Dr. Veri Chavarin

Having had to translate for my Spanish speaking parents since I was five years old, I am passionate about teaching others and believe that empathy and emotional intelligence are my greatest gifts in creating bridges to connect people, resources, and information. After my four-year-old son Elijah was recently diagnosed with Autism, I have redirected my passion towards helping empower communities and families with the knowledge and resources they need to help their children thrive.

I graduated with a BA in Theater Arts from the University of California Los Angeles, and later went on to earn an MEd in Educational Counseling and an EdD in Higher Education from the University of Southern California. I have worked as a Program Administrator and Counselor for over 25 years at various institutions, including UCLA, USC, and more recently UCSD, where I coordinate the PhD Program in Anthropology. I also have extensive knowledge and experience in college admissions, recruitment and outreach, student retention, assessment, program management, and academic success and counseling-related curricular development. While working at USC, I Co-founded the Predoctoral Institute for First Generation and Diverse Students to help close the achievement gap related to communities of color pursuing a doctoral education.