Castro, 46, currently Vice Chancellor for Student Academic Affairs at the University of California, San Francisco, will assume his new position as president on Aug. 1, 2013.

“He is the right fit for Fresno State at this time,” said CSU Trustee and Chair of the Presidential Search Committee, Dr. Peter Mehas of Fresno, during a press teleconference with Castro today.

A 1984 graduate of Hanford High School, where he was the editor of the newspaper and played varsity tennis, Castro said he and his wife, Mary, feel that moving to Fresno is like “coming home.” Castro’s mother and sister, a Fresno State alumna, still live in Hanford.

“I won’t need a GPS to find Tranquillity or Parlier,” said Castro, who has remained connected to the Central Valley throughout his career, including a role as part of founding team of UC Merced. “I know these communities and these people very well. And I look forward to getting to know them even better.”

As the first in his family to go to college, Castro, a lifelong educator, has dedicated his entire career to public higher education in California. “When I was at Berkeley, as an undergraduate, it became clear to me how valuable higher education is in our society,” said Castro. “Higher education transforms lives.”

And he should know. He’s the grandson of farmworkers who moved here from Mexico, and his mother  supported the family as a beautician. A high school counselor steered him toward UC Berkeley, where Castro received a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public policy. He earned a doctorate in higher education policy and leadership from Stanford University.

During his 23-year career in public higher education, he has served in leadership positions within the UC system at the Berkeley, Davis, Merced and Santa Barbara campuses and at the Office of the President.

“Joe Castro is an extraordinary leader with great empathy for students,” said Mark Yudof, President, University of California. “He will be a superb president at Fresno State.”

According to Mehas, the search committee had a long list of requirements, and Castro met every single one. “We listened well and we were so pleased we found someone that was tailor fit for the Central Valley.”

Selected from more than 60 highly qualified candidates across the country, it was Castro’s “passionate commitment” to serve faculty, staff and students and the people of the Central Valley that drew the search committee to him, Mehas said.

Castro, who will be Fresno State’s first Latino president, said growing up in the Central Valley gives him insight and experience with both the opportunities and challenges of the region.

“I went to school with kids of every background and socioeconomic station,” he said. He noted that his mother “embraced diversity before it was fashionable” and as a result, an appreciation of that diversity was always a part of his fabric.

It is that same diversity that excites him about Fresno State, a place where students from all backgrounds can succeed.

“The fact that Fresno State is a Latino serving institution, designated by the federal government, is one of the reasons I was attracted to Fresno State. There are many reasons I was attracted and that is one of them. I share that background with Latino students. I also share my background of being from the Valley with a lot of students,” Castro said.

“I’m going to be president for everybody. I’m going to work to advance educational opportunities for Latino and all the other students at Fresno State. I’m looking forward to meeting with leaders from all the different communities including Latino community members throughout the valley as I make visits,” he said.

Castro, who wrote his doctoral dissertation at Stanford on university presidents, says he will meet and talk with President John Welty as often as he can, over the next two months. Castro and Welty will work closely together to ensure a smooth transition.

Of Castro, Welty says, “I have known him for many years and he will provide great leadership for Fresno State.”

Upon taking the reigns on Aug. 1, Castro said his first order of business will be to listen. “I want to get to know people,” says Castro. “I will be listening and learning.”

Said Mehas, “The future looks very, very bright.”

“It is incredibly humbling that the CSU Trustees have appointed me as the next president of Fresno State, and I truly appreciate this honor,” said Castro.  “Dr. Welty has been successful in leading Fresno State over the last 22 years.  I look forward to working alongside the faculty, staff and students at the university and with alumni and friends throughout the Central Valley and beyond to build on this strong foundation and to guide Fresno State to new heights of success.”

Castro was among the finalists for the position to succeed retiring President John D. Welty, who has served as Fresno president since 1991.  He is expected to begin his new position as president by August 1, 2013.

“Dr. Castro’s combination of demonstrated achievements, leadership skills and academic credentials makes him the ideal person to serve as the president of Fresno State,” said CSU Trustee Peter Mehas, chair of the presidential search committee.  “As a native of the Central Valley, he understands that the impact of Fresno State extends far beyond the boundaries of the campus and will serve as an excellent leader as the university continues to serve and shape the region.”

Castro joins Fresno State after holding several leadership positions at University of California campuses, most recently serving as vice chancellor, student academic affairs at UC San Francisco since 2010.  In that capacity he was responsible for the leadership of a broad range of departments focused on enriching the educational experience of UC San Francisco’s talented and diverse student body.  Castro also holds the position of adjunct professor in the department of family and community medicine in the School of Medicine at UCSF.

Prior to his appointment as vice chancellor, Castro served as vice provost (2008-10), associate vice chancellor for student academic affairs (2006-08) and as interim graduate dean at UCSF from October 2011 to March 2012.  He was the recipient of the 2010 Martin Luther King Jr. Award at UCSF and the 2010 University of California Student Association’s Administrator of the Year Award.  In January of 2012 he was recognized by the UCSF Council of Minority Organizations for his extraordinary contributions to advancing diversity at the university.

During his 23-year career, Castro has served in leadership positions within the UC system at the Berkeley, Davis, Merced and Santa Barbara campuses and at the Office of the President.

Castro earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and master’s degree in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley and a doctorate in higher education policy and leadership from Stanford University.  A native of Hanford, Calif., in the San Joaquin Valley, Castro is the first member of his family to attend college.  He and his wife Mary, who is also a Valley native, have three children including a daughter who is a student at Humboldt State University.

Related links:

• President-designate

“I am honored to join a university as outstanding as Cal State L.A. and look forward to engaging with students, faculty, alumni and the community to build on its strengths and create opportunities for the future,” said Covino. “The university is uniquely positioned in a global center for the arts, technology and the economy and it boasts a student population as diverse as the city it serves. Cal State L.A. truly reflects the changing face of California in the 21st century.”

Covino was among the finalists for the position to succeed retiring President James M. Rosser who has served as CSULA president since 1979. He is expected to begin his new position as president on September 1, 2013.

“Dr. Covino’s leadership at the CSU and his knowledge and experience in public higher education make him a tremendous asset to Cal State L.A. and the community,” said CSU Trustee Lou Monville, chair of the presidential search committee. “His academic credentials and his commitment to diversity complement the university’s mission to prepare students for our changing global society.”

Covino has served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Fresno State since 2009. In addition to his leadership of the university’s eight schools and colleges and oversight of academic goals and educational policy, Covino provided ongoing leadership for the Campaign for Fresno State, the university’s fundraising campaign which has raised in excess of $214 million.

Prior to his position at Fresno State, Covino held the position of provost and vice president for academic affairs at CSU Stanislaus from 2006-2009. He returned to the CSU following eight years at Florida Atlantic University, where he chaired the Department of English and was Dean of the College of Arts and Letters. He also has held faculty positions at the University of Illinois at Chicago and San Diego State University.

Covino earned his B.A. in English from the University of California, Los Angeles. He holds M.A. degrees from CSU Northridge and the University of Southern California and earned a Ph.D. in English from USC in 1981.

Videos of two other 2013 events also will be posted by next week: the Craig School of Business Convocation and the International Graduation Celebration.

DVDs of the Latino Commencement Celebration and the Kremen School of Education Convocation will be available for purchase.

The Latino celebration DVD may be ordered until June 30 for $30, payable at the Cashier Window (Joyal administration building lobby). For more information, call the College of Social Science 559.278.3013 or visit the website.

The Kremen DVD costs $8 and is available at ED Room 100 or by emailing kremensa@csufresno.edu.

Final Numbers:

For the 2012-13 academic year, 4,070 students completed their baccalaureate studies, 794 students earned master’s degrees, 10 students earned education specialist degrees and 38 earned doctorate degrees. Class of 2013 total: 4,912.

For the University Commencement Ceremony at the Save Mart Center Saturday morning, 1,300 graduates walked before a crowd of 10,000.

The largest Commencement event was the Latino Commencement Celebration at Save Mart Center Saturday night with 11,634 in attendance to witness 750 participating graduates.

Related links:

• Fresno State YouTube page
• Special Commencement Coverage
• Latino Commencement Celebration press release 
• Original press release

Fresno State won the 2013 Collegiate Club Volleyball Championship in straight sets on April 6 over UC Santa Barbara in Dallas. The Proclamation also honored Brian Tsukimura, a volunteer coach and Fresno State biology professor, for reaching his 400th win during the tournament.

Clovis Mayor Lynne Ashbeck signed the proclamation, stating, “Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Clovis City Council does honorably recognize the Elite 8 Bulldogs as the 2013 national Collegiate Club Volleyball league California state cup and national champions.”

Clovis Unified high school graduates on the team include Chris Hughes (Buchanan), Jacob Salem (Clovis West), Jordan Darchuck (Clovis), Taylor Dildine (Clovis) and Justin Williams (Clovis). Jordan Burriss, Hunter Knight and Tony Xiong graduated from Fresno Unified schools, and Niccolo Boggio came to Fresno State from Italy.

Fresno State (29-6) finished 9-1 in the tournament, eliminating UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara on the final day. The tournament started with a field of 168 teams, dwindling to 16 in the Division I Gold Division entering the final day. Fresno State was seeded fifth in the Round of 16.

The volleyball team’s win brings Fresno State’s national title count to seven — two in NCAA-sponsored sports (softball in 1998 and baseball in 2008). The club volleyball team won titles in 2004, 2009 and 2013, women’s water polo in 2007 and men’s bowling in 2011.

For more information contact Brian Tsukimura at 559.278.4244 or briant@csufresno.edu.

Related Links:

• Fresno Bee coverage
• Fresno State men’s club volleyball

Zeropex, an “energreen” company based in Norway, developed a new power-generating system called “in-conduit micro-hydro electrical power generation.” It involves generating electrical power from existing water-delivery systems run by entities such as cities and water districts.

“This is a way of recovering energy that is normally lost in water delivery systems,” noted Sandy Walker, vice president of Zeropex. “Delivery systems typically build up large amounts of pressure required to move water over long distances. When the water reaches a delivery point, the system uses a pressure-reducing valve that burns off the excess pressure. This new system recovers the energy that is lost and generates electricity with it.”

The Zeropex power generation system is fairly simple: it features a turbine and generator installed in-line in the water system pipeline, plus a control system that monitors and delivers the electrical current.

“The basics of the system are basically off-the-shelf components,” Walker said. “The delivery and monitoring of the power was developed and patented by Zeropex.”

The Water and Energy Technology Laboratory (WET Lab) housed in the ICWT serves as an internationally recognized testing facility for all types of water technology equipment and delivery systems, said Ed Norum, engineer for Fresno State’s Center for Irrigation Technology. The WET Lab is certifying performance of three Zeropex micro-generators before they are delivered to the company’s first two U.S. customers – the San Jose Water Co. and the City of Avenal.

Once installed, the units will return a constant amount of electrical power back into each city’s operating grid, providing renewed energy that up until now has been lost.

According to Norum, representatives from the company contacted Fresno State because of the WET Lab’s status as a recognized testing facility.

“We’re absolutely the ideal facility for the need that they have,” Norum said, providing calibrated certification that the equipment will do what it’s designed to do, prior to it being delivered to customers.

Zeropex micro-hydro systems have been purchased and installed in several European countries including Norway and the United Kingdom. Walker said she hopes Zeropex will be able to respond to the growing market need for renewable water energy technologies in this region.

“In-conduit micro-hydro is an emerging field that offers some unique benefits for California,” she said. “It combines the ability to deliver reliable constant power to the electric grid while being a cost effective renewable energy source. In addition, it eliminates the risks associated with fossil fuels like natural gas and oil, and it is an invaluable tool for water agencies to reduce their carbon footprint.”

Walker expressed her appreciation to Fresno State for the opportunity to conduct commercial scale testing at the WET lab. “Our experience here has been world class,” she said.

For more information, contact Steve Olson, 559.278,5680 or steveo@csufresno.edu.

Related Links:

•  Zeropex technology
• Water and Energy Technology Laboratory

The top five students out of more than 1,000 will compete to be the regional winner and earn the opportunity to pitch his or her business idea in New York City in October at the NFTE National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, competing for seed money to launch the business.

“This competition is really empowering for the high school students that are participating,” said NFTE Program Coordinator Casey Lamonski. “It allows them to look into the future, envision themselves running and owning their own business and choosing entrepreneurship as a career path.”

The keynote speaker at the event is Viliami Tuivai, a success consultant, life coach and team dynamics expert who previously coached football at UC Davis and Boise State. Tuivai, or “Coach V” as he’s known, says he has 125 wins and 18 lessons (not losses) in 11 years playing and coaching football.

Tuivai is now a professional speaker, who sits on the Rose Bowl Advisory Committee and the Blueprint Education Advisory Board.

NFTE has 18 high schools from the Central Valley that participate in the program. “Dream it! Start it! Own it!” will begin with a business expo where the top three students from each school site will showcase their businesses.

Also at the event, Steve Banevedes will be recognized as the NFTE 2012-2013 Teacher of the Year. Banevedes teaches at Carter G. Woodson Public Charter School in Fresno and also received an Enterprising Educators of the Year award from the NFTE program in New York City this past April. Tyler Hansen, founder of Central Valley Paintball in Reedley, a graduate of the NFTE program and current entrepreneurship student at Reedley College, will be honored as NFTE Student of the Year.

The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship’s mission is to provide programs that inspire young people from low-income areas to stay in school, recognize business opportunities and plan for successful futures. Since its founding in 1987 by Steve Mariotti, NFTE has worked with nearly 450,000 young people from low-income communities in programs across the U.S. and around the world.

For more information, contact Casey Lamonski at clamonski@csufresno.edu or 559.917.7971.

Related Links:

• Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship
• Sunnyside Country Club
• Viliami Tuivai “Coach V”