Latisha Clerkley

Graduate Assistant, The Cultural Center 
303-871-7930| Email | 1927 S York Street 

Latisha is a first-year graduate student at Morgridge College of Education pursuing a Master's degree in Higher Education. Prior to attending the University of Denver, she attended Lamar University where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. While obtaining her undergraduate degree, she worked as a student peer mentor and student director of a transitions program. There, she focused on student success and has grown to love working in an academic setting. As a peer mentor, she acquired much appreciation for the administrative side of academia. It was there, that she was able to impact students' lives by guiding and assisting in their transition into college life. A year later, she would become a student director for the program that helped lead her to where she is today. Indeed, as a peer mentor she found her passion to aid other students to be successful; as a student director she learned what it took to be a professional in a career.

Latisha works with the Excelling Leaders Institute (ELI) at the University of Denver Cultural Center. ELI, a program that has grown throughout 14 years, was created to build leaders from traditionally marginalized backgrounds. Latisha, being a part of a marginalized group herself, finds passion in empowering students of color to reach their full leadership potential. Continuing to fuel that passion, in her spare time, she volunteers at East High School where she mentors juniors and seniors to aid in bridging the gap between college access and marginalized communities.

Graduate Assistant, The Cultural Center
303-871-7930 | Email | 1927 S York Street

Alondra is a first-year graduate student at Morgridge College of Education pursuing a master's degree in Higher Education. Prior to attending DU, Alondra held many leadership roles throughout her undergraduate institution and earned a bachelor's degree in Art Education from California State University, Chico. Some of those roles included being a mentor for low-income high school and undergraduate students through Educational Talent Search, personal tutor for middle school migrant students through Mini-Corp, Resident Advisor for Chico State's housing department, and being a teacher assistant for a high school art teacher and the Janet Turner's Art Museum. She enjoys working with students to guide them towards post-secondary education and helping them successfully graduate.

Alondra works with DU undergraduates to provide leadership development and a sense of belonging on campus through the Cultural Center services. She does cultural programming, regularly meets with student leaders, meets with affinity groups, and reaches out to historically marginalized students to monitor their engagement and academic needs. On the side, she also works with Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) at Abraham Lincoln High School to guide low-income and first-generation students through the matriculation into post-secondary education.

Chenthu Jayachandiran, M.Sc.

Director, The Cultural Center
303-871-7930 | Email | 1927 S York Street

Chenthu (He/him/his) is originally from Colombo, Sri Lanka and came to the United States in the Fall of 1999 to pursue an undergraduate education at the University of Wisconsin- Superior. He was introduced to a career in higher education administration during his time in Residence Life, and Student Government while at Wisconsin and subsequently pursued his Master's in Counseling Education at the same institution.

After serving a stint as a Resident Director at Western Washington University, Chenthu enrolled in a Doctoral program in Communication Studies at the University of Iowa, where his research focuses on everyday conversations about identity. Additionally he was the primary instructor in several communications classes including intercultural communication, conflict communication, and interpersonal communication. Having completed his course work, Chenthu is currently completing his dissertation. In his most recent position as the Director of Multicultural Programs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, he was responsible for the overall strategy for advancing students toward multicultural sophistication. This included curricular, co-curricular and policy based decision making, execution and assessment.

In his spare time, Chenthu loves to read, play a good game of chess or tennis or go hiking in the mountains with his wife Audrey. An avid fan of cooking he also enjoys experimenting with fusing Sri Lankan foods with a western twist and hosting dinners for friends and colleagues. Let's welcome Chenthu to the team!

Cody Ortiz-Oldham

Assistant Director, Gender and Sexuality and LGBTQ+ Initiatives 
303-871-3061 | Email | 1927 S York Street 

Cody Ortiz-Oldham is a 6th generation Denver Native, with strong cultural and familial ties to the North American Southwest including Mexico. Their personal identities include Xicanx (Latinx), indigenous (Hopi/Sandia), Two-Spirit, LGBTQ+, disabled and first-generation high school and college graduate. They proudly earned their first college degree at Red Rocks Community as a non-traditional adult student. Following this, Cody completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and a Master of Arts Degree in Applied Psychology with a specialization in Inclusion and Diversity from Regis University.

As the Assistant Director of Gender and Sexuality in the Cultural Center, Cody collaborates with departments across the Student Affairs Division in an effort to create an inclusive college environment for DU's LGBTQ+ student community. Cody has over 20 years of experience conducting advocacy and educational workshops focused in LGBTQ+ community issues, race, gender, accessibility and interfaith spirituality. They specialize in topics related to gender, human sexuality and transgender and gender-expansive identities. In addition to college campuses, Cody regularly presents for non-profit organizations and community organizers, K-12 students and educators, civic and political organizations as well as professional development seminars for businesses. Cody has a huge passion for creating systems of equality and equity throughout all levels of the educational system—from preschool to higher education. They love to share strategies with anyone who will listen, in hopes of co-creating spaces of shared mutual respect and authenticity for All within our communities.

Jasmine Pulce, MEd

Assistant Director, Race and Ethnicity and Affinity Group Student Support
303-871-7679 | Email | Driscoll Center North, 018E

Jasmine is a native of Kentucky who comes to DU most recently from Dallas, Texas. She is an alumnae of the University of Kentucky, where she earned her BS in Kinesiology, and of the University of North Texas, where she earned her MEd in Higher Education. 

Jasmine began her career in student affairs at her undergraduate institution as a student leader in various affinity groups. After graduation, she transitioned into a Program Coordinator role at the University of Kentucky (UK) Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Center. There, she planned programs and brought speakers to campus to promote the diversity and identity development of students. In addition to providing general advocacy and support for students, she also helped establish a student group for Queer People of Color. After leaving UK to pursue her graduate degree, Jasmine joined the University of North Texas where she worked as a Graduate Assistant for both the Emerald Eagle Scholars Program and the Meadows Center for Health Resources.

Jasmine works with DU undergraduate Student Alliances (Joint Council) to strengthen and expand leadership and programming, coordinate planning for Heritage and History Months. She is proud to have founded the DU Pride Lounge and to launch the DU Transfer Living Community residential program in Fall 2017. Jasmine is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Higher Education at the Morgridge College of Education and hopes to graduate in 2022.