University of California San Diego Chancellor Pradeep Khosla and California State University Channel Islands President Richard Yao join the 2023-2024 LEAD California Executive Board.
December 12, 2023
Fresno, CA – LEAD California announced today that University of California San Diego Chancellor Pradeep Khosla and California State University Channel Islands President Richard Yao are joining the 2023-2024 Executive Board of Directors. These two presidents are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education and join a distinguished board of college presidents from across California.
“We are honored to have these two dedicated and accomplished higher education leaders join our board. Our board represents a diversity of public and private institutions and demonstrates the power of building a coalition to fulfill the public service mission of higher education in California.”
James T. Harris, LEAD California Board Chair and University of San Diego President
“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Chancellor Khosla and President Yao to our Executive Board. Both bring a diversity of backgrounds, expertise, and leadership. I look forward to working with them and I know their wisdom and guidance will be invaluable to LEAD California’s mission and purpose as we move forward.”
Dr. Elaine K. Ikeda, LEAD California Executive Director
Dr. Pradeep K. Khosla became University of California San Diego’s eighth chancellor on August 1, 2012. As UC San Diego’s chief executive officer, he leads a campus with more than 43,000 students within eleven academic, professional and graduate schools, and eight undergraduate residential colleges. An internationally renowned researched and educator with research interests in Robotics, AI, and Cybersecurity, Chancellor Khosla previously served as Dean of the College of Engineering and Philip and Marsha Dowd University Professor at Carnegie Mellon University. He spent the majority of his career at Carnegie Mellon, rising through the ranks from his first position as Assistant Professor in 1986 to his appointment as Dean and University Professor in 2004. From 1994 to 1996, he also served as a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Program Manager in the Software and Intelligent Systems Technology Office, Defense Sciences Office and Tactical Technology Office, where he managed advanced research and development programs in robotics and AI.
Dr. Richard Yao was appointed to serve as President of California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) in January 2022 after serving in the Interim President role since January 2021. President Yao initially joined CSUCI in June 2018, where he served as the Vice President for Student Affairs. Prior to joining CSUCI, he resided in Las Vegas, Nevada for 23 years, where he was an active member of the higher education and mental health communities. Early in his clinical career, he worked with individuals with chronic and persistent mental illness, as well as transition aged youth from the foster care system. President Yao then focused primarily on forensic psychological assessments, with an emphasis on juvenile certification evaluations for the Juvenile Court and Public Defender’s Office, parental capacity evaluations for the Department of Family Services, and psychological disability evaluations for the Bureau of Disability Adjudication. Throughout this time, he also served as a full-time Psychology Lecturer with Nevada State College, which like CSUCI, opened its doors in 2002.
Both Chancellor Khosla and President Yao will serve three-year terms, which began on September 1, 2023. Current members of the LEAD California Executive Board also include:
- James T. Harris, Board Chair and President, University of San Diego
- Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, Board Treasurer and President, California State University, Fresno
- Ellen Neufeldt, President, California State University, San Marcos
- Nicola Pitchford, Board Secretary and President, Dominican University of California
The LEAD California Executive Board has the responsibility to support and promote the mission of LEAD California throughout the state, recommend programs, plans and budgets that sustain and promote the vision and mission of the organization, and exercise oversight and stewardship of the resources of LEAD California.
About LEAD California
LEAD California is a coalition of leading colleges and universities that works to build the collective commitment and capacity of colleges, universities and communities throughout California to advance civic and community engagement for a healthy, just and democratic society. Through innovative programs and initiatives, grant funding, training and technical assistance, professional development and powerful research studies and publications, LEAD California each year invests in and champions students, faculty members, administrators and community members involved in diverse and ground-breaking activities that support and expand civic and community engagement throughout California. For more information, please visit www.leadcalifornia.org.