News from CSUSB Palm Desert Campus:
Veteran educator Bruce Shepard has been appointed to serve as interim dean of the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus, stepping in for Sharon Brown-Welty, who will retire on June 28. Shepard’s appointment becomes effective Aug. 1.
Shepard brings a wealth of experience to the Palm Desert Campus, having served as the president of Western Washington University (2008-16), chancellor of the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay (2001-08) as well as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Eastern Oregon University (1995-2001). A political scientist, Shepard is no stranger to the region, having earned his bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. from UC Riverside. He and his wife, Cyndie, are also residents of Indian Wells.
Shepard will manage all PDC campus operations while working closely with the Office of the Provost to strengthen the Palm Desert Campus’ academic programs. The Shepards will also play a key role in stewarding relationships with those Coachella Valley friends who have worked hard to bring a four-year university experience to Palm Desert.
A national search for the new dean will launch later this summer.
Located in beautiful Palm Desert, the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees, a doctorate in educational leadership, and teacher credentials and certificates. With more than 1,400 students, it is the Coachella Valley’s four-year public university and plays a vital role in educating and training the region’s growing population.
For more information about the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus, contact Mike Singer in the campus’ Office of Public Affairs at [email protected] or (760) 341-2883, ext. 78107, or visit the campus website at pdc.csusb.edu.