Administrative & Financial Coordinator
Role at Bren: Charlyna supports administrative and financial operations at the Bren School with a focus on travel coordination, front desk supervision, and facilities support. She processes all domestic travel planning and reimbursements, manages and supervises the Bren School Front Desk, and coordinates office space assignments in Bren Hall. She also oversees visitor onboarding, Access Card (UCSB ID card) requests, and locker assignments for Master’s students. Additionally, she assists with Dean calendaring requests and supports the Purchasing Coordinator with Bren Garb coordination. Her role connects her with students, faculty, staff, and visitors, and she is passionate about creating an organized, welcoming environment for the entire Bren community.
Professional Background: Charlyna has been part of the Bren Finance Team since the Spring of 2023, and began working at UCSB in the Summer of 2016. Her previous work experience began with 4 years in the area of Academic Personnel in the Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science Departments. This included highly detailed payroll entry, as well as implementing faculty recruitments and faculty career reviews/advancements. From there, Charlyna changed career paths briefly to work at the Art & Architecture Services Desk in the UCSB Library for two years as a Services Desk Supervisor until it was permanently closed. These combined job experiences led to Charlyna finally finding her niche on campus with the Finance Team at the Bren School.
Education: BA in the History of Art & Architecture (Museum Studies emphasis) from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB).
Favorite Aspect of Bren/Why You Work At Bren: There are so many things I enjoy about the Bren School! Assisting visitors and Brennies alike with their travel needs combines my professional responsibilities with my personal passion for exploring the world. I’m also grateful to work alongside the Finance Team! My colleagues are not only very skilled, but also supportive and fun, making every day both productive and enjoyable. The staff culture at Bren is really something special, and I’m proud to be part of it. One of the most rewarding parts of my role is supervising the Front Desk Student Assistants, and watching them grow and gain confidence as employees is something I cherish. It’s also inspiring to be surrounded by dedicated faculty and grad students who are deeply committed to creating real-world environmental impacts. Oh, and the view. Let’s not forget the dazzling ocean view from Bren Hall!
Personal Interests: I was born and raised in Santa Barbara with an adventurous spirit, a love for the outdoors, and for the arts. I enjoy spending time at the beach with my husband and our two dogs. I stay active by hiking the local front country trails, attending boot camp classes, and have recently taken up mountain biking at Elwood, More Mesa, and Elings Park. I also love the energy and connection of live music, especially attending rock concerts whenever I get the chance. I balance all of this with more quiet activities like yoga, reading fantasy novels, or DSLR photography. As a lifelong learner and traveler, I have a love for culture, art, music, cuisine, and of course, nature (and I really love dogs too).