About Us

MISSION
The Department of Student Development and Transitional Programs connects, develops, and celebrates our students through impactful events and programs that foster a sense of community, belonging, and life-long learning. 

-          Connecting new students and families to CSUN through engaging orientation experiences; 

-          Developing academic and personal growth through mentorship programs; and,

-          Celebrating student achievements at commencement.

VISION:
Through equitably centered program engagement and support of students, families, and the community, we will develop life-long-learning skills and personal agency to address the address the needs of the ever-evolving student population.

Christopher J. R. Aston
Director, Student Development & Transitional Programs
(818) 677-2393 | christopher.aston@csun.edu

Christopher Aston is responsible for programs and services within the Office of Student Development & Transitional Programs (SDTP) and has been involved in the creation and implementation of university events and programs that bookend student life at CSUN for over 20 years. Areas within his portfolio include New Student Orientation (NSO) for freshman, transfer, and international student populations, university commencements and convocations and other welcoming and transition related events as well as the management and supervision of talented professional staff, student coordinators, and more than 250 leaders and mentors charged with supporting the continuous process of integrating new students into the academic, cultural and social context at CSUN. His guidance and leadership extend past the SDTP as an adjunct professor through undergraduate studies, instructing courses for University 100, the Freshman Seminar at CSUN. Additionally, Christopher has taught courses in the Department of Communication Studies, where he received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Gabrielle Danis 
Assistant Director - New Student Experiences
gabrielle.danis@csun.edu

Gabrielle Danis provides oversight for the coordination and planning of family and transitional student programs. Ms. Danis has worked for the university professionally since 2016. She first began working for the Office of Student Development as a student assistant before transitioning to her professional career as the Program Director for the CSUN Mentorship Program.  Ms. Danis attended California State University, Northridge (CSUN) for her undergraduate degree and received her Master's in Education from the University of Southern California (USC) in 2018. She has experience with developing programs for 200+ students, staff, and faculty - particularly in targeted retention efforts of first-year students. Ms. Danis is well-versed in all it means to be a CSUN Matador. Her professional philosophy is "to be a resource for all students I serve, both as a mentor and advocate, and assist them in their right to a quality education."

 Sabrina Gak
Commencement & Transitional Events Coordinator
sabrina.aguilar@csun.edu

Rose Merida | roselva.merida@csun.edu
Activities Coordinator
New Student Orientation

Yannelli Mejia | yannelli.mejia@csun.edu 
Ticketing and Technology Coordinator 
Commencement

Theresa Hadden | theresa.hadden@csun.edu
Office Manager 

Tammy Serrano |
Budget Analyst