Morishita begins duties as CSUEB's interim president
Leroy M. Morishita
- July 1, 2011
A new chapter began for ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥, East Bay, July 1, when it welcomed Leroy M. Morishita as interim President.
Morishita took the helm at CSUEB following a 29-year career at San Francisco State University, where he served in a variety of senior leadership positions.
“I am honored to have been selected to assume the leadership of (Cal State) East Bay,” said Morishita. “I look forward to working closely with faculty, staff and students to continue the university’s progress and momentum.”
He is familiar with the institution he now leads, having been a ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ Administrative Fellow for CSUEB’s provost and vice president for academic affairs in 1987-1988, when the institution was still known as Cal State Hayward.
Morishita was SFSU’s executive vice president since 2009 and chief financial officer since 2002. Prior to that he was vice president of physical planning and development (2001-2002), associate VP of budget planning and resource management (1997-2001), interim executive director of enrollment planning and management (1996-1997), and director of university and budget planning (1988-1997).
“We are confident that Leroy will transition seamlessly in the position as president, and know that East Bay will have an experienced and proven leader with a familiarity of the campus and the CSU system,” said Charles B. Reed, CSU chancellor, who appointed Morishita CSUEB’s interim president in April to succeed Mohammad H. Qayoumi, who was named San José State’s president in late March. Qayoumi’s last day at CSUEB was Thursday (June 30).
Raised on a grape and plum farm near Fresno, Morishita earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and his master’s degree in counseling from San Francisco State. He received his doctorate in administration, planning and social policy from Harvard Graduate School of Education.
“As a longtime East Bay resident, I have a great appreciation for the opportunities that ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ has to offer to the communities and students it serves,” the new CSUEB president said. “I look forward to building upon the outstanding achievements of President Qayoumi and his leadership team.”
Morishita complements his longtime background in the region with leading edge skills in higher education planning, social policy, and administration including leadership experience in fiscal and budget planning, information technology, human resource and risk management, capital and physical planning, enrollment planning, institutional research, and student housing. In recent years he completed San Francisco State’s physical master plan with support from campus constituencies, the surrounding community, and government leaders for the city and county of San Francisco.
“Dr. Morishita is skilled as a collaborative professional who has worked with a variety of constituencies and has been an active participant on system-wide and statewide committees,” said James Houpis, CSUEB’s provost and vice president of academic affairs. “He has done a great job representing San Francisco State as a community partner and civic leader, working with various local and regional non-profit agencies focusing on education, health, and urban planning.”
“I look forward to working closely with Dr. Morishita in continuing the work already started in making ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ a strong steward for this region,” Houpis said.