Middle Eastern Student Center

Markaz for education, support & community.

About Our Staff

gina 2026 staff
 
Gina Waneis, Director​
Gina Waneis (she/her/هي) is a proud first-generation Syrian-American. As an alumna of UC Riverside, Gina holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Education. During her undergrad, she was active with the Middle Eastern Student Center, where she became a founding sister of Epsilon Alpha Sigma, also known as the Empowered Arab Sisterhood, and was involved in Highlander Orientation. Gina graduated with an M.S. in Higher Education from California State University, Fullerton.
 
She helped start the SWANA organization and co-wrote the SWANA Resolution during graduate school. Most recently, Gina served as the inaugural SWANA Retention Specialist at UC Santa Cruz, where she helped build a foundation by creating signature programs, improving data practices, and increasing visibility for the community. Outside of these roles, Gina serves as a Director of Scholarships for the Syrian Americans Network For Educational Advancement and as the Communications Coordinator for NASPA Region VI.
 
In her free time, you can catch Gina spending time with her family, traveling with her friends, or trying new recipes she finds online.

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Badiaa Hiresh, Program Coordinator
 
Badiaa Hiresh (she/her/هي), an American-Lebanese professional, was born and raised in Lebanon, where she built a dynamic career while raising two daughters. Her time living both in Lebanon and the United States has given her a rich international perspective, deepening her understanding of cultural dynamics and global interconnectedness.
 
In her previous roles, She has made impactful contributions to school development and higher education strategy, seamlessly blending  her background in business with educational leadership to drive innovation and growth. Outside of her professional life, Badiaa is a passionate advocate for peace. As a longtime Peace Coordinator, she has dedicated years to inspiring positive change and fostering meaningful dialogue across communities.
 
Badiaa is also a deeply reflective writer and the author of three internationally published books. Through her writing, she empowers readers to embrace transformation—both personal and societal—with compassion and purpose. We are honored to have Badiaa join the MESC team and look forward to the energy, wisdom, and creativity she brings to our community!
 
Amy Maatouk, Programming Intern

Amy Maatouk is one of our interns for Event Programming. She is a fourth-year Psychology major on track to graduate in 2026.

Amy grew up in Syria and moved here as a refugee after the war. Her favorite food is a tie between Lebni and Manaesh. She loves a variety of hobbies including crocheting and painting. She also loves listening to music and playing electric guitar. She listens to everything from classic Rock and Soul to modern-day Hip-hop. As a psych major and Arabic minor, a big goal of hers is to destigmatize mental health in SWANA communities and pursue advocacy work.

Coming to the United States as a refugee, Amy saw her community being misrepresented and misunderstood often. As a result, she wanted to create a community that was safe for SWANA students, which is why she wanted to work at the MESC. Her role at the MESC is to help with programs and events throughout the year such as our weekly MESCafes. She's been working at the MESC since the spring of her freshman year, and it's become a second home for her. Her favorite memory of MESC is programming and working ME Week. So her favorite MESC event had to be ME week!