing community of students, faculty, staff and stakeholders in the world of LIS.
In addition to the day to day maintenance of the iSchool websites, he creates web
applications using AJAX, PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, JSON, jQuery, XHTML, CSS, and XML.
Derek is an advocate for the open source software movement.
Biographical Sketch
He is happiest when joining tables in a MySQL database, but also enjoys time with
his family and walks on the beach. He has two cats and believes humor is a brush with
the sublime. See: https://xkcd.com/327/
Prior to joining SJSU, Derek worked in business development and sales in the cellular
and electronics industries.
Education
MLIS San José State University (2008)
MBA University of Southern California (1995)
BA (English Literature) University of California, Irvine (1990)
Email: derek.christiansen@sjsu.edu
College Research Analyst
Karlen serves the College in a data and operations-focused role, where he is committed
to advancing data-driven decision-making across academic and administrative units.
His work centers on revenue analysis by program, faculty workload equity, recruitment
performance metrics, and budget optimization. He partners closely with college leadership
to develop actionable reports that identify growth opportunities, improve resource
allocation, and enhance transparency.
Karlen is leading efforts to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) related to
enrollment, retention, recruitment ROI, and career outcomes. He is focused on centralizing
reporting infrastructure and developing interactive dashboards to make complex data
accessible to non-technical stakeholders. His long-term objectives include mapping
student success data to identify opportunity gaps, improving early intervention strategies,
and strengthening the College’s ability to align academic resources with institutional
priorities.
Prior to joining the College, Karlen worked in data analysis and institutional research
for IRSA.
Education
B.A. in Management Information Systems, SJSU
Email: karlen.kirkland@sjsu.edu
Network Administrator
Abigail Laufer joined the SJSU iSchool in 1996 as a computer lab technician and server
administrator. Since 2000, she has helped build and support the iSchool technology
infrastructure. Presently, Abigail serves as the Network Administrator for the College.
Her expertise spans the administration of UNIX, Linux, and Windows servers and applications,
as well as the strategic planning of server co-location and coordination. She is dedicated
to the success of the academic community, offering high-level end-user assistance
for faculty, staff, and students.
Prior to joining SJSU, Abigail worked for the University of Washington.
Education
B.A. (English) University of California at Santa Barbara (1996)
M.L.I.S. San José State University (1999)
Email: abigail.laufer@sjsu.edu
Student Services Coordinator
As the Student Services Coordinator, Gina provides comprehensive support to students
in the iSchool. She serves as a liaison between students and campus departments, helping
them navigate forms, processes, and required approvals. She supports both the front-end
and back-end operations of the School’s live chat service, ensuring timely and effective
communication. Behind the scenes, she contributes to institutional initiatives by
collecting, analyzing, and reporting data for accreditation, surveys, and GIS mapping
projects. Gina also manages course scheduling input in MySJSU for the School of Information
and generates data queries to support school operations and decision-making.
Education
B.A. (Human Development) UC San Diego
Email: Gina.Lee@sjsu.edu
Resource Operations Analyst
Jyoti serves as the Resource Operations Analyst, providing comprehensive administrative
and operational oversight for the College’s academic units and the Dean’s Office.
She is the primary point of contact for University Personnel compliance, developing
and maintaining college-wide procedures that promote efficiency and ensure adherence
to university policies. Jyoti also oversees and facilitates all student employee onboarding,
supporting departments in maintaining smooth and compliant hiring processes.
Email: jyoti.mehta@sjsu.edu
Student Success Support Specialist
Taryn serves as a strategic liaison and advocate, dedicated to enhancing student outcomes
through the rigorous collection and analysis of retention, persistence, and time-to-degree
data. By collaborating with advisors and administrators, she designs and evaluates
innovative advising tools, workshops, and engagement initiatives that streamline the
student experience across both physical and digital platforms. Taking a proactive
approach to student care, Taryn identifies complex academic issues and leverages qualitative
and quantitative insights to recommend systemic policy improvements to leadership.
Ultimately, she bridges the gap between student needs and institutional goals, ensuring
that programs are continuously refined to foster a supportive and successful academic
environment.
Prior to joining the College of IDS, Taryn was an elementary and high school counselor
for about 20 years in California, New Mexico, and Hawai’i.
Education
MA Counseling, Sonoma State University
Pupil Personnel Service Credential, School Counseling, Sonoma State University
BA Social and Behavioral Sciences, California State University Monterey Bay
Email: taryn.reiner@sjsu.edu
Student Success Coordinator
As the Student Success Coordinator, Kaitlyn provides dedicated support to students
within the College of Information, Data and Society, offering academic advising and
guidance and helping them navigate administrative forms and procedures. She is also
responsible for assisting with on-campus student events and serving as a resource
for incoming students by handling questions, referrals, and responses. Kaitlyn also
assists with communication for the College's student groups and organizations.
With over 8 years of dedicated experience in higher education student support, Kaitlyn
previously supported graduate students at Santa Clara University and assisted undergraduate
students with accessibility at Menlo College, where she also served as a student success
coach. Kaitlyn also maintains a health and fitness background and is a coach at Orangetheory
Fitness.
Education:
MA Counseling, Santa Clara University
BA Communication Studies, Sonoma State University
Certifications:
ISSA Personal Trainer
ACE Fitness Group Fitness Instructor
Email: kaitlyn.stauber@sjsu.edu
College Resource Analyst
With a degree in Business Administration from SJSU, Jackie brings specialized analytical
expertise to the Dean’s Office, focusing on the oversight of budget and financial
affairs for the college’s academic programs. She works closely with individual departments
to manage funds and align resources with the college’s broader financial goals. Beyond
budget management, Jackie is a key resource for staff and faculty, providing hands-on
support for procurement, accounts payable, and employee travel reimbursements.
Education
B.S. (Business Administration, Accounting) San Jose State University
Email: jackie.thai@sjsu.edu
IT Support Specialist
TC provides essential technical leadership for the College of Information, Data and
Society, ensuring the seamless operation of our diverse technological ecosystem. His
primary duties include the deployment, maintenance, and troubleshooting of hardware
and software for faculty, staff, and students within the iSchool and across the college.
Beyond basic support, TC serves as a critical resource for optimizing digital workflows
and maintaining the high-level security standards required for our data-driven programs.
By bridging the gap between complex infrastructure and user needs, he ensures our
academic community remains connected and productive in an evolving digital landscape.
Prior to joining the College, TC worked in the private sector and at Stanford University.
Education
B.S. Business Administration and Mangement Information Systems, SJSU
Email: tc.truong@sjsu.edu
