CUMU Welcomes New Executive Committee Members

Sandra Haynes became chancellor of WSU Tri-Cities in March 2018. She previously served as the deputy provost and vice president of academic affairs and a professor in the Department of Human Services at Metropolitan State University of Denver and was dean of the university’s College of Professional Studies for 13 years.

“It’s an honor to be selected to serve on the CUMU Executive Committee. The Tri-Cities is the fastest growing community in Washington, surrounded by a strong STEM, small business and agricultural economy. WSU Tri-Cities is well positioned to prepare the next generation of engineers, scientists, growers, communicators and entrepreneurs,” said WSU Tri-Cities Chancellor Sandra Haynes. “CUMU’s shared value for higher education and the unique role it plays in our communities is paramount, which is why I couldn’t be more excited to serve.”

Thomas A. Parham was appointed president of CSU Dominguez Hills in March 2018. He previously served as vice chancellor for student affairs and an adjunct faculty member at the University of California, Irvine. Prior to these positions, he served as assistant vice chancellor for counseling and health services, Counseling Center director, and director of the Career and Life Planning Center at UCI. Parham has also held an appointment on the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

“It is a privilege to have been elected to serve on the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities’ Executive Committee on behalf of California State University, Dominguez Hills,” said CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham. “For nearly 60 years, our university has been confronting and successfully addressing the unique and significant challenges that characterize urban neighborhoods in Los Angeles and the Southern California region by cultivating knowledge, dignity, and sustained upward mobility through higher education. We share many of the same values and institutional goals with our fellow coalition members, and I look forward to frequent discussions and sharing of best practices regarding civic engagement.”

Katherine S. Conway-Turner began her tenure as the ninth president of Buffalo State College on August 3, 2014. Her professional leadership can be seen in the many and varied aspects that are part of a major academic anchor institution. As president of SUNY’s largest and only comprehensive college located in an urban setting, Dr. Conway-Turner oversees and manages more than 1,500 faculty, staff, and administrators who provide more than 200 academic degree and certificate programs to 8,500 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students each year. President Conway-Turner’s vision for Buffalo State to become “Buffalo’s College” through engagement, excellence, and social responsibility has been embraced and is paying off in dividends for both the college and the community.

William J. Fritz was appointed by the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York to serve as Interim President of the College of Staten Island on August 15, 2012 and as President on May 6, 2014. He received his BS and MS in Biology from Walla Walla College and a PhD in Geology from the University of Montana. Dr. Fritz serves as the seventh president of the College of Staten Island and its predecessor institutions Staten Island Community College and Richmond College.