Dr. Mildred García began her tenure as the California State University’s 11th
chancellor in October 2023. She is the first Latina to lead a four-year public
university system.
García was raised in New York City by her parents, who moved to New York from
Puerto Rico. She often recalls that she grew up in a poor but beautifully diverse
neighborhood near the factories where her parents and neighbors worked. All
shared the dream of creating a better life for their children and grandchildren. As
the first in her family to earn a college degree, she takes great pride in living their
dream, and in connecting future generations with the transformative power of
higher education.
A CSU veteran, García served as president of California State University, Fullerton
from 2012 to 2018, leading the university to record graduation rates and nearly
tripling philanthropic gifts. She served as president of California State University,
Dominguez Hills from 2007 to 2012, dramatically increasing retention rates and
eliminating a structural deficit of $2.8 million.
Most recently, García served as president of the American Association of State
Colleges and Universities since 2018, where she was an internationally renowned
advocate for public higher education. She previously served as CEO of Berkeley
College and has held positions at Arizona State University; Montclair State
University; Pennsylvania State University; Teachers College, Columbia University;
and the Hostos, LaGuardia and City colleges of the City University of New York.
A recipient of myriad honors and awards, García was appointed by President
Barack Obama to several advisory boards, including the President’s Advisory
Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, and by the U.S. Secretary
of Education to serve on the Committee on Measures of Student Success.
We are thrilled to welcome Chancellor García and wish her continued success
in the years to come.