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Academic Advising Staff

Academic Advising Staff

Your Eighth College team of academic advisors are here to help you navigate your courses, explore your options, and make sure you’re set up for success. Think of us as your homebase for all things academic!

Our team consists of both professional academic advisors as well as peer academic advisors. Below you can find more information about our team!

Professional Staff

  • Veronica Abreu, M.Ed. (she/her/ella)

    Veronica Abreu, M.Ed. (she/her/ella)

    Dean of Academic Advising I eighthadvising@ucsd.edu
  • Erica Nicole Kirk, M.Ed. (they/them/elle)

    Erica Nicole Kirk, M.Ed. (they/them/elle)

    Assistant Dean of Academic Advising I eighthadvising@ucsd.edu

    Prounouns: they/them/elle

    Erica grew up in North Hollywood, CA and is a proud North Hollywood High School alum (Go Huskies!). They originally moved to San Diego to attend UC San Diego, where they earned their bachelor’s degree. After graduating from John Muir College in 2013, they headed back to L.A. to complete a master’s in Education at USC. Erica is proud first-generation college student, and is the first in their family to earn both a bachelor’s and a graduate degree!

    Erica has been part of the UC San Diego community professionally since 2017, working in both the Urban Studies & Planning and Economics departments before joining Eighth College in August 2023. They started as a Senior Academic Advisor and transitioned into the role of Assistant Dean of Advising in October 2024. Erica has also worked in the L.A. foster care system and held roles in Student Affairs, Residence Life, and LGBT Resource Centers at both USC and UCSD.

    Outside of work, Erica loves spending time outdoors; swimming, hiking, and camping are their favorite activities. They’re also a big fan of SD Wave FC (and occasionally cheer on Angel City FC), enjoy playing video games, and love hanging out with their pets (Momo, Cali, and Buster).

  • Michael Markulin, M.A. (he/him)

    Michael Markulin, M.A. (he/him)

    Senior Academic Advisor I eighthadvising@ucsd.edu
  • Katie McGann, M.A. (she/her)

    Katie McGann, M.A. (she/her)

    Senior Academic Advisor I eighthadvising@ucsd.edu
  • Alex Reyes, M.A. (he/him)

    Alex Reyes, M.A. (he/him)

    Senior Academic Advisor I eighthadvising@ucsd.edu
  • Sophia Higareda (she/her)

    Sophia Higareda (she/her)

    Academic Advisor I eighthadvising@ucsd.edu
  • Jocelyn De Jesus (she/her)

    Jocelyn De Jesus (she/her)

    Assistant Academic Advisor I eighthadvising@ucsd.edu

Peer Advisors