Press Release Leadership

Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval Appointed Interim President of California State University, Fresno

 

 

 

​​​​​​​​California State University (CSU) Chancellor Timothy P. White has appointed Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, Ph.D., to serve as interim president of California State University, Fresno. Jiménez-Sandoval currently serves as Fresno State's provost and vice president for academic affairs. Jiménez-Sandoval will assume the leadership of the university on January 4, 2021 with the departure of current Fresno State president Dr. Joseph I. Castro, who will begin in his new role as Chancellor of the California State University.

“In speaking with campus and community stakeholders, a recurring theme was the need to sustain the momentum Fresno State is experiencing under President Castro, while ensuring that student achievement continues during this time of pandemic," said White. “From enrolling the largest student body in its long history, to receiving an unprecedented amount in research grants and contracts, it is an exciting and unique time for Fresno State and Dr. Jiménez-Sandoval will ensure that they keep moving upward."

Jiménez-Sandoval was appointed to the position of provost and vice president of academic affairs in 2019, and in that role is the university's chief academic officer.​​

“Fresno State is the cultural and intellectual cornerstone of the Central Valley; I love its demonstrated power to transform the lives of our talented students, and I see how our alumni improve the quality of life in our communities," said Jiménez-Sandoval. “It is a magnificent honor to be entrusted with leading our renowned university."

Jiménez-Sandoval has a long history with Fresno State, having first joined the university as a member of the faculty in 2000. Over two decades of service to the university, he has served as professor of Spanish and Portuguese, coordinator of the Spanish master of arts, chair of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, interim associate dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, and dean of the College of Arts and Humanities.

His relation to the Central Valley is even more deeply rooted, as he moved with his family to the area to work on the family farm as a child, and as he and his wife, Mariana, decided to raise their sons in Fresno. 

Jiménez-Sandoval graduated cum laude with bachelor's degrees in Spanish and History from the University of California, Irvine, where he also earned his Ph.D. in Spanish and Portuguese Literatures. In addition, he has professional certificates in critical theory from Cornell University, in Spanish art history from Escuela de Arte y Antigüedades de Madrid (Spain), and in Portuguese language and culture from Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Portugal).

# # #

About the California State University
The California State University is the largest system of four-year higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, 53,000 faculty and staff and 486,000 students. Half of the CSU's students transfer from California community colleges. Created in 1960, the mission of the CSU is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of California. With its commitment to quality, opportunity, and student success, the CSU is renowned for superb teaching, innovative research and for producing job-ready graduates. Each year, the CSU awards nearly than 129,000 degrees. One in every 20 Americans holding a college degree is a graduate of the CSU and our alumni are 3.8 million strong. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU NewsCenter.