Page header image
PUMA Center
The PUMA (Puente, Umoja, and MESA Achievement) Center is the home for three college access and success programs – Puente, Umoja, and MESA. The center was established in 2015 and serves as a community for students, a place to study, and a place to build mentoring and leadership opportunities.
The PUMA Center offers PUMA students study rooms, computer labs, printing services, tutoring, and program coordinator office hours.
Hours of Operation
Regular hours of operation are Monday - Thursday from 8:30am to 7pm and Friday from 9am to 4pm.
Summer Hours 2018: The PUMA Center will open June 18 - July 26, Monday - Thursday, 9:00am - 4:00pm.
Please note: Diablo Valley College will be closed on Fridays: May 29 - August 20. The PUMA Center will be closed the following dates: May 29 - June 15, July 4, and July 27 - August 17.
Calendar of Events
For all of DVC's events, visit the College Events calendar.
Highlights for this month (click on event name for flyer):
Please check back for Fall 2018's event flyers.
Services
Computer Lab
The PUMA Center offers PUMA students 8 computers for student use; 4 are located in the PUMA lounge and 4 are located in the hallway. Students are able to print using funds loaded onto their DVC ID card. The PUMA Center does not offer a value add station – the closest value add station is in the Library Commons (L-213).
Counseling and Transfer Support
Drop-in Disability Support Services (DSS) counseling is available in the PUMA Center weekly. Drop-in times are on Wednesdays from 12:30 - 1:30pm. Drop-in times on Thursdays are from 1 - 2pm. For more information on the services DSS offers, please visit DVC's Disability Support Services website.
UC Davis Transfer Opportunity Program (TOP) Coordinator, Renelle Johnson, will be holding appointments in the PUMA Center on Thursdays. Click here to schedule an appointment. Also, visit the College Reps Visit DVC's website to see all the college and university representatives that will be visiting DVC this semester.
Study Room Reservation
The PUMA Center offers study room reservations for students who are part of the PUMA learning communities, Friends of MESA, and Friends of Umoja.
Instructions on how to reserve a room: PUMA Center Room Reservation Instructions
A diagram of the PUMA Center to assist in room selection: PUMA Center Diagram
Please read and adhere to the PUMA Center's Room Reservation Guidelines.
Tutoring
Tutoring is available to support English reading and writing in any subject matter for Puente, Umoja, and MESA students. For the Spring 2018 semester, tutoring will begin February 5 and end on May 17.
Location: PUMA Lounge
Tutoring Hours:
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday |
| 12:30-2:30pm Tiffany |
12:30-2:30pm Mohamed |
12:30-2:30pm Tiffany |
12:30-2:30pm Mohamed |
| 2:30-4:30pm Imani |
2:30-4:30pm Max |
2:30-4:30pm Imani |
2:30-4:30pm Max |
Staff and Faculty
| Rosa Armendáriz |
Dean of Student Engagement and Equity |
rarmendariz@dvc.edu | 925-969-2233 |
| Kristina Gomez |
Administrative Assistant III |
kgomez@dvc.edu | 925-969-2236 |
| Patrick Talley |
Administrative Assistant I |
ptalley@dvc.edu | 925-969-4320 |
| Ivan Yañez Sanchez |
Program Coordinator |
iyanez@dvc.edu | 925-969-3013 |
| Maria Dorado |
Coordinator and Counselor |
mdorado@dvc.edu | 925-969-2560 |
| Anthony Gonzales |
Coordinator and English Instructor |
agonzales@dvc.edu | 925-969-2422 |
| Brenda Gonzalez |
Coordinator and Counselor/Instructor Counselor |
bgonzalez@dvc.edu | 925-969-4321 |
| Patrick Leong |
Coordinator and Instructor |
pleong@dvc.edu | 925-969-2406 |
| Yvonne Canada-Clarke |
Coordinator and Counselor/Instructor |
ycanada@dvc.edu | 925-969-2283 |
| Heidi Goen-Salter |
Coordinator and Instructor |
hgoensalter@dvc.edu | 925-969-2407 |
| Eric Handy |
Counselor |
ehandy@dvc.edu | 925-969-2167 |
| Clarice Adams |
Program Assistant |
cadams@dvc.edu | 925-969-2234 |
| Maitreyee Chandra |
Program Director |
mchandra@dvc.edu | 925-969-4319 |
PUMA Student Leaders
|
Michael Delos Santos |
Umoja |
History and Film Production |
"Being a PUMA Student Leader means I am able to help others and serve my community. It is a great chance for me to learn so many professional skills in my line of major and in life as well." |
|
Brandon Hernandez |
Puente |
Geography - GIS |
"Being a PUMA Student Leader means a good chance to develop professional skills from coordinating to networking. Being a PUMA student means I have a place to call home." |
|
Angelica Medina |
Puente |
Psychology |
"To be a PUMA student means that I am part of a community that genuinely cares about our success. We all help each other as a familia and it also helps us grow as individuals. I'm thankful to have this space because it feels like a second home in an environment that as first generation college students, we are not accustomed to." |
|
Ramiro Pacheco |
MESA and Puente |
Architecture | "Being a PUMA Student Leader means I get to make the PUMA Center a better place for everyone in the learning communities and develop life-long professional skills." |
| Kendra Smith | Umoja | Sociology | "Being a PUMA Student Leader means that I represent the amazing students in all three learning communities. Being in this position allows me to be the voice of the students and it gives me the opportunity to be apart of the growth of the student body." |
| Arieal Young | Umoja | English and Theatre Arts | "Being a PUMA Student Leader gives me a different perspective of the students around me. Working with students from different cultural backgrounds gives me a sense of the broader community, especially in how I reach out to others I am different from." |
Other Resources
- The DVC library offers study room reservations, research help face-to-face and IM chat, a textbook loan program (click here to see if the library has the textbook you need), and laptop/phone charger loan program. See the library Circulation and Reserve desk for more information.
- The DVC Student Life Office offers no time limit study room reservations. Reservations are made on a drop-in basis with your student ID at the front desk. Student Life also offers pay-for-print services and fax services.
Contact the PUMA Center
| Telephone: | 925-969-4320 |
| PUMA Center's location: | Learning Communities Annex campus map |