CSUSM Welcomes Four New Deans to the University

Starting in July, four academic leaders will assume their new roles at Cal State San Marcos, joining the College of Business Administration’s dean, as the deans for the University’s four colleges and Extended Learning program. The recent recruitment of Dr. Katherine Kantardjieff, Dr. Don Chu, Dr. Adam Shapiro, and Mr. Mike Schroder completes the nationwide search which began in early 2011.Dr. Katherine KantardjieffDean of the College of Science and MathematicsOn July 18, Dr. Katherine Kantardjieff will begin her new role as CSUSM’s dean of the College of Science and Mathematics, bringing with her a strong record of administrative leadership, scholarly research, including promotion undergraduate research, and successful fundraising.Currently, Dr. Kantardjieff is professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry at California State Polytechnic University Pomona, where she is also director of the W.M. Keck Foundation Center for Molecular Structure and co-director of the Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Materials Design. Prior to joining Cal Poly in 2009, Dr. Kantardjieff was a faculty member at Cal State Fullerton for more than 20 years.At the national level, Dr. Kantardjieff has been vice chair and is currently chair of the United States National Committee (USNC) for Crystallography at the National Academy of Sciences, where she led efforts to develop policies on training and education in crystallographic science, as well has been actively engaged in the Latin American Initiative, a joint effort of the USNC, International Union of Crystallography, and American Crystallographic Association, to promote crystallographic science in Latin American countries. These activities have enabled her to integrate ideas across traditional intellectual boundaries, promote diversity, and foster global engagement.Dr. Kantardjieff holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology from the University of Southern California as well as a master’s degree and doctorate in physical chemistry from the University of California Los Angeles.Dr. Don ChuDean of the College of Education, Health and Human ServicesDr. Don Chu, who previously served as the dean of the College of Professional Studies at the University of West Florida (UWF), will become the dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Services. He will assume his new role on July 1, providing leadership for the newly created college, which is comprised of the current College of Education, School of Nursing, and departments of Kinesiology and Human Development.Under his leadership at UWF, allocations for faculty professional development were increased markedly, graduate support was multiplied and sponsored research tripled from one million to almost three million dollars annually. As a result of Dr. Chu’s million-dollar-level fundraising, the University was able to complete numerous college projects and enhance scholarship support throughout the college. Since 2006, Chu's personal sponsored research has included a one million dollar federal grant to prepare combat disabled veterans for careers in teaching and social work. Prior to joining UWF, Dr. Chu was a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at CSU Chico and served as chair of the Department of Physical Education and Exercise Science for nine years.Dr. Chu holds a doctorate in education and master’s degrees in sociology and education from Stanford University, as well as a bachelor’s in government/physical education from Oberlin College.Dr. Adam ShapiroDean of the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social SciencesDr. Adam Shapiro, who was the second of the four new deans to be announced in May, will join CSUSM in August providing academic leadership as the dean of the newly created College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences.Currently serving as professor of sociology and founding chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of North Florida, Dr. Shapiro brings with him a record of academic success. He has served in multiple leadership capacities at North Florida including Sociology Graduate Program Director, the Institutional Effectiveness Team, and most recently as Chair of the UNF Council of Chairs.  As a department chair since 2005, Dr. Shapiro provides administrative oversight for a multi-disciplinary department. He has focused extensively on programmatic and faculty development leading to the hiring of new faculty, the implementation of a faculty mentoring program, the enhancement of distance and hybrid courses and the creation of an accredited program in social work.Committed to community engagement and fundraising, Dr. Shapiro oversees multiple community partnerships and helped to establish his department’s first three endowed scholarships. An expert on social gerontology and family sociology, Dr. Shapiro holds a doctorate and master’s degree in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s in sociology from the University of Florida.Mike SchroderDean of Extended LearningOn August 1, Michael “Mike” Schroder will begin his new position at CSUSM as the dean of Extended Learning, which offers continuing education and training options to the community.Since 2004, Mr. Schroder has served as the director of Extended Education and Online Learning, a division of Economic and Community Outreach, at Towson University in Maryland. He has a strong record of leadership and management of a self-support operation, including administration; development of credit and non-credit programming in response to regional workforce needs; collaboration across departments and divisions to develop and launch five fully online credit programs as well as other programs; outreach and the establishment of relationships with corporations, government agencies and external associations; and marketing programs.Prior to his appointment at Towson University, Mr. Schroder served for ten years in the Department of Continuing and Professional Education at Virginia Tech University where he held positions of assistant director and consortia leader among others, and was responsible for planning, developing and marketing new programs and fundraising.Mr. Schroder earned a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management and a master’s degree from Virginia Tech in Vocational and Technical Education with a concentration in Training and Development.