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Career Staff

  • Dr. Tricia Bertram Gallant

    Dr. Tricia Bertram Gallant

    Director

    Dr. Bertram Gallant joined UC San Diego in August 2006 as the University's first Academic Integrity Coordinator. She is now the Director of the Academic Integrity Office and the Triton Testing Center. Dr. Bertram Gallant is an internationally known expert on integrity and ethics in education. She has consulted with or presented at high schools, colleges, universities and professional associations throughout the U.S. and around the world, including in Australia, Canada, Chile, Egypt, England, Jamaica, Mexico, Montenegro, Singapore, and Ukraine. She is the author of numerous journal articles and book chapters, as well as author of "Academic Integrity in the Twenty-First Century" (Jossey-Bass, 2008), co-author of "Cheating in School" (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), editor of "Creating the Ethical Academy" (Routledge, 2011), section editor for the Handbook of Academic Integrity (Springer, 2016), and co-editor of Cheating Academic Integrity: Lessons Learned from 30 Years of Research. Tricia is a long-time leader with the International Center for Academic Integrity (ICAI), of which UC San Diego is an institutional member, including serving as their Advisory Council Chair (2008-2010), Transition Co-Chair (2015-2017) and member Board of Directors (2017-2020). In 2018, Tricia was the first recipient and namesake of the Award for Service presented by ICAI. Tricia is also an active member of the National College Testing Association (NCTA), serving on the Academic Integrity Community of Practice and a regular conference speaker. 

    Her new book (with David Rettinger) - "The Opposite of Cheating: Teaching for Integrity in the Age of AI" - will be released on March 11, 2025 by University of Oklahoma Press under their Teaching, Engaging and Thriving in Higher Ed Series.

  • Taylor Jackson-Vachon

    Taylor Jackson-Vachon

    Manager

    Taylor joined the Triton Testing Center staff in the spring of 2022. Before coming to UC San Diego, Taylor worked as a Spanish teacher for 10 years at both the collegiate and K-12 school level. He graduated from Berry College in Mt. Berry, Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and from the University of Arizona with a master’s degree in Latin American Studies. Taylor was raised in Atlanta, Georgia and is an avid supporter of Atlanta United FC (Go Five Stripes!). When he’s not working at the TTC, Taylor loves to cook, travel, and spend time with his spouse and dog on the many beaches of San Diego.

  • Vanessa Samson

    Vanessa Samson

    Assistant Manager

    Vanessa graduated cum laude from UC Riverside in 2019 with a B.A. in Psychology. In March 2022, she joined as both the administrative assistant at the Office for Students of Disabilities and Triton Testing Center. She currently oversees day to day operations, the proctor pool, and serves as one of the main points of contacts of the TTC. Vanessa enjoys working with students and is excited to be part of the growing TTC Team. When away from the office, she enjoys binge watching and appreciates any show recommendations.

  • Brenda Cruz

    Brenda Cruz

    Testing Specialist

    Brenda joined the Triton Testing Center as a 50% Testing Specialist in October 2024. Prior to joining us, she worked as an educator, primarily with first-generation high school students pursuing higher education. She holds a bachelor's degree in Communications from UC Santa Barbara and is currently working towards a degree in Cardiovascular Technology to become a Cardiac Sonographer. In her free time, Brenda enjoys a variety of activities, from exploring new coffee shops, binging a good TV show or playing soccer. 

  • Gerardo Gardner

    Gerardo Gardner

    Testing Specialist

    Gerardo Gardner Jr. is a Testing Specialist for the Triton Testing Center. He graduated from the University of California, Davis in 2020 with a degree in Sociology. He is in the process of pursuing a Masters degree in education and hopes to help students as a school counselor one day. He enjoys trying new food, listening to music, traveling, and playing multiple sports.

  • Lynn Phillips

    Lynn Phillips

    Testing Specialist

    Lynn Phillips joined the Triton Testing Center as a Testing Specialist in March of 2024 as a TES employee and is continuing as of November 2024 as a Career staff member.  She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Central State University with a bachelor's degree in education and is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Learning Design and Technology.  Although originally from North Carolina, Lynn has enjoyed living in San Diego for over 10 years.  In her free time, Lynn enjoys spending time in her garden, reading books, and playing games.

  • Neha Niranjan

    Neha Niranjan

    Testing Specialist

    Neha is a 50% Testing Specialist in the Triton Testing Center. She graduated from UCSD (class of 2022) with a Biochemistry B.S. & Psychology minor. After graduation, she has been spending her time working as a research assistant studying acute myeloid leukemia and assisting in the operation of the TTC. Her plan is to pursue a PhD in Cancer Biology in the years to come!

  • Pauline Escoto

    Pauline Escoto

    Testing Specialist

    Pauline graduated from San Diego State University in 2022 with a B.A. in Social Work and joined UC San Diego in November 2024. Having worked at SDSU and now UCSD, Pauline has found a passion working within the higher education system. Born and raised in San Diego, Pauline loves to spend her time outside of work by the beach, at museums or with her friends and family.

Student Staff

  • Elise Hale

    Elise Hale

    Senior Assistant Coordinator

    Elise came to the Triton Testing Center as an Assistant Coordinator Fall 2022. They are a third year double major in Political Science and History and a minor in General Linguistics. Having grown up in Sacramento, Elise loves the close proximity to the ocean and spends a lot of time at the beach. When not working, Elise is generally spending time with their friends or reading books on Ancient Egypt. 

  • Sophie Hua

    Sophie Hua

    Assistant Coordinator

    Sophie joined the Triton Testing Center as an Assistant Coordinator at the beginning of Spring Quarter 2023. She is a third year General Biology major and Cognitive Science minor in Revelle College. As someone born and raised in Massachusetts, she is loving the year-round warm and sunny San Diego weather. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, listening to music, and binge-watching TV shows.

  • Amy Li

    Amy Li

    Assistant Coordinator

    Amy joined the Triton Testing Center Spring 2023 as an Assistant Coordinator. She is graduating in 2025 with a B.S in Business Psychology. Born in Northern California, she has been enjoying the San Diego scenery. During her free time, she enjoys trying new restaurants, watching sunsets, listening to music, and going to concerts. 

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    Proctors

    We're also thrilled to be assisted by our 50+ undergraduate Proctors who ensure the integrity and security of the assessments we administer.