Super User Training Program Overview

In April 2016 the Office of the CFO and campus finance leaders launched the Cal Answers Student Data Super User Training Program. The main role of the Super Users is to provide the important function of ensuring our campus has a cohesive group of senior-level data analysts with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to help define and analyze the most critical student data issues. Cal Answers Student Data includes information about undergraduate applicants, curriculum, demographics and outcomes, and financial aid.

Super Users were selected by their leadership team because of their data analysis experience, knowledge of their unit’s priorities and processes, and innovative problem-solving skills. The group was invite-only and will be the foundation of the broader campus-wide Community of Practice launching in July 2017.

The Super User program provided these select staff with a unique leadership and professional development opportunity to become an expert in a campus-wide tool that supports data-driven decision making and now offer our campus units a local person to assist them with their Cal Answers Student Data analytical research.

Co-Chairs

The Co-Chairs of the Cal Answers Student Data Community of Practice are:

  • Dat Le, Assistant Dean of Administration for the College of Engineering
  • Sereeta Alexander, Institutional Research Analyst, Office of Planning & Analysis

Capstone Graduation

At the end of the training program in May 2017, the Super Users completed a Capstone project where they utilized Cal Answers Student Data to answer a unit specific question, documented the actions taken to solve and summarized their results in a poster graduation session.

Student Data Super Users

As official Super Users they will spend approximately 4-6 hours per month (Summer 2017 and beyond):

  • Actively participating in monthly campus-wide Community of Practice collaborative working sessions where they’ll share best practices via peer‐to‐peer learning; inform improvements to processes, procedures, tools, and training materials; solve challenging problems, and create new opportunities for using Cal Answers Student Data on campus

  • As needed, supporting their unit’s staff by providing updates on Cal Answers enhancements and answering questions about using the tool and interpreting the data

These are the best and brightest analysts on campus, and we are thrilled for the opportunity to work with them more closely.

Unit

Name

Title

College of Chemistry Shamaya Pellum College and L&S Chemistry Advisor
College of Engineering
Zoya Korshun Senior Financial Analyst
Christopher Hunn Director of Undergraduate Affairs in CS
College of Environmental Design
Susan Hagstrom Director, CED Office of Undergraduate Advising
Elizabeth Bowler Coordinator of Policy and Strategic Initiatives, Dean's Office
College of Letters & Science
All Chelan Huddleston College Curriculum Analyst
Arts & Humanities Anna Weidman Budget Officer
Maura Vrdyaghs Department Manager, Philosophy
Linda Fitzgerald Department Manager, Art History 
Biological Sciences Sharon Gillars Financial Services Director
Amy Robinson Budget Officer
Maria Park Curriculum Planner
Mathematics & Physical Sciences Laura Slakey Department Manager, Statistics
Wanda Nieters Budget Officer
Social Sciences Nicole Cernok Budget Officer
Phil Walz Director of Administration, Economics
Lindsey Villarreal Graduate Advisor/Policy Analyst
MacKenzie Moore Student Academic Advisor
Undergraduate Studies Jean Delaney Director
College of Natural Resources
Adrienne Hink Executive Assistant to the Dean
Rebecca Sablo Assistant Dean for Instruction and Student Affairs
Undergraduate Education
Audrey Thomas Institutional Research Analyst, OPA 
Yukiko Watanabe Senior Consultant
Institute of Government Studies Crysthel Catambay Administrative Manager
Berkeley Law
Angela Chang Senior Budget Analyst
Drew Knab Chief Financial Officer
Haas School of Business
Luis Ruiz-Plascencia Financial Analyst
Rocky Moran Instructional Research Analyst
Equity & Inclusion
Andrew Eppig Institutional Research Analyst
Fabrizio Daniel Mejia Assistant Vice Chancellor
Student Affairs
Financial Aid Kerry Franzetta Associate Director
Kelle Jacobs Principle Research Analyst
Office of the Registrar Lissette Torres Project Policy Analyst
Raul Infante Business Systems Analyst
Housing & Dining Shannon Lee Senior Project Analyst
Je Nell Padilla Associate Director, Planning & Research
UG Admissions Greg Dubrow Director, Research & Policy Analysis
CSS-IT Help Desk Aaron Turner Business Technical Support Analyst

Super Users on Wisdom Cafe

The Wisdom Café (link is external) is where Berkeley staff learn and share professional and career development ideas, stories, tips, and resources.

    • Check out the Cal Answers That! May Spotlight on Student Data Super User Susan Hagstrom to learn how Cal Answers supports her in her role as Director of the Office of Undergraduate Advising in the College of Environmental Design. Access the article here(link is external).
    • Get to Know Cal Answers Super User Zoya Korshun! Access her profile here(link is external).
    • The Cal Answers That! December Spotlight featured Student Data Super User Chelan Huddleston explaining how Cal Answers supports her in her role as College Curriculum Analyst for the College of Letters and Science. Access the article here(link is external)

        wisdom cafe logo

        Super User Resources

        Student Data Resource Map

        Student Data Training Pages

        Office Hours

        Between now and the start of our Cal Answers Student Data Super User training program, Campus data analysts are currently offering Cal Answers Office Hours to assist you with questions about how to access, retrieve, and interpret data within the HR Census, Student Applicant, Student Curriculum, Student Demographics & Outcomes, and Student Financials subject areas.

        Learn more and sign up