Presidential Speaker Series

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Becoming the Region's Model Majority BIPOC Institution

As Portland State University embraces our emergence as a majority BIPOC institution with Minority Serving Institution designation, we have an unprecedented opportunity to become the model for serving, and supporting, the thriving of minoritized students in the Pacific Northwest.

Please join President Ann Cudd for the Presidential Speaker Series featuring conversations with university presidents of Minority Serving Institutions from around the country. These trailblazing individuals, who embody the ethos of PSU and have made a powerful impact on minoritized students, will help us explore critical ideas, paradigms and practices to support our increasingly diverse community.

Photo of Dr. Anjelica Garcia

Dr. Angélica Garcia

Tuesday, January 23, 2024 | 5:30pm
Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom

Dr. Garcia currently serves as the president and superintendent of Santa Rosa Junior College, where she leads from a student-centered framework and fosters collaboration across instructional and student services divisions.

Photo of Dr. Rowena Tomaneng

Dr. Rowena Tomaneng

Thursday, February 22, 2024 | 4:30pm
Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom

In her time as president of San José City College, Dr. Tomaneng has expanded student success pathway programs and advanced facilities improvements on campus, including a new state-of-the-art Career Education Complex.

Photo of Dr. Francis Arpan

Dr. Frank Arpan

Tuesday, March 5, 2024 | 4:00pm
Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom

Dr. Arpan is the newly-appointed president of Haskell Indian Nations University, and is focusing his institutional vision on expanding opportunities for Tribal students to develop professionally and personally in student-centered environments

Photo of Dr. Michael Sorrell

Dr. Michael Sorrell

Thursday, April 25, 2024 | 4:00pm
Hoffman Hall

During his 16 years as president of Paul Quinn College, Dr. Sorrell has helped the school become nationally celebrated for its ability to reimagine higher education to better serve the needs of today’s students and their communities.

Photo of Dr. Kim Wilcox

Dr. Kim Wilcox

Thursday, May 9, 2024 | 3:30pm
Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom

The speaker series concludes with a campus symposium and keynote from Dr. Wilcox. He serves as chancellor of University of California, Riverside where he has led expansive growth in research, enrollment, graduation rates and physical development.