Meet Our Staff

Dr. Rennie B. Schoepflin Director
Rennie B. Schoepflin (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin—Madison) joined California State University, Los Angeles as professor and chair of history in September 2005 and after serving the university in several subsequent academic leadership positions, including both associate dean and dean, he joined the Honors College as Director in August 2019. He was a member of the College’s founding committee in 2008-09, and he has taught courses in intellectual history, environmental history, and the history of medicine, science and religion. His current research interests include religion and health, the history of health and medicine in California, and changing concepts of the supernatural in western thought.

Dr. Alison McCurdy Associate Director
Dr. Alison McCurdy earned a Ph. D. in Chemistry from Caltech, and joined the faculty in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Cal State LA in 2002. She taught organic chemistry, general chemistry, advanced electives, and Introduction to Higher Education classes. She participated in and chaired a variety of educational policy committees, as well as served as Department Chair. Her research interests center on creating photoresponsive organic molecules that mimic key biological calcium signals and chemistry education research topics such as student misconceptions in organic chemistry and spatial reasoning in organic chemistry. She joined the Honors College as Associate Director in August 2019.

Dr. Andrea Arias Assistant Director, Early Entrance Program
Dr. Andrea Arias is the Assistant Director for the Early Entrance Program. She oversees recruitment, admissions, and advisement for EEP, and provides overall support for all EEP students. Dr. Arias joined the Cal State LA community after serving in K-12 public schools for over 20 years. She has a B.A. in Psychology from Loyola Marymount University, a Masters in Educational Administration from CSUDH, a Doctorate in Education with a focus in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University as well as several educational credentials. Her career spans four school districts and two counties, and she has provided support to numerous students and their families.

Teonna Anderson Program Coordinator, Early Entrance Program
Teonna is the Program Coordinator for the Early Entrance Program. She supervises the EEP spaces and supports students, faculty, and staff while maintaining the day-to-day operations of the EEP office. Teonna joined Cal State LA in February 2020. She believes that student engagement leads to academic success and is dedicated to supporting students through their journey to graduation.

Marylu Castillo Academic Advisor & Admissions Coordinator
Ms. Castillo earned her BA in Psychology and her MS in Counseling, with an option in School Leadership and Counseling, from Cal State LA. Prior to becoming an academic advisor, she worked as a research assistant for the Psychology Department and as a student assistant at the University Academic Advisement Center. Her expertise in advisement encompasses general education requirements, university requirements, and university policies and procedures. She currently serves on the Professional Advisor Committee (PAC) to promote student success on campus. In addition, she sponsors several student organizations on the Cal State LA campus.

Isabelle Garcia Assistant to the Director
Isabelle oversees the day-to-day operations of the office. She coordinates all events for the program and works with Honors College and Early Entrance Program students, faculty, and staff. Isabelle began as the Program Assistant for EEP in April 2011. As a first-generation college graduate, she is passionate about guiding students through the University and completing their degrees. While also providing any resources for students to help them bridge the educational access gap. During her free time, she enjoys traveling, searching for cheap flights, and hanging out with her cat Spaghetti.

Jessica Rodriguez Advisor & Coordinator for Scholarships & Theses
Office: KH D145-B
Phone: 323-343-5964
Email: [email protected]
Jessica is the Advisor & Coordinator for the National and International Scholarships & Fellowships Program (NISFeP). She works with all Cal State LA students/alumni, faculty, and staff to promote national scholarships, fellowships, and other off-campus opportunities. Jessica also advises and coordinates the Honors College Thesis process for EEP and Honors students in their senior year. As a proud alumna of Cal State LA, Jessica enjoys being a part of the campus community and appreciates being able to assist students in pursuing opportunities for advancing their academic and professional careers.
Student Assistants
Theresa Rosas
Lizette Roman
Bailey Canham