Staff

The Student Community Engagement Center is run by a small but mighty crew of passionate individuals, including one full-time Coordinator, one .45 FTE graduate assistant (18 hours/week), and three part-time student staff. Get to know who we are by reading our bios below and reach out if you have any questions!

 

Melia Hadidian Tichenor

Center Coordinator

tichenor@pdx.edu

As Coordinator of the Student Community Engagement Center, Melia Hadidian Tichenor (she/her) oversees the center’s many service programs, provides support and guidance to the center’s staff and student leaders, co-facilitates regular service leadership classes, and maintains partnerships with diverse community organizations and campus partners. She served as interim Coordinator in 2017 and joined the permanent staff in 2018. Melia has spent over 15 years in the field of volunteer management and service-learning. Prior to her role at Portland State, she worked as a Program Manager at volunteer center Hands On Greater Portland for many years, consulted on international volunteering with Birthright Armenia, and served as a volunteer management trainer and board member with the Northwest Oregon Volunteer Administrators Association. Melia has been a Certified Volunteer Administrator (CVA) since 2014 and completed her Masters degree in Postsecondary Adult and Continuing Education (PACE) and a Service-Learning Graduate Certificate through PSU’s Graduate School of Education in Winter 2017. In addition to supporting students in their community engagement journeys, Melia enjoys regular bike commuting and occasional bike tours, meandering bird walks, nerdy board games, and spending the evening cozied up with a good book and a couple of cats.

Gnaneshwar Naknamoni

Image of Gnanesh, the Special Events & Collaborations Coordinator

Special Events & Collaborations Coordinator

gnaneshn@pdx.edu

Originally from Wanaparthy, India, Gnanesh is a second-year student in his Master's in Electrical and Computer Engineering. As the Special Events & Collaborations Coordinator in the Student Community Engagement Center, Gnaneshwar coordinates and co-facilitates the center’s larger Special Event service days and focus weeks designed to engage PSU students in themed community engagement initiatives. In his free time, Gnaneshn loves to explore Portland, and likes to play volleyball with friends at the REC center. 

Kate Carroll

Image of Kate Carroll, our Serve Your City Program Coordinator

Service & Immersion Program Coordinator

kcarro@pdx.edu

Kate is the Serve Your City program coordinator. She organizes term long and one-time service opportunities, connecting PSU with the larger Portland community. If she’s not walking her dog, she’s hiking, skiing, or laying in her bed.

Tayma Miguel-Reyes

Image of Tayma Miguel, the marketing & communication outreach coordinator

Marketing and Community Outreach Coordinator

tayma@pdx.edu

Tayma is the current Marketing and Community Outreach Program Coordinator for the Student Community Engagement Center. Tayma is pursuing her Bachelors in Business Admin with a marketing concentration, she is excited to be managing SCEC’s social media accounts, creating and designing promotional materials for various service opportunities, and writing monthly newsletters! When she has free time, she loves to read, play video games, volunteer, or watch movies with her family!