Congratulations to Dr. Ram Nunna, dean of the Lyles College of Engineering, for completing the California State University Executive Leadership Program — an 18-month experiential leadership training opportunity held at the CSU Chancellor’s Office.

Nunna has been a part of the Fresno State community since 1998. He has served as a faculty member in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, as chair of the department, associate dean of the college and has served as dean since 2010.

Nunna currently serves as chair of the board of directors of University High School, board member of the Fresno County Economic Development Corporation, member of the President’s Commission on Teacher Education, and member of the Fresno State Athletics Advisory Council.

Reflecting on his almost 20 years at Fresno State, Nunna said, “It has been a fulfilling experience working with the college’s faculty, staff, other university colleagues and the many external supporters. Our college’s programs and services prepare our students for lucrative professional careers where they can use their ingenuity to design and build our future.”

He says that by working with and learning from various leaders at the CSU Chancellor’s Office and leaders from across the CSU system, he’s been able to take the experience back to his current role.

“The program gave me an opportunity to gain a greater understanding and appreciation for the challenges and impact of educating over 400,000 students across 23 campuses in the CSU system,” he said.

As part of the program, Nunna worked with two other program participants to learn about and assess CSU system-wide communications. Their detailed project report included feedback from all 23 campuses and a set of recommendations for further consideration by the Chancellor’s Office.

“The project demonstrated one aspect of the complex workings of the CSU system and the impact that communications has on individuals and the dozens of various offices across the system,” he said.

The program’s objectives included: exploring campus initiatives that require complex plans and strategies across and with multiple campus divisions; enhance skilled, inclusive leadership communication; evaluate personal leadership goals and strategies; and apply principles of diverse and inclusive leadership to system-wide initiatives like student success.

The program was led by Dr. Crystal Miller, CSU Director of Leadership, Learning and Development, and David Kervella, Head of Learning and Development at the CSU Chancellor’s Office.

The program presenters also included 12 of the 23 CSU presidents, including Fresno State President, Dr. Joseph I. Castro; former Fresno State Provost and President of CSU Bakersfield, Dr. Lynnette Zelezny; and President of CSU Los Angeles, Dr. William Covino.