Meet the Staff

Tim Topper, M. Ed.

Director

Tim (Cheyenne River Sioux) is the Director for the UC San Diego Intertribal Resource Center. Before joining the ITRC team, Tim worked closely with Indigenous students, staff, and faculty at the University of California Los Angeles as the Student Affairs Officer for the Department of American Indian Studies. Tim earned his Bachelor’s degree from Fort Lewis College in Geology during 2015, his Master’s in Education from Texas Tech University in 2017, and is finishing his Doctorate of Education at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education. His current research focuses on flipping the script on deficit-based, Indigenous research and aims to build upon the index of Native scholarship focusing on place-and-asset-based factors Indigenous students attribute to their success in California 4-year intuitions of higher education.

Corrine Hensley-Dellefield, M.A.

Assistant Director

Corrine (Catawba) is the Assistant Director for the UC San Diego Intertribal Resource Center. Prior to joining our campus, she served as the Center Specialist for the STEM Tutoring Center at Cuyamaca Community College. During her time at Cuyamaca, she served as a staff advisor for the Native American Student Alliance and served on the Student Success and Equity Committee for the college. Corrine received her Master's Degree in Applied Anthropology from San Diego State University. Her research focused on Indigenous Southern Californian religious life and landscapes, cultural programming, and the decolonization of academic research. As a graduate student, she served as the coordinator for the Native peer mentoring program, Elymash Yuuchaap.

Michaela Allen-Sanchez, M.A.

Facilities, Operations, & Student Programs Coordinator

Michaela (Lipan Apache & Mexican-American) is the Facilities, Operations, & Student Programs Coordinator for the UC San Diego Intertribal Resource Center. Michaela received her Master's Degree in Student Affairs Administration from Michigan State University, where she was the Graduate Intern for the Gender and Sexuality Campus Center and the Outreach Chair for the Indigenous Graduate Student Collective. They graduated with their B.A. in Communication and Sociology from UC Santa Barbara in 2021. At UC Santa Barbara, Michaela was the Peer Mentor for the American Indian and Indigenous Cultural Resource Center and the inaugural Two-Spirit Empowerment Peer at the Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity. Michaela is passionate about increasing support, belonging, and educational opportunities for Native and Indigenous students, with a focus on Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer students.

Cheron Laughing, M.L.S., M.A. 

Graduate Student Assistant

Cheron A. Laughing (she/her) is a proud citizen of the Navajo Nation and her clans are Dziłtł’ahnii (Mountain Cove), Kinyaa’áani (Towering House People), Tó Dích’íi’nii (Bitter Water), and Ma’ii Deeshgiizhinii (Coyote Pass). She is currently a third year Ph.D. student in the Ethnic Studies Department at UC San Diego and is also a student coordinator for the Native American and Indigenous Studies Program. Her past education includes a Master’s in Ethnic Studies from UC San Diego, a Master’s of Legal Studies with a concentration in Indigenous Peoples Law & Policy from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from Dartmouth College. Upon receiving her Ph.D., Cheron plans to work in Native Higher Education and some day be a dean or provost of a tribal college.

Christine Frazier

Student Assistant

Christine Frazier (Cheyenne River Sioux) is a Student Assistant for the UC San Diego Intertribal Resource Center. She is a current fourth year undergraduate student studying Ecology, Behavior, & Evolution at UC San Diego. Christine has been an active member of the Native American and Indigenous Student Alliance (NAISA). She previously served as the Kumeyaay Garden Coordinator and the SPACES NAISA Community Retention Coordinator. This year, she is currently serving as Co-Chair and as the SPACES NAISA Community Retention Coordinator for a second year. Once graduating from UC San Diego, Christine plans to attend graduate school and receive her master’s degree. She hopes to one day serve and give back to Indian Country by opening up a sanctuary that offers affordable animal healthcare services for animals living on reservations. 

Kal Lising

Student Assistant

Kal (Oneida) is a Student Assistant for the UC San Diego Intertribal Resource Center. Kal is currently a fourth-year undergraduate student in Muir college and is majoring in Human Developmental Sciences with a specialization in Healthy Aging, as well as minoring in Sociology. Growing up, Kal would attend local events put on by the tribes of the San Diego area with their family. Now, with more perspective from their schooling, they want to work with the local community. Their goals are to pursue a Master's or Doctorate's degree in Occupational Therapy and work with fellow Native OT's in the field to research and implement Indigenous-centered practices for Natives with disabilities.

Melanie Estrella

Student Assistant

Melanie (Pascua Yaqui) is a Student Assistant for the UC San Diego Intertribal Resource Center. Melanie is currently a fourth-year undergraduate student at UC San Diego, with a double major in Sociology-Science and Medicine and Global Health, as well as a minor in Native American/Indigenous Studies. Prior to joining the ITRC staff, she volunteered consistently for the ITRC, doing outreach to local tribes and helping with on-campus tours. In addition, she served as the Student Affirmative Actions Committee NAISA (Native American Indigenous Student Alliance) Representative for UCSD’s Associated Students. Melanie is the current Co-Chair of NAISA. After she obtains her undergraduate degree, she plans to go to graduate school and hopes to work for an Indian Health Clinic.