Maria is the Financial & Administrative Assistant for the Department of Communication, beginning in May 2024. Maria is an Administrative & Financial professional from LA who has been serving the community in the Santa Barbara area for the last 7 years. After receiving her AA from El Camino College, she completed her BA in Art History & Architecture with Museum Emphasis at UCSB in 2019. She has spent her career supporting the city, the county, and the state in various departments ranging from Arts & Culture to Education, most recently supporting the IT department at the SB County Education Office. In the future, she looks to pursue her Master's in Business Administration. In her personal time, she enjoys relaxing with a book, perfecting her makeup looks, competing with her husband in Mario Kart, or taking aim at an Archery range. When she isn’t engaging in these activities, she can be found visiting her family in LA or taking trips to various locations around California.
In her role, Maria manages accounts for the department, including Faculty Start-up/Retention, ASEN, FRAP & Misc. Grant Funding for Faculty & Grad Students. She is the primary Flexcard Purchaser for all department discretionary and faculty funds including equipment, books, supplies, human subject payments, memberships, etc. and assists faculty processing travel and entertainment reimbursement requests in Concur. She also is the department timekeeper, including user setup and timecard approval in Kronos. She provides high level oversight for departmental special events and space logistics.