Joseph I. Castro, first person of color to lead CSU, dies at 58

"he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from UC Berkeley and a PhD in higher education leadership and policy from Stanford University. "As his family, we take comfort in knowing that Joe's life was guided by a desire to open doors of opportunity for others," his family said in a statement. "He held fast to the belief that education could strengthen families and transform communities. His influence continues in the many people he encouraged, supported, and inspired along the way.""

"Castro oversaw the nation's largest four-year public university system from 2021 to 2022 after serving as president of Fresno State, where he won praise for increasing graduation rates and shrinking achievement gaps. He served as the university system's eighth chancellor, resigning in his second year amid controversy over how he handled sexual harassment and other allegations against a top executive at Fresno State."

Joseph I. Castro was the first person of color to lead the California State University system and died at 58 after a battle with colon cancer. He led CSU from 2021 to 2022 after serving as president of Fresno State, where graduation rates rose and achievement gaps narrowed. Castro was a first-generation college graduate from Hanford, Calif., who earned degrees from UC Berkeley and a PhD from Stanford. Family said he believed education could strengthen families and transform communities. Pandemic-era challenges affected his chancellorship, which ended with his resignation amid controversy over handling sexual harassment and other allegations.

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