Soraya M. Coley was appointed president of Cal Poly Pomona in September 2014. She is the first female president of the university.
Coley came to Cal Poly Pomona from CSU Bakersfield, where she was the provost and vice president for academic affairs from 2005 to 2014. She served as interim vice president for university advancement in 2011-12.
Her experience includes serving as CSU Fullerton’s dean of the College of Human Development and Community Service, as administrative fellow, and professor and department chair for the human services department. She was the system-wide provost and vice president for academic affairs at Alliant International University, from 2001 to 2003.
Coley’s career has been marked by efforts to eliminate obstacles that prevent people from reaching their potential and fully participating in society. She worked as a research assistant for the Child Welfare League of America, as the national director of the Child Abuse Prevention Project at the National Urban League, and as a survey manager at a policy research institute in Princeton, New Jersey.
Read President Coley's full biography.
Education
A.B., Sociology, The Lincoln University
M.A., Social Planning and Social Research, Bryn Mawr College
Ph.D., Social Planning and Policy, Bryn Mawr College