Tianna Urrea MacMeans

Tianna is a proud T-loc (Tucson native) and first-generation college student. She graduated from the University of Arizona with her Bachelor of Arts Elementary Education with an Endorsement in English as a Second Language in 2013 and began teaching in the same public school district she went through. Tianna later completed her Master of Arts in Higher Education from her alma mater in 2025. Tianna is currently working on her Ph.D. in Higher Education, also at the University of Arizona, where her research focus is the accrued skillset of first-generation college students of color—once a wildcat, always a wildcat!

During her time as an undergraduate, she worked closely with the Blue Chip Leadership Program, as both a member and student worker. This is where she found her love for higher education and interest in student affairs in undergraduate education, so she pivoted trajectories and began working at the University of Arizona as a Program Coordinator for the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Consortium, where she provided support for undergraduate students’ interests in research and graduate school. She carried this same devotion for connecting students to research opportunities in her current role as the Coordinator of Undergraduate Research Programs in the W.A. Franke Honors College. As a former teacher, Tianna’s passion for student accomplishment, both academically and holistically, drives her commitment that is geared towards helping the whole student, especially in regard to finding research opportunities that fuel their curiosity and personal passions.

Outside of work and school, Tianna loves to find a good hiking spot (when it’s cool enough of course!), watching the U of A women’s basketball games, and playing with her feisty blue heeler and two chaotic cats. Please ask her about my various crochet projects to remind her that she needs to finish them before she starts another!