Tina Mendoza

About Me

I joined the Department of Computer Science in November 2021.  Prior to this, I served as the graduate program coordinator in the Communication Department, where I learned how much I truly love working with graduate students.  In my role as the GPC, I keep CS graduate students on track, support them along the way to their degree completion, and act as a point of contact for communications between the student, the Graduate College, and the faculty.  I like to think of it as supporting students from application to graduation and whatever life brings in between, as well as seeing them succeed as alumni.    
I greatly value the educational process, sometimes having carved out degree paths for myself while working full time and raising a family.  My education began at Phoenix College, where I completed an AAS in Fire Science and Emergency Medical Technology.  I was an AZ licensed EMT and earned a Firefighter II certification through the AZ State Fire Marshall’s office.  After a long break in schooling, I came to the University of Arizona and completed a BA in Linguistics, specializing in Celtic Languages and participating in the Honors College.  My next adventure would take me to Harvard University, where I had the opportunity to complete coursework in graduate writing.  More recently, after returning to Tucson, I completed a Master’s in Library and Information Science through the University of Arizona’s Knowledge River Scholars program.   
In my free time, I like to keep moving.  I play both co-ed and women’s league soccer, enjoy hiking, cycling, and sometimes brushing up on Irish traditional dancing.  I am a beginner drummer and have been trying to learn to play guitar lately.  I also enjoy reading on a large variety of subjects, attempting to knit, and making costumes whenever I have extra time.  Luckily, my husband and 6 children enjoy many of these activities, too, so we have a lot of fun together! 

Favorite books: An Táin Bó Cúailnge, Dune, anything Tolkien, history, science, linguistics, and other non-fiction.  
Favorite TV shows: Ted Lasso, Star Trek, Loki, Big Little Lies 
Favorite movies: It’s a Wonderful Life, Lawrence of Arabia, all the Marvel Films
Favorite music: nearly everything from Tommy Dorsey to Public Enemy.
Favorite quotes: 
- “My optimism wears heavy boots and is loud” -Henry Rollins
- “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud” -Maya Angelou
- “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” -Marcus Aurelius