CSU exec named interim president of Cal State Fullerton

Sylvia Alva, the California State University executive vice chancellor of academic and student affairs, was named Thursday the interim president of Cal State Fullerton.

“Dr. Alva wonderfully embodies the CSU core values of inclusive excellence and educational equity,” CSU Chancellor Jolene Koester said in a statement announcing the appointment.

“A product of the CSU who has held numerous academic and administrative roles in our system, she has a profound understanding of and abiding commitment to the students we serve.

“I am confident that Cal State Fullerton will benefit from her equity-centered mindset, collaborative nature and student-driven leadership style. This appointment is a homecoming for Dr. Alva, and I know that the Titan community will welcome her back warmly.”

Alva began her higher-education career as an assistant professor at Cal State Fullerton, according to the CSU. She will take on the new post Aug. 1 and continue until a CSUF president is chosen by the CSU Board of Trustees. Current CSUF President Framroze Virjee is retiring on July 31. Virjee has been president of the university since 2018.

“I am extremely honored to receive the opportunity to serve as interim president at the university where I began my academic career,” Alva said in a statement. “California State University Fullerton is a bold, transformative university with outstanding faculty, staff and students who understand education’s role in advancing our society, empowering communities and changing lives. I share that Titan spirit and am excited to help advance that collective vision.”

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