Dr. Joseph I. Castro Will Serve as the CSU’s Eighth Chancellor
Today the California State University announced that Joseph I. Castro, Ph.D. will be the system’s new Chancellor. Dr. Castro has served as the president of California State University, Fresno since 2013. He is the first native Californian and person of color to be appointed to lead the CSU. California Competes welcomes Dr. Castro and expresses our sincere desire to work collaboratively toward improved opportunities and outcomes for all those who wish to attend the nation’s largest public university system.
“With his decades of experience in California higher education, Dr. Castro is an excellent choice. We applaud the CSU Board of Trustees for concluding their search with the appointment of such a well-respected leader within the CSU system,” said California Competes Executive Director Dr. Su Jin Gatlin Jez.
Before joining Fresno State, Dr. Castro spent 23 years in a variety of leadership roles at the University of California system. He is from the San Joaquin Valley and is the grandson of Mexican immigrants. Dr. Castro will begin his new position on January 4, 2021.
We applaud the CSU Board of Trustees for concluding their search with the appointment of such a well-respected leader within the CSU system.
Dr. Su Jin Gatlin Jez
“A bachelor’s degree remains the surest path to economic mobility. The system’s new chancellor has an opportunity to help close wide and pervasive achievement gaps that have prevented millions of Californians from fulfilling their potential,” said California Competes Executive Director Dr. Su Jin Gatlin Jez. “California Competes is eager to work collaboratively with our system leaders toward improving public higher education to offer every Californian the chance to learn, contribute, and succeed.”
California Competes would like to thank outgoing Chancellor Timothy White who paused his plans to retire to lead the system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chancellor White should be recognized for his vision in advancing student success in the CSU through the implementation of the Graduation Initiative.
“As both the leader of California Competes and a member of the CSU faculty, I am looking forward to Dr. Castro’s leadership,” Dr. Jez said.
