Academic Career & Executive Search Recruits Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer for California State University, Stanislaus
October 19, 2023 – After a national search, Academic Career & Executive Search (ACES) has assisted in the recruitment of Sacha Joseph-Mathews as founding chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer at California State University, Stanislaus (CSU). Managing partner Jennifer Muller led the assignment for the search firm.
Dr. Joseph-Mathews has over 15 years of experience training executives, managers, and organizations in unconscious bias and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She joins CSU, Stanislaus from University of the Pacific, where she has served as the assistant dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion and community engagement in the school of business since 2020. Dr. Joseph-Mathews has also served as an associate professor at University of the Pacific since 2006, teaching courses ranging from DEI in business to services marketing and management.
Dr. Joseph-Mathews has extensive experience in developing DEI student focused strategies and DEI related curricula for higher education environments. In addition to her work in academia, she is an active consultant and business coach in the areas of marketing and customer service both domestically and internationally in the for-profit and non-profit worlds. Prior to her academic career, Dr. Joseph-Mathews worked in media, tourism, export development, trade development/investment, international business and with non-profit management.
The California state legislature established Stanislaus State College in 1957 as the 15th campus of the California State University system. In 1985, the college was officially renamed California State University Stanislaus. The university offers 43 undergraduate programs, 16 graduate programs, and serves more than 10,000 students. Its student to faculty ratio is 22:1. It has four colleges: the College of Business Administration; the College of Education, Kinesiology, and Social Work; the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; and the College of Science.
Based in West Hartford, CT, Academic Career & Executive Search focuses on executive search services, career planning, and candidate coaching. Specializing in challenging faculty to senior administrative positions, the firm offers six a la carte services spanning full search, candidate generation, interim, multi-hire, and contingency search. Candidate support services include webinars, career planning, and candidate coaching. Its team has served in virtually every capacity in higher education including president, vice president, provost, dean, chief human research officer, and faculty members across all types and sizes of institutions. Sixty-six percent the firm’s placements are women and/or from underrepresented groups.
Academic Career & Executive Search Spearheads Efforts to Find an Inclusion and Belonging Leader for Boise State University
Academic Career & Executive Search (ACES) has been selected by Boise State University to lead its search for a vice provost for inclusion and belonging. This executive serves as a senior official charged with leading and coordinating the efforts in academic affairs to support a richly diverse, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all students, staff, and faculty. According to ACES, this position provides visionary and collaborative leadership, working with the president, provost, deans, other academic leadership, and human resources to facilitate an integrated vision and shared responsibility for advancing institutional goals of fostering a healthy, supportive campus culture for all.
Ms. Muller has more than 20 years of research and development experience in higher education and Fortune 500 companies. She has led over 70 higher education searches both domestically and internationally spanning presidents, vice presidents, associate chancellors, deans, directors, chairs, and faculty level positions. She is former vice chair of the American Council on Education (ACE) Executive Search Roundtable and serves as an advisor in the numerous ACE leadership development forums.
Recent Search
Academic Career & Executive Search recently placed Chris Culbertson as the new dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Kansas State University (K-State). Dr. Culbertson, interim dean for nearly a year, has also served as a professor of chemistry and associate dean of research and graduate studies. He was appointed to the post by Charles Taber, provost and executive vice president. Ms. Muller led the assignment for the search firm.
“Dr. Culbertson brings a wealth of experience in leadership, research, teaching and service to the dean role,” said Dr. Taber. “His passion for research excellence, student success and university engagement will serve the college and the university well. We look forward to his continued strategic vision as he leads the College of Arts and Sciences into the future.”
Related: Why Universities Have Stepped Up Efforts to Involve Search Firms
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; and Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
