California State University announced that Mary Ann Villarreal will stay on as interim CSUDH president through the 2028–29 academic year. The search for the university’s next president will begin in fall 2028, according to the Chancellor’s Office.
In a statement emailed to campus on Sept. 30, Chancellor Mildred Garcia said Villarreal had created “undeniable positive momentum” across the university’s operations.
“I have no doubt that the university is in excellent hands, and I have every confidence in President Villarreal’s leadership,” the statement read.
Villarreal offered a “message of gratitude” in a prerecorded video emailed to campus shortly after Garcia’s announcement. In an email to the Bulletin, she said staying on as president was an “easy decision” and CSUDH “felt like home” on her first day in office.
“I am looking forward to spending the next few years building on the progress we have made so far in centering the student journey, supporting our academic transformation, strengthening our institutional talent and infrastructure, and preparing to welcome the world during the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” she said.
Villarreal added that now is “a moment of opportunity and transformation for CSUDH.”
The Chancellor’s Office appointed Villarreal to the interim president position on Nov. 19, 2025. She took over the role in January 2026, following the retirement of former President Thomas A. Parham on Dec. 31, 2025.