November 20, 2023
It is with great pleasure that we share the appointment of two esteemed colleagues as UC Berkeley's Centers for Educational Equity and Excellence (CE3) Deputy Directors! Lorena and Lauryn assumed their roles in November 2023 and will be integral members of the CE3 Core Leadership Team. We are excited to see their continued growth and impact within our community.
We would like to extend a special acknowledgment to the Deputy Director search committee, including Bahar Navab, Donna Vivar, and Takiyah Jackson, for their diligent efforts throughout this process.
More about Lauryn and Lorena:
CE3 Deputy Director, Primarily Frosh Entry Programs (Berkeley Hope Scholars, Educational Opportunity Program, Undocumented Student Program)
Dr. Lauryn Valerio (she/her) is a UC Berkeley, Alum and proud native of Oakland, California. She is passionate about creating spaces that allow individuals to thrive, heal, and contribute to their communities. She began her career journey focused on community mental health and providing support for children and families in nonprofit and public school settings.
Dr. Valerio returned to UC Berkeley in 2012 and has focused her efforts on serving the campus community through educating, advising, and supporting students in navigating their academic personal, and professional goals. Throughout her tenure at UC Berkeley, she has worked with the Division of Student Affairs, the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, and the Division of Equity and Inclusion.
For the past several years, she has served as the Director of the Educational Opportunity Program and has actively facilitated and engaged with strategic initiatives that advance the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice (DEIBJ) on our campus. Aside from her current role at UC Berkeley, Dr. Valerio has served as an adjunct professor with Santa Clara University's educational leadership department, has presented at professional development conferences and seminars to promote career advancement for people of color, and continues to partner with campus and community organizers to operationalize opportunities focused on improving the campus climate and holistic experience of students.
CE3 Deputy Director, Primarily Transfer Entry Programs (Cal Veteran Services Center, Miller Scholars, Re-entry Student Program, Student Parent Center, TRIO Student Support Services, Transfer Student Center)
Lorena Valdez (she, her, ella) is a UC Berkeley, first-generation college Alum. Growing up in East Los Angeles, as a proud daughter of Mexican immigrants, Lorena’s upbringing instilled in her a strong work ethic and a deep commitment to justice and community. She has committed her long-standing career to creating access and opportunity for underserved student communities.
Throughout her career, Lorena has managed student support programs aimed at addressing the needs of transfer students at Cal. In August 1999, with just a few allocated resources, she launched the Transfer Student Center on the UC Berkeley campus, the first of its kind in the University of California (UC) system. Today, the Transfer Student Center serves thousands of transfer students a year and is a national model for transfer student support and engagement. Before taking on the Deputy Director role, Lorena served as the Director of Transfer Student Programs for the Centers for Educational Equity and Excellence(CE3) where she managed several transfer programs including the Transfer Student Center, TRIO Student Support Services (classic), the Miller Scholars Program, and the Re-entry Student Program.
Lorena earned a Master's degree from the University of San Francisco in Multicultural and International Education. She continues to be a driving force for access and inclusion at the university. She believes that by working together with empathy, integrity, and commitment, we can build a more inclusive university where everyone belongs.