Task Force Members

Presidential Task Force on Student Activities and Safety

Task force group members may identify additional participants based on experience and expertise. Member bios are listed below.

Presidential Task Force on Alcohol and Substance Misuse

 

Task Force Member Bios

Randy Timm

Dr. Randy Timm, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at SDSU, is responsible for student life, student development and academic success initiatives at the University.

Since arriving at SDSU in 2003, Timm has held several leadership roles on campus, including Director of Residential Education, Director of Student Life & Leadership and Co-Founder of the SDSU Leadership Summit. Timm also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the College of Education and teaches in the SDSU Leadership Minor.

Timm is an Aztec for Life. He received his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from SDSU.

Caitlin Roberts 

Caitlin Roberts currently serves as the Director of Fraternity & Sorority Life at the University of Oregon. She has worked in a variety of roles with fraternities and sororities, student organizations, and alumni relations at Chapman University, Long Beach State University, and University of North Georgia. 

Roberts served as the first Chair of the Board of Directors for the Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values, and has volunteered in numerous roles for the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors and her own organization, Kappa Delta. 

Roberts is a graduate of California State University, San Bernardino and has a master’s in Psychology from Pepperdine University. Caitlin resides in Eugene, Oregon.

Antionette Marbray 

Antionette Marbray serves as Associate Vice President for Student Affairs. Marbray has more than 20 years of experience in higher education, primarily in Student Affairs and higher education law and risk management.

Prior to joining SDSU, Marbray held administrative leadership positions at the University of Florida and Bowie State University. These positions included serving as Assistant General Counsel and Interim Vice President and General Counsel, respectively. Immediately prior to joining SDSU, Ms. Marbray served as Director of Title IX and Equal Opportunity Employment Programs at the University of San Diego.Ms. Marbray joined SDSU’s Student Affairs leadership team during summer 2015.

Marbray’s professional experiences working in student development, as well as in capacities as a Title IX director and general counsel at several universities, give her a unique perspective as she embarks in the Associate Vice President role.

Marbray holds a Juris Doctorate from Duke University, a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Florida, and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of South Florida.

Jessica Rentto 

As the Associate Vice President of Administration, Jessica Rentto develops, recommends and
implements university policies and strategies to manage safety, risk, legal and human resource
issues facing San Diego State University. Rentto oversees University Police, Risk Management, the Center for Human Resources, Employee Relations and Compliance, and Environmental Health and Safety.

Rentto also acts as SDSU’s Title IX Coordinator and is responsible for coordinating the university’s efforts to comply with its obligations under Title IX and the Title IX regulations. These responsibilities include co-chairing the SDSU Sexual Violence Task Force, as well as coordinating investigations of complaints of sexual assault and sexual violence. She regularly provides trainings, consultation and technical assistance to students, faculty and staff on various subjects including risk management, employment and labor issues, Title IX and legal issues.

Prior to coming to SDSU in 2006, Rentto was a practicing attorney, specializing in discrimination and harassment law. Rentto graduated from Duke University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy Studies and she obtained her Juris Doctorate from University of San Diego School of Law.

Christy Samarkos 

Christy Samarkos, whose professional career in Student Affairs spans more than 20 years, served in a number of progressively responsible roles at SDSU before being appointed Interim Vice President for Student Affairs. She has a broad range of leadership achievements and expertise in academic preparation; student advising, counseling, leadership training and development; co-curricular and multicultural programming; and staff development.

Samarkos is an advocate of student leadership development and success. Driven by collaboration and authentic leadership, Samarkos has devoted her career to advancing and adopting research-driven and data-informed practices that help ensure that programs and initiatives drive each student's propensity for personal, academic and, ultimately, career success.

Under Samarkos' leadership, the Division has continued to grow and also introduced a number of initiatives to build a community of support and leadership participation aimed at improving students' overall persistence and graduation rates.

Samarkos holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Concordia College in Minnesota, a Bachelor of Science in Special Education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and a Master of Science in Counseling with a specialization in College Student Personnel from Shippensburg University.

Lee Abed 

Biographical information is forthcoming.

Rana Sampson 

Biographical information is forthcoming.

Bobby Smitheran 

Bobby Smitheran is in his 12th year at San Diego State University, the past five serving as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Academic Support Services. Smitheran manages a comprehensive academic support program, which includes academic advising, academic mentoring, tutoring and a holistic student-athlete development program.

As a member of the Division of Student Affairs management team, Smitheran serves as the athletic department’s liaison to various campus partners. He has served on the University’s Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Task Force the past five years and is the lead administrator for the athletic department’s institutional drug testing program.

In his current role, Smitheran developed a summer orientation and retention program, "Healthy Start” and "Wellness Wednesdays", for first-time freshman and transfer student-athletes. He also conceptualized and implemented a four-year leadership and life skills program, "Aztecs Going Pro", to foster student-athletes' academic, personal and professional development.

Erik Johannesen 

Erik Johannesen is a member of Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity, having served as President. Johannesen was later employed by the fraternity's national organization for two years as its expansion director. For the last 10 years, Johannesen has served as an member of the Alumni Corporation Board and currently serves as Chapter Adviser.

Johannesen graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1981.

Karly Nolan 

Karly Nolan is a fourth-year San Diego State University student in the School of Journalism & Media Studies, with an emphasis in Public Relations. Nolan is currently employed by Associated Students as an event programmer for Union events and, during the 2019-2020 academic year, coordinated Homecoming and GreenFest week. Nolan has also served on the Leadership Team for Dance Marathon at SDSU, the largest philanthropic organization on campus. Recently, Nolan ended a term as the Vice President of Membership for the College Panhellenic Association.

Ben Clay 

Ben Clay has retired as a founding partner with Carpi and Clay, a government relations firm with offices in Sacramento, San Diego and Washington D.C. For 35 years he specialized in legislative and administrative advocacy at the State of California, representing public agencies, private companies and not for profit organizations.

Currently, Clay serves on the boards of the San Diego Symphony, the Qualcomm Stadium advisory Board where he was appointed by the Mayor of San Diego, the San Diego River Conservancy, where he was appointed by the Governor and where he has served for 10 years as Board Chair. He also serves as the Chair of the USS Midway Foundation Board and serves on the USS Midway Board of Directors. He is also a member of the San Diego Economic Development Corporation Strategic Roundtable.

Clay is past President and current member of the San Diego Rotary Club, and a former past President of the San Diego Symphony. He has served on the boards of the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, The Maritime Museum of San Diego, the San Diego Natural History Museum. He and his wife, Nikki Clay, co-chaired the San Diego State University Centennial Celebration, and the City of San Diego`s Balboa Park Centennial Celebration and Ben chaired the SD Rotary Club Centennial Celebration.

A graduate of SDSU, Clay holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration and was recognized as one of the 50 top graduates for the school. The Clays were recognized for their contributions over the years at SDSU by having the entrance to SDSU named the Clay Gates. Nikki and Ben Clay were honored as SDSU's "Alumni of the Year" in 1998.

Ben Clay is a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, was active in student government while at SDSU and served as a Captain in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps from 1969-1972.

Mike Pack 

Biographical information is forthcoming.

Rachel Gregg 

Rachel Gregg joined SDSU in 2017 as the Community Relations Manager. In that position, she worked to strengthen the relationships between SDSU and the communities that surround our campus. Gregg, Director of Government and Community Relations, acts as the liaison between SDSU and its San Diego delegation. Additionally, she works with the Associated Students to help improve student and community relations and sits on the College Area Planning Group as well as the College Area Business District Board of Directors.

Prior to SDSU, Gregg worked for nearly 10 years in the California State Legislature, it was here she became active in many of the diverse communities in and around San Diego County. She cultivated relationships with elected officials, staff and community leaders. She began her career in former State Senator Denise Moreno Ducheny’s district office, was Communications Director for Assemblymember Mary Salas, and most recently she was a Senior Field Representative for Speaker Emeritus Toni Atkins.

Gregg is a third-generation native San Diegan and proud alumna of SDSU, earning her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 2006.

Christian Holt 

Christian Holt is currently serving in several leadership positions at SDSU establishing himself as a well-respected campus member and supportive community ally. Holt's service committments include the Student Director of the Black Affinity Group, the Co-director of Tijuana Home-Build, the President of the Collegiate Black Caucus of SDSU, a member of Rotaract, a Community Assistant in Residential Education, and a Student-At0Large on the Associated Students Board of Directors.

Christian Onwuka

SDSU Associated Students President Christian Onwuka is a senior from Southeast San Diego, California. He is pursuing a Business Administration degree with an emphasis in Finance, accompanied by an Honors minor in Interdisciplinary Studies through the Weber Honors College.

Onwuka’s involvement with Associated Students began in 2016 when he served as a delegate on the Fowler College of Business Council. During his time on the council he saw the potential impact he could have on the lives of students both on and off campus, and this served as the start of his A.S. service.

Josh Mays 

Police Chief Josh Mays has 20 years of law enforcement experience and has been working at the San Diego State University Police Department since late 2003. He has served in all ranks, and was appointed to Chief of Police in May 2016.

Chief Mays holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminology and master’s degree in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding. Part of his leadership philosophy encompasses focusing on people by creating opportunities where all feel comfortable expressing their thoughts, perceptions, and ideas. Mays further believes that developing long-lasting relationships with the community is integral to improving the safety and quality of life for all who live, study, work and visit SDSU.

Frank Churchill 

Biographical information is forthcoming.

John Clapp 

Dr. John D. Clapp is a nationally recognized expert in issues related to alcohol use among college students. Clapp is former Director of the U.S. Department of Education’s Higher Education Center for Alcohol, Drug and Violence Prevention. He also served on the U.S. Center for Substance Abuse’s National Advisory Council (2012-2015). With over $30,000,000 in extramural funding, Clapp’s research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Education and the Conrad Hilton Foundation among numerous other sources. 

Clapp is the author of more than 100 peer-reviewed publications in top tier substance use journals. Based on his work, Clapp was named the 2018 Research Laureate for The American Academy of Health Behavior (AAHB). He is currently Professor of Social Work and Preventive Medicine at the University of Southern California.

Richard J. Moyer III, PsyD

Richard J. Moyer III is a licensed psychologist and one of the founding developers of the eCHECKUP TO GO Programs, created in 2001 at SDSU Counseling & Psychological Services (C&PS). 

Moyer has worked with psychologists and researchers in four countries to develop alcohol and other drug prevention and intervention tools for more than 600 universities, high schools, community centers and U.S. military bases. He has also served the SDSU community in myriad roles for the last 20 years, including as a counselor at C&PS and as an advisor in the University Honors Program and Academic Advising Center.

María Luisa Zúñiga 

Dr. María Luisa Zúñiga is a Professor in the School of Social Work at San Diego State University (SDSU) and Associate Adjunct Professor in the Division of Global Public Health and Department of Pediatrics, UC San Diego (UCSD). She serves as the Campus Director of the SDSU-UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Interdisciplinary Research on Substance Use.

Zúñiga is an epidemiologist who conducts transnational and Community-Based Participatory Research to study the intersection of alcohol and drug use, mental health, TB/HIV and sexual risk behaviors in order to reduce problems that contribute to poor health. She is the co-faculty advisor for SDSU's Aztecs for Recovery, a student-led program to reduce stigma and provide suport to students and other members of the SDSU community in their journey to heal from addition to substances. Zúñiga supports principles of harm reduction to address substance use prevention, treatment and recovery where respect, dignity and autonomy of each individuals is at the core of her collective work and research.

Mark Reed

Dr. Mark Reed is the Associate Dean for Research in the SDSU College of Health and Human Services and a Professor in the School of Social Work. He is a founding faculty member in the SDSU/UCSD Interdisciplinary Research on Substance Use doctoral program.

Reed’s research focuses on alcohol and other drug use etiology and prevention as well as Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) approaches to alcohol misuse. He is well published in top substance use/public health journals and has served as Principal Investigator,
Co-Principal Investigator, or Co-Investigator on grants and contracts funded by the National
Institutes of Health (NIAAA), the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program,
California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program, the Flight Attendants Medical Research Institute, and The Ohio State University.