(May 19, 2021) – The California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees has appointed Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, Ph.D., to serve as the ninth president of California State University, Fresno. Jiménez-Sandoval currently serves as interim president of Fresno State.
“From providing world-class, transformational educational opportunities, to conducting cutting-edge research, to uniting our entire community in support of athletic teams, Fresno State makes a profound impact on the entire Central Valley,” said Jiménez-Sandoval. “It is an honor to be chosen to lead this premier university, which opens doors of opportunities for our talented students and improves the quality of life for everyone in the Valley. I look forward to working together with our dynamic faculty, committed staff, talented students and innovative community partners to increase the life-changing opportunities that a Fresno State education provides.”
“Dr. Jiménez-Sandoval has an exciting vision for the future of the university while having gained immeasurable institutional knowledge and developed outstanding relationships throughout the campus and community over his many years of service to Fresno State,” said CSU Trustee Jane Carney, chair of the Fresno State search committee.
Jiménez-Sandoval has a deep history with Fresno State and an even longer association with the Central Valley. He first joined the university as a member of the faculty in 2000. Over two decades of service, he has served as professor of Spanish and Portuguese, coordinator of the Spanish master of arts degree, chair of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, interim associate dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, and provost.
His relation to the Central Valley reaches back to his early years, as he grew up in nearby Fowler after his family moved to the area from Mexico and maintained the family farm. He and his wife, Dr. Mariana Anagnostopoulos, a member of the Fresno State Philosophy Department faculty, are proud parents of two sons, Arion and Leo.
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 de Lisboa (Portugal).
Jiménez-Sandoval will immediately assume the campus presidency.
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About the California State University The California State University is the largest system of four-year higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, 56,000 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 129,000 degrees. One in every 20 Americans holding a college degree is a graduate of the CSU and our alumni are 3.9 million strong. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU NewsCenter.
