Campus Directory

Pronouns she, her, her, hers, herself

Division Academic Affairs

Department/College/Unit Academic Affairs

Title Director of Strategy and Chief of Staff, Academic Affairs

Affiliation Staff

Other UCSC Campus Affiliation Academic Affairs
Academic Personnel Office

Staff Type Administrator

Web Site

Primary Office Location Remote work location

Additional Location(s) Remote

Mail Stop Chancellor's Office

Biography, Education and Training

Andrea Cohen currently works at the University of California Santa Cruz serving as the Director of Strategy and Chief of Staff in the Division of Academic Affairs. She has worked in higher education administration for over 25 years. Before that, she worked in environmental multi-party conflict resolution. From Sept. 2023 to Jan. 2025, Andrea served as the Interim Executive Director for the Arboretum & Botanic Garden. From 2021-2023, Andrea served as Founding Chair of the Campus Advisory Committee on the Status of Womxn (CACSW). She is also the Vice President of the Upsilon Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa (PBK). In Nov. 2024, Andrea was named State Chair for the American Council on Education (ACE) Women's Network Northern California.

Andrea earned a Masters in Public Administration and a BA in Geography with a focus on conservation and resource management. She is a Certified Workplace Mindfulness Facilitator and a trained Sustained Dialogue Institute Facilitator. She co-facilitates cohorts of the University of California Systemwide Women's Initiative (UCWI) for Professional Development and offers workshops to graduate students on “Listening, Mentoring, Coaching, and Advising” and “Everyday Negotiations” and to the campus’s Leadership Academy on “Change Management” and “Leadership Interviewing.”

In all that she does, Andrea aims to give back and elevate others. She does what is within her influence to foster belonging, connection, collaborative and equity-minded leadership, active listening, and practices to show care, kindness and compassion, and ultimately work in support of our collective growth, well-being, resilience, and success. When not working, she enjoys visiting with family and friends, yoga, hiking and exploring, cooking, and traveling.

Summary of Expertise

*Strategic planning, visioning, and organizational development

*Communications and community-building

*Analysis and administration

*Project and program management

*Facilitation, workshop development, and delivery

*Leadership development, executive recruiting, and fundraising

*Founding Chair of the Campus Advisory Committee on the Status of Womxn (CACSW)

Research Interests

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging and Accessibility

Leadership Development

Public Administration

Neurobiology

Conversation & Resource Management

Geography

Teaching Interests

Change Management

Listening, Mentoring, Coaching and Advising

Everyday Negotiation

Awards, Honors and Grants

Phi Beta Kappa (PBK)

Pi Alpha Alpha (PAA)