Welcome Dr. Catherine Ward
Welcome Dr. Catherine Ward as our new Chief of Operations (COO) for the Division of Academic Affairs. As COO, Dr. Ward will oversee the coordination of various projects and activities on behalf of the Provost’s Office and serve as both a collaboration partner and liaison within the academic leadership team and administrative staff.
Dr. Ward brings a wealth of institutional knowledge and achievement. Prior to joining us at CSULB, Dr. Ward held various positions at CSUF, including Director of Engagement and Learning for the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Programs, Executive Director of Retention Initiatives, and Director of the Veterans Resource Center.
A seasoned professional, Dr. Ward specializes in strategic planning, project management, and diversity, equity, and inclusion implementation. Most notably, Dr. Ward was named the recipient of the Annual Titan Excellence Award, the CSUF Legacy Award, and the Region VI Sandra Kuchler Excellence in Mentoring Award. Additionally, she was named Capital Woman of the Year in 2018 and published her work, Achieving Equity in Higher Education Using Empathy as a Guiding Principle, in April 2022. An alumna of CSUF, Dr. Ward received her B.S. in Human Services and M.S. in Counseling. She then went on to the University of Southern California where she received her doctorate in Educational Leadership with an emphasis on Educational Psychology.
