We hope you enjoy this series where we meet and get to know employees from across campus. Would you like to be featured? Contact us at campusnews@csufresno.edu.

Name: Cassie Hanlin (they/them/theirs)
Title: Deputy Title IX Administrator
Department: Title IX Office
Academic Degree(s):

• B.A. psychology, minor in global justice and emphasis in anthropology, California Baptist University
• Certificate in International Law and Legal Studies, Oxford University
• J.D. international human rights and intellectual property, Lewis and Clark Law School

How long have you worked at Fresno State and in which offices have you worked?
I joined the team in January 2022. I have worked in the Human Resources Department as a Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation analyst and now the Title IX Office.

Are you a Valley native?
I am Fresno born and raised. I left when I was 18 and returned 10 years later so this is a bit of a homecoming for me. Fun fact, I am third generation German-Russian. My great-grandmother, Emma Lust, immigrated from a small village near the Volga River in what is now Ukraine, but was still Russia when she immigrated to the United States.

Are you a Bulldog family with generations of Bulldog graduates or current students?
I am the first in my family to go to a four-year college, but we have been a Bulldog family since I was born, there's a picture or two of me as a baby in a Bulldog onesie. My grandmother, Shari Hanlin, worked as a secretary for the Bulldog Foundation until she retired. I am happy to take up the mantle of university excellence that she passed down.

Do you have a campus mentor or someone who has helped you in your career?
Dr. Kat Fobear, assistant professor of Women's Studies and coordinator of the LGBTQ+ studies minor, has been an essential campus mentor during my time here. We have served together, over the past two years, as part of the staff and faculty group known as LGBTQ+ Allies, spearheading a subcommittee for Gender Affirming Care on campus. She has provided a listening ear on many occasions and sound advice on how to navigate our campus. Her support has encouraged me to keep going during the more difficult moments in my line of work. Her heart for advocacy, especially as it relates to the safety of trans and non-binary students, staff, faculty, and administrators is not only admirable but so necessary. I cannot thank her enough.

Tell us about your department and what people may not know about it.
The Title IX Office ensures compliance with the CSU Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Exploitation, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, Stalking, and Retaliation. Title IX protects staff, faculty, administrators and students from discrimination or harassment on the basis of sex or gender in education programs and activities. Title IX also protects these individuals from retaliation for reporting discrimination or harassment on the basis of sex or gender. The Title IX office is now centrally located on campus in the University Student Union, Room 316. We welcome walk-ins so if you have any questions about what we do or how we can assist, stop by.

What is your most notable accomplishment in your field, and why was it important?
When I read at Oxford University in England, I presented a paper to the United Nations about the intersection of cyber warfare and the International Law of Armed Conflict. Specifically, dictating potential implications for future conflicts arising between Russia, China and the United States as cyber warfare was not properly considered under the current resolutions.

What are you most passionate about in your field and why?
I wholeheartedly believe in trauma informed care, or ensuring the emotional and physical safety of those receiving Title IX support. Trauma-informed care shifts the focus from "what’s wrong with you?" to "what happened to you?" A trauma-informed approach to care acknowledges that care teams need to have a complete picture of a individual's life situation, past and present, in order to provide effective support.

What is a memorable moment you had at your job?
I have a blind cat named Ignacio Underfoot. As a kitten, he would run into walls at full speed when he got the zoomies. I shared that with the Athletics Department when I first started my job. One day, I showed up to my desk at work and the Athletics Department left a mini-Fresno State football helmet for him to wear around the house to keep his little head protected.

Ignacio Underfoot

What is a memorable moment you had in class?
My first year of law school in San Francisco, I had a professor ask where each student was from. When it got to me, I said "Fresno" with apparently so much passion that it earned me the nickname Fresno with my cohort for the entirety of my law school career. I love my hometown.

What is your favorite quote or saying?
Remarkable words from the artist Frida Kahlo, whom I share my birthday with. "Enamórate de ti. De la vida. Y luego de quien tú quieras." In English, "fall in love with yourself, with life, and then with whoever you want."

What is the most interesting or unusual job you've ever had?
When I was 20, I moved to Oregon because it was on my bucket list. I lived out of my car for a few months, showered at the local City Hall, and worked as an outdoor adventure guide for college students (e.g., rock climbing, white water, rafting, backpacking). I did not realize Oregon got snow in the winter so when the snow started falling, I realized I needed to find a better paying job so I could afford rent somewhere. I went to a temp agency to find a full time position with benefits and that's how I got my start in Human Resources.

What do you like to do for fun in your spare time?
I am a huge nerd. My favorite thing in the world right now is Dungeons and Dragons. The storytelling element is reminiscent of the choose your own adventure books I loved as a kid except in this version I have the option to build my character and use magic. A typical session lasts about three hours at a minimum, but I would happily spend an entire Saturday playing with my group.

Additionally, there is a YouTube channel and Twitch stream for a Dungeons and Dragons group, called Critical Role, where you can watch them play through a campaign live. That's my comfort show. If I'm not playing, you'll find me reading the Lord of the Rings books, watching Dr. Who on TV, or building Star Wars lego sets. Pretty much anything science fiction or fantasy related, count me in.

What is something interesting about you that most people don’t know?
I have lived and traveled all over the world. New Delhi, India; Marechal Floriano, Brazil; Kipseli, Greece; Marseille, France; Oxford, England; Porto, Portugal; Jerusalem, Israel and more. My most memorable experience was when I was invited to join an archaeological dig at Tel Rehov under Amihai Mazar and Nava Panitz-Cohen. Beware the yellow scorpions.

Is there something else you would like to share that was not asked?
I support trainings led by the Stanford Autism Project for Ukraine, which provides support virtually to Ukrainian organizations and professionals as well as families displaced by the war. As a Russian from the area of Ukraine who has been personally diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, formerly Asperger's Syndrome, this is a project close to my heart.

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder have been disproportionately impacted and displaced by the war as they face institutionalization from areas under Russian control and/or a regression or rights (e.g., access to education and work). I would encourage everyone to find somewhere to get involved in their community on a local or global scale and connect with a reality beyond your own. We are global citizens and for me at least, my experiences with different communities across the world have taught me so much. My advice is to listen well, question everything, and endeavor to be a lifelong learner.