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Staff
Deputy Director of Admissions and IT Manager – Jordan Austria Verador
Jordan is the Deputy Director of Admissions for Virscend University. He graduated from Chapman University, where he majored in Business Administration, with an emphasis on Entrepreneurship, and minored in Data Analytics. He is responsible for the admission process for new university applicants and is also the DSO. Jordan also maintains the university's social media pages, website, and handles IT support for our student's digital resources.
List of Virscend Staff
Chief Financial Officer – Lesley Chen
Lesley Chen, the CFO of Virscend University, has an MBA with a concentration in Finance and an MS Accounting degree from CSULB. Her work includes four years as an Accounting Associate for CSULB and seven years as a Senior Accountant for a large technology company in California. She works in conjunction with the CPA, auditor, administrators, faculty, and board members to develop income statements, balance sheets, cash flow analysis, and manages the budget. She is a skilled presenter that is able to share the needed information with all stakeholders so that they can make data-based decisions.
Provost – Dr. Cihan Cobanoglu
Dr. Cihan Cobanoglu is currently the Provost at Virscend University in Irvine, California. Previously, he served as the Dean and the McKibbon Endowed Chair Professor of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM) in the Muma College of Business at the University of South Florida (USF), where he also held roles as the Director of the M3 Center for Hospitality Technology and Innovation, Coordinator of International Programs for the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, and Director of Global Partnerships for the Muma College of Business between 2010 and 2025. Dr. Cobanoglu is a renowned expert in hospitality and tourism technology. He was a Fulbright Specialist commissioned by the Fulbright Commission from 2018 to 2021. Additionally, he is a Certified Hospitality Technology Professional (CHTP), certified by Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals (HFTP) and the Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). He serves as the Editor of the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology (JHTT), which is indexed in SSCI with an Impact Factor of 6.4. Dr. Cobanoglu has co-authored over 10 books and contributed to more than 20 conference proceedings. Additionally, he is currently serving as the President of the Association of Global Educators (AGE).
Director of Student Success – Ryan Swindell
Ryan Swindell graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a BA in Film and Media Studies and has worked in education for the past seven years. He is responsible for the academic success of current students, through academic advising and registrar services. He is also responsible for the institutional research at Virscend University, which includes data collection, analysis, and storage. He works with faculty to ensure that they have the tools they need to complete assessment.
Deputy Director of Operations and International Recruitment– Krystal Yu
Krystal Yu graduated from Les Roches International School of Hotel Management in Switzerland, a prestigious institution renowned for its excellence in hospitality education. She has extensive experience in luxury hotel management, having led Wholesale and OTA operations at a five-star international hotel before advancing to Global Accounts Director, where she managed high-profile accounts worldwide.
At Virscend University, Krystal plays a pivotal role in operations and strategy, overseeing financial expenditures, campus facilities, and human resources initiatives to ensure smooth and efficient institutional management.
In addition to her operational responsibilities, Krystal was appointed Director of International Recruitment and serves as the Strategic Lead for Virscend’s marketing team, spearheading large-scale initiatives to elevate the University’s brand presence. Her ultimate goal is to strengthen the University’s connections both locally and globally through strategic partnerships and engagement events.
