Tina Mendoza
Staff Spotlight
CS Staff Spotlight interview with Tina. Tina discusses her personal and academic background, experiences, and thoughts on the GPC role. After watching, we know you will agree: Tina is an amazing GPC and is passionate about working with students.
About Me
I joined the Department of Computer Science in November 2021. Prior to this, I served as the graduate program coordinator in the Communication Department, where I learned how much I truly love working with graduate students. In my role as the GPC, I keep CS graduate students on track, support them along the way to their degree completion, and act as a point of contact for communications between the student, the Graduate College, and the faculty. I like to think of it as supporting students from application to graduation and whatever life brings in between, as well as seeing them succeed as alumni.
I greatly value the educational process, sometimes having carved out degree paths for myself while working full time and raising a family. My education began at Phoenix College, where I completed an AAS in Fire Science and Emergency Medical Technology. I was an AZ licensed EMT and earned a Firefighter II certification through the AZ State Fire Marshall’s office. After a long break in schooling, I came to the University of Arizona and completed a BA in Linguistics, specializing in Celtic Languages and participating in the Honors College. My next adventure would take me to Harvard University, where I had the opportunity to complete coursework in graduate writing. More recently, after returning to Tucson, I completed a Master’s in Library and Information Science through the University of Arizona’s Knowledge River Scholars program.
In my free time, I like to keep moving. I play both co-ed and women’s league soccer, enjoy hiking, cycling, and sometimes brushing up on Irish traditional dancing. I am a beginner drummer and have been trying to learn to play guitar lately. I also enjoy reading on a large variety of subjects, attempting to knit, and making costumes whenever I have extra time. Luckily, my husband and 6 children enjoy many of these activities, too, so we have a lot of fun together!
Favorite books: An Táin Bó Cúailnge, Dune, anything Tolkien, history, science, linguistics, and other non-fiction.
Favorite TV shows: Ted Lasso, Star Trek, Loki, Big Little Lies
Favorite movies: It’s a Wonderful Life, Lawrence of Arabia, all the Marvel Films
Favorite music: nearly everything from Tommy Dorsey to Public Enemy.
Favorite quotes:
- “My optimism wears heavy boots and is loud” -Henry Rollins
- “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud” -Maya Angelou
- “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” -Marcus Aurelius