The CSU Board of Trustees announced on Sept. 23 that Dr. Castro will be the eighth chancellor of the largest system of four-year higher education in the country succeeding Dr. Timothy P. White, a Fresno State alumnus, who is retiring after leading the university since late 2012.

"Like the majority of students that we serve at CSU, I was the first in my family to attend and graduate from a university, and that’s a gift that I’ve been paying back ever since," Dr. Castro said in a Sept. 23 San Francisco Chronicle story. "I intend to continue paying that gift back over time as chancellor of the CSU."

Dr. Castro was raised by a single mother in Hanford where he met Fresno State First Lady Mary Castro while working at Burger King. Fresno State Magazine followed Dr. Castro for a day during his first week on the job as University president.

"I enjoyed and benefited by working with Castro as president, and will watch with respect and admiration as he shepherds this magnificent university to higher heights," Chancellor White said in last week’s San Francisco Chronicle article.

In the same story, Lillian Kimbell, chair of the trustees said, "Dr. Castro is a passionate and effective advocate for his students, his campus and the CSU." She called him "the right leader for the California State University in our current circumstance and for our future."

Please continue reading for five questions and answers with Dr. Castro. The Q&A is followed by a recording of the "Conversation with the Chancellor-select" webinar on Sept. 25, with the entire CSU community.

What are you most proud of during your time at Fresno State, and why?
There are so many pride points for me at Fresno State. For now, I will focus on a select number of highlights.

I am most proud of the extremely talented and diverse cabinet members I have appointed and of our campus's strengthened commitment to student success. This commitment is now firmly embedded into our mission, priorities and campus culture. Moving forward, the key will be for everyone to sustain and nurture that commitment so greater progress can be made in future years. While we should celebrate the significant increase in graduation rates and decreased equity gaps since 2013, there is more work to be done to achieve our bold Graduation Initiative 2025 goals.

I am also proud of new initiatives we established together, which have contributed to our success in achieving national recognition for serving diverse students. We were among the first universities in the California State University and the nation to establish a comprehensive basic needs program. Our Student Cupboard, Good Samaritan Fund and Clothing Closet have each played crucial roles in supporting our talented and diverse students. The Dream Outreach and Success Centers were among the first programs of their kind in the nation and demonstrate our unwavering commitment to undocumented students. Our Cross Cultural and Gender Center’s array of programs have also contributed significantly to supporting our diverse students.

We have led the way nationally in our commitment to using mobile technology to support greater engagement between students and faculty. This has occurred through our Technology Services' programs, DISCOVERe Mobile Technology Program and the Center for Faculty Excellence, all of which have been critically important to our continued success in serving students during the global pandemic.

Over the last seven years, we have also rebuilt much of our campus's physical and technological infrastructure, including our new electrical system — the most modern of its kind in the nation — and the planned new central utility plant. These projects will serve our campus for at least the next 40 to 50 years. We renovated many classrooms, laboratory and outdoor spaces, including several athletic venues. And, importantly, we are building the new Lynda and Stewart Resnick Student Union, which will transform the experience for students in the decades ahead. Much more work remains.

With strong community support, we also constructed the Armenian Genocide Monument, the only one of its kind on a university campus in the nation. I was deeply honored to participate in what was the most moving and meaningful opening ceremony of my life. Mary and I stood quietly after the ceremony that night bearing witness to the overwhelming emotions of thousands of our alumni and friends who were there to honor their ancestors. Because of my Valley roots and longtime personal connection to the Armenian community, I understand what a powerful statement this monument makes every day about our University’s values and commitment to human rights.

Finally, I am proud of the way we have all engaged the Central Valley (and beyond) over the past seven years. We have embraced everyone and welcomed them to become more involved at Fresno State. I believe that this is why we have experienced significant success in our governmental relations efforts, our private fundraising and, most importantly, in inspiring our Valley's most talented and diverse students to view Fresno State as their first choice. The fact that Fresno State has the largest entering class in its history during a global pandemic is nothing short of a miracle and is due to the efforts of our entire campus community.

What has been your biggest challenge while at Fresno State?
I have been fortunate during my presidency that Fresno State has had many great successes and relatively few controversies. The biggest challenge I faced initially was a sense that many campus colleagues were still traumatized by the Great Recession and were not giving themselves an opportunity to be creative. That is what inspired me to encourage everyone to "Be Bold." I have been heartened over the years to see our culture change in ways that have led to greater creativity in fulfilling our mission. Of course, this was helped by a long string of generally good budget years prior to the onset of the global pandemic.

In 2013, I also sensed a relatively high level of distrust in the administration of Fresno State, especially among faculty and students. The cabinet and I have worked very hard to be transparent in our decision-making and communication, and we have intentionally built strong working relationships with the Academic Senate, Associated Students and the Joint Labor Council. I believe that we have strengthened trust over the last seven years. The opportunity exists for trust to be strengthened even more in the coming years.

As it relates to the community, the biggest challenge initially was to reset our focus to be much broader in scope. The CSU Board of Trustees and Chancellor White were very clear with me in 2013 that I needed to address concerns by some communities that they were not being embraced as much as they wished to be or should be by our University. As a Valley native, I felt uniquely positioned to lead this effort. I am proud that we have embraced and engaged everyone from every background, which truly reflects our commitment to diversity. I am proud that we have lived the phrase "Everyone and every voice matters," which is one I used a great deal earlier in my presidency as a way to inspire this focus. It is imperative that this broad focus on supporting all communities is continued, one which I will insist upon as the next chancellor.

Is there anything you would like to accomplish by December, before you depart for the Chancellor’s Office in Long Beach?
My primary focus over the next few months will be to do all I can to prepare the interim president (once named) and the cabinet to continue our progress in 2021, while the search for the ninth president is conducted and completed. This cabinet is the strongest team with whom I have worked in my three decades of service. I have full confidence in them.

I will also work with the cabinet to complete the implementation of budget reductions due to the significant cut in state funding and reduced revenue among our auxiliaries, and on fundraising-related efforts, to maintain the tremendous progress of our Comprehensive Campaign. We are also preparing for the Central Utility Plant project item to be reviewed by the CSU Board of Trustees in November and hopefully approval in January.

What will the process be for determining an interim president at Fresno State? What qualities will you and Chancellor White look for?
Chancellor White will provide information about this process in the coming days. He will make the decision, in consultation with me. The campus has not had an interim president in over 50 years, so this is a significant decision. I am confident that the campus will be pleased with the choice. I will do all I can to support the interim president.

What does the future of the California State University look like under your leadership? Do you have a few priorities outlined already?
The CSU is the most important and consequential public university system in the nation because we serve students from all backgrounds. The CSU can and will help California get through the global pandemic because we educate the next generation of leaders for the state and nation. Accordingly, my highest priority will be to support each campus president in achieving their bold Graduation Initiative 2025 goals for higher graduation rates and the elimination of equity gaps. This can only occur if we continue to increase, aggressively, the diversity of our students, faculty, staff and campus leaders.

I will prioritize the establishment of stronger relationships with elected and appointed officials in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., to inspire greater investments of state and federal funding in the CSU. I will also work with the campus presidents to inspire greater philanthropy. The CSU raised about $2 billion in private support last year. I would like to support and empower the campuses to double this annual support to $4 billion within five years. To reach that ambitious goal, we will need to engage our 3.8 million alumni and millions of friends in new ways, to join in these efforts.

Finally, I will want to explore with the CSU presidents, Academic Council, the California State Student Association and others how we can better utilize technology to enhance teaching and learning, research and public service.

In five years, it is my vision that the CSU will be embraced universally across California, and across the nation, as a model university for providing a quality and accessible education that transforms the lives of students from all backgrounds. Talent exists in every California household. The CSU will unleash that talent and elevate the Central Valley and the entire Golden State to new heights of success.