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: Isabel S. Dieppa
Title: Communications Specialist
Department: College of Social Sciences
Academic Degree(s): B.A. Theater and Anthropology, Indiana University.

How long have you worked at Fresno State?
I have been working here since September 2023.

Are you a Valley native?
I am not. I have sort of lived all over. I grew up in Puerto Rico, then my family moved to Cleveland, OH when I was in high school. I went to Indiana University for college. After I graduated college, I decided to move to Chicago to pursue theater. While there I started writing and fell into journalism, which is what originally brought me to Fresno. I moved here in December 2019 to work as an engagement education reporter at the Fresno Bee.

Are you part of a Bulldog family with generations of Bulldog graduates or current students?
No, I am still pretty new, but excited to be a Bulldog as an employee!

Tell us about your department and what people may not know about it.
The College of Social Sciences is pretty rad. We have a lot of awesome professors, programs, majors and certificates. I am constantly impressed by the awesome things the college does. One thing I find super cool is our Forensic Anthropology lab. Fresno State is one of the few labs in the country where undergraduate students can get hands-on experience on real cases. The laboratory works with law enforcement agents around the Central Valley and has helped solve real cold cases and brought closure to families.

What is your most notable accomplishment in your field, and why was it important?
One of my proudest achievements was receiving a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting to do a series of stories on property rights in Puerto Rico post-Hurricane Maria. It was the first time I led a team of reporters and did a series of stories covering the issues on the island.

What are you most passionate about in your field and why?
As a writer I am most passionate about telling the authentic stories of people. I think there is a time and a place for stories to shed truth as is common in journalism, but I also seek to inspire. I love learning about people and sharing their experiences.

What is a memorable moment you had at your job?
I am still fairly new in my current position. But a memorable moment in my career was being invited to Washington, D.C. to speak on my reporting on property rights in Puerto Rico.

What is your favorite quote or saying?
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler,” ― Henry David Thoreau.

What is the most interesting or unusual job you've ever had?
I once worked as an actress for a children's theater company. It was so fun, and I loved making kids smile.

What do you like to do for fun in your spare time?
I love to dance, and am really into doing cosplay and going to comic conventions.

What is something interesting about you that most people don’t know?
In 2014 I danced in Rio De Janeiro's Carnival in Brazil. I am also a Broadsword fighter.