Richard Yao – January 2021 to Present
Richard Yao was named the fourth President of CSUCI in January 2022 and previously served as Interim President from January 2021 through January 2022. President Yao earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Fielding Graduate University, an M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Eastern Illinois University, and a B.A. in Psychology from Eastern Illinois University.
He initially joined CSUCI in June 2018 where he served as the Vice President for Student Affairs and increased collaborations between Academic and Student Affairs programs to improve student success and worked to ensure that co-curricular programming was in full alignment with the academic mission of the University. He worked to demonstrate the relationship between Student Affairs utilization and academic success markers, and in collaboration with the Chancellor’s Office, helped lead a system-wide pilot program to develop a Student Affairs data dashboard and examine student demographics in relation to utilization of support services.
Prior to arriving at CSUCI, President Yao 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 aging out of the foster care system. He 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. He was eventually tasked with building out their Student Affairs programming and first served as the Director of Student Development before becoming their founding Dean of Students.
Erika D. Beck – August 2016 to January 2021
Erika D. Beck became the third President of CSUCI in August 2016. She holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of California, San Diego, where she also served as a Faculty Fellow, as well as earning a M.A. in Psychology from San Diego State University, and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego.
As President of CSUCI, she launched the President’s Advisory Council on Inclusive Excellence, the President’s Advisory Council on Cultural Protocols, and led a successful revision to campus recruitment and retention practices to expand equity and diversity. Under her leadership, the campus received the inaugural “Seal of Excelencia” from Excelencia in Education for leadership, practice and success in serving Latinx students.
Prior to her appointment to CSUCI, she was Provost and Executive Vice President at Nevada State College from 2010 to 2016 where she previously served as the Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a tenured member of the psychology faculty. She had the unique opportunity to build a campus from the ground up and help establish the first middle tier, public institution in the state of Nevada opening in 2002 with 177 students and rapidly expanded to more than 3,500 students 13 years later.
She was appointed President of California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and assumed her duties at CSUN in January 2021.
Richard R. Rush – June 2001 to August 2016
Richard R. Rush became the second president of CSUCI in June 2001. He holds a Ph.D. in English Renaissance Literature and Master of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a B.A. in Philosophy from Gonzaga University.
As President of CSUCI, he hired over 800 faculty, staff, and administrators, and oversaw the creation and development of the University’s strategic, academic and physical master plans, the budget and financial structure, infrastructure and road improvements, the acquisition of adjacent land, and successfully leading the University’s efforts to achieve initial Accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), as well as re-accreditation in 2015. He also established an array of public partnerships that helped to raise nearly $49 million in contributions to support student scholarships and programs to better serve regional needs, including a partnership with Channel Islands National Park to establish the CSU Channel Islands Santa Rosa Island Research Station.
Before arriving at CSUCI, President Rush spent nine years as president of Minnesota State University (MSU), Mankato, where he created ties between MSU and regional industry, the local community, and civic leaders. Prior to that, President Rush played a key role in the founding of CSU San Marcos while serving as Vice President in Charge and, subsequently, as Executive Vice President.
President Rush retired from CSUCI in August 2016.
J. Handel Evans – January 1996 to June 2001
J. Handel Evans was named President of CSUCI in January 1996 to lead in the development of a public, four- year university in Ventura County. He holds a Diploma in Architecture from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, and a Master of Architecture from the University of Oregon. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architecture and a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, registered in California and the United Kingdom.
As President, he established the formation of the CSUCI Foundation as a non-profit organization and also oversaw the creation of the University’s Site Authority in support of financing for the development of the east campus’ 900 residential units for faculty and staff. He facilitated with the Governor’s Office the formal conveyance of the former Camarillo State Hospital property to the California State University (CSU) system; supported the Academic Advisory Council made up of faculty representatives from all 22 CSU campuses; and oversaw the development of the University’s first Environmental Impact Report/Master Plan and the renovation and conversion of the Bell Tower building for academic instruction and campus offices.
President Evans collaborated with Ventura County and CalTrans to provide $60 million for road improvements to benefit the campus including the reconstruction of the interchange at Lewis Road and Highway 101, and the widening of Lewis Road from Pleasant Valley Road to Hueneme Road. He also facilitated with the Governor’s Office $10 million for the future hiring of the initial planning faculty and participated in the needs assessment ultimately approved by the California Postsecondary Education Commission, “Planning for a New University in Ventura County,” calling for the opening of the new university in Fall 2002 for transfer students and freshmen to arrive in Fall 2003.
President Evans personally secured the University’s first $13 million in private fundraising donations including the John Spoor Broome and Martin V. Smith gifts; an endowed gift from the Pierre Claeyssens family; and the establishment of 200 founding President’s Circle members.
Prior to his service with CSUCI, he served 30+ years as a member of the CSU in numerous roles including Professor of Architecture and Associate Dean at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Executive Vice President and President of San Jose State University, where he also led the initial team in planning for CSU Monterey Bay; and later becoming Vice Chancellor of National Affairs for the CSU in Washington DC, a position he relinquished in the Fall of 1996 to establish CSUCI.
President Evans retired from CSUCI in June 2001 and continued to serve higher education as director of the $360 million Measure S Bond program supporting the Capital Outlay Program for the Ventura County Community College District until 2014.