| EPaCEStaff Profiles
| Name | Phone | |
|---|---|---|
| Marilyn Bishop Program Coordinator |
(805) 756-0631 | mbisho05@calpoly.edu |
| Andrew Bresnan Program Support Coordinator |
(805) 756-6572 | abresnan@calpoly.edu |
| Christina Diaz Executive Assistant to the Dean |
(805) 756-0775 | cdiaz46@calpoly.edu |
| Rose S. Duran Program Coordinator |
(805) 756-7196 | roduran@calpoly.edu |
| Brian Fischer Videographer |
(805) 756-7495 | btfische@calpoly.edu |
| Erin Lastreto Program Support Coordinator |
(805) 756-7420 | elastret@calpoly.edu |
| Alicia Lowers Program Administrative Analyst |
(805) 756-0672 | atedford@calpoly.edu |
| Britta Numair Marketing Manager |
(805) 756-7608 | bnumair@calpoly.edu |
| Cathe Olson IT & Registration Coordinator |
(805) 756-7141 | colson05@calpoly.edu |
| Narissa Singleton Fiscal Operations Analyst |
(805) 756-0616 | nlsingle@calpoly.edu |
| Victoria Thompson Program Coordinator |
(805) 756-0960 | vrthomps@calpoly.edu |
| Bianca Uway Director of Programming |
(805) 756-1510 | buway@calpoly.edu |
Marilyn Bishop
Program Coordinator
Email: mbisho05@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-0631
Marilyn joined EPaCE in 2024 as a Program Coordinator. She is a graduate of Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business and has a strong background in both philanthropy and program management. Prior to joining the EPaCE team, Marilyn worked in University Development and Alumni Engagement at Cal Poly as a Development Coordinator for Parent Philanthropy and Central Development.
In her current role, Marilyn manages and coordinates various programs within the Orfalea College of Business, including the Master of Science in Quantitative Economics, Master of Science in Business Analytics, MBA Fall Intersession, Professional MBA, BUS S430, and BUS S206. She also coordinates the Project Management Professional certification, Summer Springboard, BIO S411, and Quarter Plus.
More about Marilyn
Andrew Bresnan
Program Support Coordinator
Email: abresnan@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-6572
As a Program Support Coordinator, Andrew works with our Program Coordinators to facilitate the execution of the courses and programs that run through EPaCE. He works most closely in collaboration with the School of Education, online programs, and the Fire Protection Engineering Program. Andrew also works with our Registration Coordinator and the Director of Operations to ensure the completion of student enrollments, course entries, and helps to manage a shared workspace where all the various programs and workflows are kept.
Andrew came to EPaCE after working in the retail industry for over 18 years. His retail career started off as a sales associate for the Gap in Cleveland Ohio in 1995. Over the years, he worked his way into various management positions within Gap Inc., that concluded as a manager for Banana Republic in San Luis Obispo. In April 2014, he was hired as a temporary hire and then became a permanent employee in September of the same year.
More about Andrew
Christina Diaz
Executive Assistant to the Dean
Email: cdiaz46@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-0775
Christina works closely with Dean Bernard on special programs and projects, new initiatives, and personnel policies and procedures. Prior to joining the EPaCE team, Christina served as Executive Assistant to the Vice President for University Development and Alumni Engagement and CEO of the Cal Poly Foundation, providing extensive administrative support on varied projects and supporting the daily work of the Cal Poly Foundation Board. Before her time with UDAE, Christina spent over three years as the Administrative Support Coordinator to the Director of the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology (CTLT), running divisional operations and supporting faculty development.
Christina is a San Luis Obispo native and an avid supporter of the arts and education. A Cal Poly SLO alumna, she holds a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Drama from UC Irvine. Before returning to the Central Coast in 2016, she spent ten years working in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles and six years running several small businesses in NYC.
More about Christina
Rose S. Duran
Program Coordinator
Email: roduran@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-7196
Rose Duran is an Academic Program Administrator for EPaCE. She has been at the university for over twenty-four years. She currently is working with the EPaCE Dean on special projects, including employment data analysis to gauge market demand for programs offered by EPaCE.
Rose Duran has extensive business experience. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Cal Poly in Business Administration with a Concentration in Marketing and her Master of Business Administration from The University of La Verne.
More about Rose
Brian Fischer
Videographer
Email: btfische@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-7495
Brian joined the IGEE marketing team in fall of 2015 to develop videos and manage the social media accounts for the departments. With a dedicated team of student interns dubbed “The Action Team,” Brian has produced over 100 promotional videos since starting- and the production schedule shows no sign of slowing.
Brian received a BA in Film and Electronic Arts from Cal State Long Beach and worked in various film and TV productions for several years in Los Angeles. In this time the self-professed movie nerd honed his skills at Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon while filling his head with an unlimited number of movie quotes and song lyrics. Brian is happy to be putting his years of production experience to use at Cal Poly. Or as his silver screen hero would say, “The Dude abides.”
More about Brian Fischer
Erin Lastreto
Program Support Coordinator
Email: elastret@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-7420
As a Program Support Coordinator, Erin facilitates the execution of courses and programs that run through EPaCE. She works most closely managing logistics for programs such as Open University, Supportive Pathways, and summer course offerings for CAFES, OCOB, and Biological Sciences.
Erin joined Cal Poly from Cuesta College in 2020 where she was the Director of Student Success and Support. She also worked as a Study Abroad Program Coordinator at the University of San Diego and as a Spanish/English translator in Santiago, Chile. Erin holds bachelor’s degrees in communication and Spanish as well as a master’s degree in Spanish.
More about Erin
Alicia Lowers
Program Administrative Analyst
Email: atedford@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-0672
Alicia joined EPaCE in 2023 as a Program Support Coordinator. Alicia works closely with Program Coordinators to facilitate the execution of the programs within EPaCE. She assists the Quarter Plus Program Coordinator with student assistant hiring, faculty appointments, student communication and coordinating logistics and events. She also works closely with Graduate Education where she processes and oversees enrollment for programs managed by EPaCE. She previously worked for the Student Affairs department on campus where she supported the Educational Talent Search and Upward Bound programs with their administrative needs like extensive event planning, budget reconciliation, data entry, and specialized in hiring new employees. Alicia has been on campus since 2019 and her favorite part about being a Cal Poly employee is connecting with the students and staff that she meets.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her golden retriever, Beau, by taking him on walks and watching reality tv with him.
More about Alicia
Britta Numair
Marketing Manager
Email: bnumair@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-7608
Britta Numair studied Marketing and Wine & Viticulture at Cal Poly. After graduating, she began her career in the Paso Robles wine region, working with renowned wineries such as Justin, Vina Robles, and Cypher Winery. As a Direct-to-Consumer Manager, she led a wide range of marketing efforts—including email campaigns, website management, designing promotional materials, event planning, and customer engagement—while also managing sales teams and curating thoughtful wine and food pairings to elevate the guest experience. Her experience across diverse wineries gave her hands-on knowledge in areas ranging from hospitality and brand marketing to team training—and even driving a forklift.
In 2016, Britta shifted her focus to digital design and marketing, joining Cal Poly’s Extended, Professional and Continuing Education (EPaCE) team the following year. In her current role, she leads marketing strategy for a broad range of programs. Britta collaborates closely with program coordinators to define goals, identify target audiences, and develop tailored marketing materials that support program success. Outside of work, Britta enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and their ever-growing menagerie of pets—including dogs, cats, goats, and chickens.
More about Britta
Cathe Olson
IT and Registration Coordinator
Email: colson05@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-7141
Cathe is the department lead for the PeopleSoft Student Administration module. She is responsible for enrollment processes, as well as the maintenance and reporting of student records data. Cathe provides support to Extended, Professional and Continuing Education (EPaCE) staff, students, campus partners, and the community. As IT Coordinator for the department, she orders, supports, and oversees the computer software and hardware used by EPaCE staff.
Prior to joining EPaCE, Cathe worked as the Access Services Coordinator for Cal Poly’s Kennedy Library. She was department lead, overseeing the daily operations of staff and student assistants in opening and closing the library, staffing the main service point, circulating library materials, and keeping library stacks in order. She was responsible for the configuration of the Fulfillment, Reserves and User modules of the library management system.
In her spare time, Cathe writes and records her own songs.
Narissa Singleton
Fiscal Operations Analyst
Email: nlsingle@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-0616
Narissa joined EPaCE in 2023 as a Program Coordinator. Prior to joining Cal Poly, Narissa worked for Fresno State for ten years. She began her career as a student assistant and worked in various campus positions as a coordinator. Narissa has previous coordination experience with large campus events and makes it a priority to build lasting community connections.
Narissa also worked for the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology serving as the coordinator in support for agribusiness, food science and nutrition, animal science, ag education, and entomology. Narissa has her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public health. In her free time, she enjoys bodybuilding, walking her dogs, and playing video games.
More about Narissa
Victoria Thompson
Program Coordinator
Email: vrthomps@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-0960
Victoria (she/her) joined EPaCE in 2024 as a Program Coordinator. She works closely with the Cal Poly International Center, Fire Protection Engineering program, Math Academy, VISIT Cal Poly, and Quarter Plus partners. Prior to joining EPaCE Victoria recruited for study abroad programs on the West Coast and advised international students at UC Berkeley. Most recently, she was working for the culinary program at Lake Tahoe Community College and loves to show off what she learned.
In her free time Victoria enjoys exploring the area with her partner and dog. She loves attending local events like festivals, concerts, and farmer’s markets. As a newbie to the central coast, she welcomes all recommendations on enjoying the area.
More about Victoria
Bianca Uway
Director of Programming
Email: buway@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-1510
Bianca joined EPaCE in 2022 as a Fiscal Analyst. In her role Bianca works closely with the Dean and the Program Coordinators to track, execute, and evaluate financial transactions and business process, and compiling and communicating financial reports for EPaCE programs and operations.
Bianca graduated from Cal Poly SLO in 2003 with a Master in Business Administration from the Orfalea College of Business. Her career at Cal Poly SLO started in 2008 when she joined the Cal Poly Corporation as a senior Retail Analyst before joining the Office of the Registrar as an Academic Scheduler in 2013. Bianca is a passionate traveler who have lived in several countries. In her spare time, she loves to go for a walk, bake, and cook.
More about Bianca